You unexpectedly time travel to 1985 with no way back. What do you do?

Invest in the stock market. Microsoft, yahoo, some of the bigger industry stuff like General Electric etc. Also throw some money in real estate. And probably get far away from where I am right now in order to not cause any strange things happening with running into myself.

 
What if you weren't sent back with money? I see people talking about investing money, but hey, you just dropped there with nothing more than what you got on you. There's no way you could buy stocks.

 
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My answer as to what I would do if I were dropped off in 1985 with no way back is essentially a combination of other people's previous answers.

First and foremost, I would somehow have to establish and assume a false identity for myself complete with a valid social insurance number etc. Unfortunately, I honestly have no idea how I would go about doing so. Presumably an unscrupulous individual who specializes in forging identities would be required, but again I have no idea how I would find and contact such a person, or pay him or her for his or her services. (And I certainly wouldn't tell that person, or anyone else, that I'm from their future!)

However, if I were able to manage that first, difficult step: I would next save up sufficient capital through low-key jobs that I would then invest in companies like Microsoft and Apple that I know would yield a very high return on my investment, to the point that I could simply live off of those returns.

With my monetary needs taken care off, I would then live a very quiet, comfortable, secluded life in which I try to avoid further interfering with the next thirty years of history as much as possible to ensure that I don't create a paradox. I certainly wouldn't try to advance technology faster than its historical pace, or try to interfere with historical events, or give any hints about the future or indications that I am not of the then current era. Moreover, I certainly wouldn't live anywhere near my younger self or any of my friends' and relatives' younger selves.

I suppose that I would somehow try to find and contact any other stranded time travelers with whom I could more safely socialize with (extremely carefully and with great caution), but in general I would be extremely worried about altering history--to the point that I would sterilize myself and by-and-large avoid relationships. That may be a rather lonely life, but the risks of altering history are too great and I can at least comfort myself with my wealth and by enjoying my favourite era of pop culture as it is happening.

Once 2015 comes around, I would very carefully consider whether or not to make my true identity and nature public--but I would definitely not do so prior to the moment that I was originally sent back in time.

 
I would find my mother and father and tell them to use a condom next time round because I turned out wierd + I'm going to be around without you having intercourse anyway because I time traveled back. Also I would ask my dad for a few coins so i could buy a gram of wacky backy, sit down a smoke until i figure out what to do.

 
I'll be rich. Buy some Microsoft stock. The Iraqi dinar soon will go for pennies on the dollar. And then mushrooms in price. That's just off the top of my head. With my knowledge of electronics, I could successfully start up an integrated circuit manufacturing plant. I'll be living in Silicon Valley.
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So many things like you mentioned. Microsoft stock for the first 10 years would be easy way to double your money every year. I would get started by betting on the Chicago Bears since I happen to remember that is the year they won the Super Bowl. Off the top of my head, I don´t remember what year which teams won the SB, but as each year came, I could definitely be able to pick the winners.. For instance SF in the late 1980s never lost the SB, and then the Cowboys never lost in the early 90s. Bet against the Bills in every SB. It would be pretty easy to double your money every year just betting on the SB.It is hard to say what to actually do with your free time. I would bet that even with what we know now, we could not prevent stuff like 9/11 and would probably end up in the looney bin or jail for trying. Would you be credible trying to warn people about the Tsunami, or earthquakes. My guess is again, there would be nothing you could do to help people. Maybe with a ton of money you could self-fund preventive measures.

In a way, aside from being able to make a ton of money, it would probably be frustrating as hell not being able to prevent or save as many people as you think you could do.

 
Key word here is unexpectedly - You did not prepare for this, so you have no winning lottery numbers or sports almanac. Using only your memory, knowledge and skills, how would you survive and/or benefit?The rules:

  1. If you were born on or before 1985, your past self still exists.
     
     
     
  2. Your clothing and any items on your person came back with you.
     
     
     
  3. There's no way back, ever. You cannot time travel again.
     
     
     
  4. When 2015 rolls back around, you don't time travel back to 1985; there's no time loops happening here.
     
     
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Unexpected means unplanned -- by me, and unprepared. I arrive in 1985 as is. Assuming I was transported midday while walking down the street or eating lunch, meaning not while I am waking up in bed or taking a shower, I shall arrive in 1985 not wearing PJs or wet & naked but fully clothed, backpack on an iPhone and iPod in pocket; also more than likely I shall have my laptop with me.Second, being as I am and old enough to remember the 70s, I can contact my temporal indigenous self and with a few verbal code words enable Standard Operating Protocol for temporal transplant (http://tinyurl.com/nq2b2ge).

Stuck in 1985, I shall spend a part of my time tutoring my temporal indigenous self to get into Princeton. The remaining time investigating how I came to be in 1985.

The scenario raises some questions.

First, how do I know that I am marooned in 1985? Why 1985? The cause of the temporal displacement is either a natural phenomenon or by some agency. If the former, then until 2015, I shall prep to study and observe this temporal displacement of natural causes.

cf. I asked a rather similar question in a thread I posted here

http://timetravelinstitute.com/threads/what-would-you-do-until-then.8773/

If the latter, then must ask who? and why? Am I the only one who was dragged back through time? By following the example of the lead character for Ken Grimwell's 1998 novel Replay, I would post in wanted ads and personal classifieds the words '9/11', 'Twin Towers', and 'Laden' in effort to seek out other temporal transplants.



 
Meet up with my old man, tell him to take it easy and offer to dig his garden before it causes his heart attack. Meet up with my Grandfather and just sit and listen to his stories. I'm not at all bothered about monetary gain. You can't pay to reconnect with the people you miss. Work in a hotel that offers reduced wage for live in staff (many did in those days) enjoy the music, just enjoy the time I've left.

 
Key word here is unexpectedly - You did not prepare for this, so you have no winning lottery numbers or sports almanac. Using only your memory, knowledge and skills, how would you survive and/or benefit?The rules:

  1. If you were born on or before 1985, your past self still exists.
     
     
     
  2. Your clothing and any items on your person came back with you.
     
     
     
  3. There's no way back, ever. You cannot time travel again.
     
     
     
  4. When 2015 rolls back around, you don't time travel back to 1985; there's no time loops happening here.
     
     
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Intercept Zuckerberg point him in another direction, jack the Idea from the Winklevoss's

 
I would get a second chance!! There would be things I would change and not make the same mistakes. I would get a second chance with my dad. There are events I wouldn't do, people I never had met and I would save money and do things the right way.

 
I would get a second chance!! There would be things I would change and not make the same mistakes. I would get a second chance with my dad. There are events I wouldn't do, people I never had met and I would save money and do things the right way.
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I don't think there is a "right way" to do things - You are the culmination of your successes, failures, good choices and bad ones. Going through that is how you grow as a person and gain wisdom and character.I've made a lot of stupid decisions and have many regrets, but I'd never change any of that because I like who and where I am. Having a do-over would cause me to lose what I've worked so hard to have now and would null and void an entire lifetime's worth of lessons. That's not for me. As irrational as it sounds within the context of time travel, I prefer to live with the consequences of my actions (or inactions).

It would definitely be interesting to see things from a different perspective having the power of foresight, but I'd never want to "hit the reset button".

Besides, getting thrown back to the 80s would make you a good 30+ years older than you were back then meaning there's no way you'd be able to re-live anything from that point of view. You wouldn't want to interfere with your past self for obvious reasons.

 
For those of you, who think of getting rich by the stocks market, do you know the story of Andrew Carlssin?



 
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As I dont carry a cellphone most of the time I would have no evidence I am from the future. All in all I would be pretty screwed. All in all I would be pretty screwed, I would effectively have no usable ID or citizenship anywhere. So I would have to survive off casual cash in hand work until I get a birth certificate for some random grave. If I travel back to the same place I am in a different country than my 3-4 year old self so it will be a while before I can contact my parents who are now the same age as me. All technologies of today where already in research stages in the 80s there is not much room for amazing backyard inventions. As others have said I will buy some Microsoft stack when I can but that will take a while to pay off to make a fortune you need to know lots of detail on profitable short term trades. A couple of world cup results I could place bets on but I am not into that kind of trivia at all really, and the butterfly effect may kick in. Guess I will try to get into web programming in the 90's and make the first Paypal, Ebay, Amazon, Google, Facebook etc all rolled into one hub. If I get a serious fortune from that in the 00's I could start make business moves and Research in the technology sector smart phones easy to use mp3 players etc. Some things I know about graphene production could be useful then.

 
I would leave myself a message with my signature somewhere i would i find it.Written don't go to the place where the unexpected time travel took placed.because you get place at such and such a time that got you stuck in 1985.Look at the signature if you don't believe me.

 
Found this place by accident, joined up and looked at this thread first...

So if I was back in '85 and stuck there, I would probably set myself up with some investments, Microsoft and Apple for starters, being English I am a massive football fan(soccer to our American friends), I would go and watch my team play at there old 'spiritual home' as I never got a chance too, I would probably place some bets with my 30 years of knowledge, nobody expected Wimbledon to beat Liverpool in 1988, and a few other bets so that I could have enough money to be able to love comfortably, as I am a bus enthusiast, I would know about Bus Deregulation in '86 and would look to buy into the privatised bus companies..

I also think it would be cool to be in Berlin the day the Wall came down, maybe even go to South Africa to see Mandela get released. I would probably try set myself up as a sports maybe, I would know who was going to make it...

There is the question would I change my own life, I think I would make sure to look after my younger self, though I would not change anything in my life, despite having a hard time

 
I'm on a real dilemma here. The making money part is easy; tell my earlier self what to invest in, and tell him not to do a couple of the stupid things I did do, but the negation of which won't matter. He is on the brink of splitting up and divorcing his (our) first wife. That's perfectly fine. The REAL dilemma is: do I advise my earlier self not to meet my second wife, who he will meet in the future? She will cheat on me further down the line after 20 years together , but only after we have had SIX kids. Do I have a right to deny those children their lives?

I suspect that I will not. But I will plan it so that we ( I mean him) have a much better life and marriage and she won't be tempted into an affair.

 
I would stop 9/11 from happening, or reduce casualties by sending a series of bomb threats in New York through a pay phone.
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You would be there 16 years before 9/11. Knowing that Russia will withdraw from Afghanistan, you would best prevent 9/11 and other atrocities by persuading the US NOT to back and give weapons to 'ole Bin Liner in the first place. With hindsight you could prevent the invasion of Kuwait and prevent 2 wars in Iraq which solved nothing and killed lots of US servicemen and hundreds of thousands of people in IraqHell, with 16 years of forward planning you could pay to train and equip your own counter-terrorist force to assassinate, discredit or simply make disappear Islamic (or other) troublemakers before they even know what they are going to do themselves. Just ask them if they are Sarah Connor before you blow them away.

 
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