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Have you ever wanted to enter a time machine? Would you travel back in time or into the future? What time period would you visit?
In a few short days you will be able to enter a time machine in the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. As part of the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) an interactive time machine is being constructed at the Kimmel Center. The machine stretches 100 feet long and 16 feet in diameter and will be open and free to visit from March 28-April 27.
Entering the Time Machine allows you to experience the past, present and future and view science, technology and art from a new perspective. I recently spoke with Jay Wahl, Director of Public Events and Festival Partnerships for the Kimmel Center, who shared insights about the Time Machine.
“What is a time machine? It’s technology we invent to subvert or enhance biology. Biologically we seem to go one way in relationship to time, so we invent this piece of technology, this piece of magic, which helps us challenge that,” Wahl explained.
The design of the machine was inspired after DNA, which the double helix shape of the machine reflects. “DNA is the ultimate time capsule, it stores information for the future and moves it forward for future generations,” said Wahl.
Here’s a video to give you an idea of what the Time Machine has in store for you:
The Time Machine takes information and carries it through humanity, according to Wahl. Art was the first way that humans conveyed information to future generations, starting with cave drawings and continuing today, with art ranging from digital art to graffiti. “Art tells us where we were and art tells us where we are going.”
Wahl gave the example of people posting on Facebook today as being similar to cave drawings. “It’s a human principle that we need to leave our mark. We need to measure our existence in our presence.”
One interesting part of the time machine is “The Last 30 Seconds on Earth.” Wahl explained that if you plotted the history of Earth on a 24 hour day, humanity only appears in the last 30 seconds.
Time will also be celebrated nightly (Tuesday through Sunday) at 7:00 and 10:30 in the lobby of the Kimmel Center with a free musical show, “Flash of Time,” showing how humanity is connected through time. “The art installation becomes a stage,” described Wahl.
Check out these photos of the Time Machine under construction:
To visit the Time Machine, head to the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia and enter the machine in the lobby. You’ll begin a journey through lights, sound and video. You’ll be able to leave your mark in history in the machine. Computers will be available for you to design your own journey through time.
PIFA events will take place all over Philadelphia during the festival with different organizations displaying exhibits from certain periods of time. For example, the Please Touch Museum will be hosting exhibits related to the 1876 US Centennial celebration.
For more information about the time machine, visit Time Machine Plaza website.
Also be sure to check out PIFA’s Tumblr page where artists will be holding weekly Hangouts.
Would you like to visit the Time Machine? What time period would you visit? Would you prefer to visit the past or get a peek at the future? Let us know in the Comments section below!
*** Time Machine photos courtesy of Evelyn Taylor
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Hi Carolyn,
Nice info shared!
I really like the way they have used this as a concept and implemented that. The images look so true to the concept.
Thanks for this great share. Have a great weekend.
Sapna
Hi Sapna, Yes, they really seem to have thought this through thoroughly. I love that they integrated art and science into the concept of time travel.
I visited the Time Machine under construction and I’m really excited to visit again once it’s open!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts, Sapna. You have a fantastic weekend!
Hi Carolyn,
It makes you think how resilient DNA is and how resilient paper has been for passing information from one generation to another. We need to make computers more resilient, I have computer disks full of data and software and no 3.5 inch disk drive on this computer and the software wouldn’t run on a 64 bit computer anyway. I would really like to play those old games like Aquenoid, scorched earth and icicleworks! It’s a shame there is no time travel to the early 1990’s! Maybe we can learn from the mistakes of the past, but i doubt it. I even enjoyed programming in BASIC back then.
Hi Mike, Exactly, I think about this too. So much of our knowledge now is stored digitally, what happens when the format changes? Will we have to transfer our knowledge, much as we transferred our music collections from vinyl to tape to CD to digital files?
Perhaps we could travel to the future to see what happens!
The concept sounds pretty interesting. And I’ve always imagined going back in time to see that Apple falling on the head of Isaac Newton or to have a chat with Albert Einstein. lol ..
But if it’s up for tech stuff. I would definitely go see Steve Jobs before he makes the first Mac computer and I will buy a part of his company. lol
Hi Roshan, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I love your ideas of events and people to visit. Yes, hindsight really is 20/20. I wonder what we would do differently now if we knew the future?
Thank you Carolyn. Yes, I would love to sneak a peek at the future. Although, I don’t think it would make a difference because what we do now is what makes the future.
By the way, you have a great website. Keep up the good work.
Thank you very much, Roshan. I’m so pleased you like The Wonder of Tech!
Wish they would bring something like that to Houston, I’d be there in a heartbeat Carolyn. That just sounds so awesome to experience.
Which period would I visit, good question. I kind of think I’d like to go into the future just a little, not too far. You know, sneak peak of what’s to come. I think that would be pretty cool but we all know they can predict how it will be but we’ll never really know till we get there.
Thanks Carolyn for sharing this and this is just so neat.
~Adrienne
Hi Adrienne, Yes, I feel very fortunate to have this in my back yard! I visited during construction but will have to wait to see the final exhibit when it opens.
You bring up a fascinating point, Adrienne. Do we really want to get a sneak peek of the future? Some people want to be surprised, others prefer to be prepared. What a great topic for discussion!
Looks like a really funny attraction to visit. If the Time Machine where real, I would have gone back in time to buy a couple of dotcom domains before the dotcom boom started.
Hi Eric, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Brilliant idea, you’d have enough money then to build your own Time Machine.
Or, you could head to the future to find out what the next Big Tech is going to be! 🙂
Oh my God Carolyn – is this really going to happen!
I’ve just seen that movie long back ‘Back to the future’ where they enter the time machine and go into their past and then another one into their future…but never knen that one day they would eventually come out with a REAL time machine. 🙂
Lovely video and the pictures too. I’d just be too scared to go in I think – just in-case i get stuck and can’t come back to the present…lol 🙂 Nevertheless, I think this is simply wonderful and something I’m going to show my kids just now.
Thanks for sharing, and have a great weekend too. 🙂
Hi Harleena, Lol, great point! Some will want to be the first to go through while others will want to wait to see what comes out the other side.
If your kids went through and loved it, you probably would want to go too?
Haha…I just remembered a similar “time machine” that took us to the dinosaur era and back in 20mins at the Disney Park last week 🙂
I have never been to Philly, though i have passed through the city while on my way to NY couple of times. This sounds something interesting and the video is quite a build-up.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Praveen, The Time Machine and PIFA was great reasons for you to come visit Philadelphia. So many amazing exhibits are available, many for kids. In addition to the Time Machine, be certain to check out the Please Touch Museum. Your family will have so much fun!
Yes, I would like to visit. Can I stay at your place; it will really help me cut down on the costs….
Sounds pretty dang cool.
Have you ever taken the time to study/read how we got to where we are today in a non-biblical way? There were so many major events that had to occur to stir the drink just right for this to be a ‘livable’ planet and man as we know ‘him,’ is a very brief period indeed.
Sure, Bill, come on over! I’ll heat up the grill and we can have a nice BBQ before we head back in time. 🙂
Yes, you’re right, the confluence of events needed to create Earth and life is astounding. Like monkeys with a typewriter replicating the works of Shakespeare. In order.
My mind is blown every time I ponder such issues.
Sounds like a fantastic idea!
As for me, if I really could travel back in time, my first stop would be ancient Egypt! I’ve always had a fascination with the ancient world, and Egypt was my favorite!
I’d then travel forward to the founding of our country and talk to our founding fathers!
Hi Ron, Wow, those are great ideas! I would love to visit both ancient Egypt and the founding fathers of the US. Perhaps some day in the future?
Hi Carolyn,
Would you like to visit the Time Machine?! Why not 🙂 That’s amazing indeed and you are fortunate enough to have it in your area.
Could you able to see it under construction or gotta wait until March 28 Carolyn? 🙂 Really love to know your experience with Time Machine. May be we can read here, eh? 😉
Mmm… I’d like to watch my past but I’d love to see the old age more than that 😉 Sometimes I’ve been thinking what if I can go that far. You know, dinosaurs, how inventions were happened, how Pyramids were built and list goes on 😉
But there were no computers and might feel boring? 😉 Don’t think so.
How about you? Past or future? 😉
Cheers…
Hi Mayura, Yes, I saw the Time Machine under construction at the Kimmel Center. I’m headed back there to see the Machine too. While seeing the Machine under construction was very exciting, the experience wasn’t nearly as thrilling as the actual Machine promises to be.
Life without tech would certainly be challenging, but I would be very curious to go back in time to see what life was like in history. The way I see it, we wouldn’t otherwise be able to travel back in time, but if we’re patient (and lucky), we can wait to see what the future holds.
I’ll look for you among the pyramids, Mayura!
Carol, I’ve always loved the movies with time machines and would love to go on one and explore many times way back. It would be so interesting to experience our forefathers who lived before us. I’d love to see when Christopher Columbus travelled. I wish I lived near PA to visit this one. It sure looks like a lot of fun.
Will you be doing a follow up once it’s open? Look forward to it if you do.
Hi Lisa, Yes, there are so many interesting times in history that would be fun to visit. Great idea to go back to the day sof Christopher Columbus!
I will be visiting the Time Machine later this month and update this article after my visit. I wish you had a chance to see it too!
Thanks for your visit here and sharing your comment, Lisa!
Now I have to plan a trip…. wooohoooo :))
While reading this I almost lost the track of time. The whole concept sounds so surreal. Cant wait to take a trip in thing wonderful amalgamation of science and art.
Thanks for this wonderful post Carolyn.
Hi Rashmi, Yes, I’m looking forward to visiting the Time Machine later this month too! 🙂
Hallo Carolyn
Nice post really like this the concept is very interesting some of movies i watch time machine concept if some body asked me question in which place want to go well i go to the ancient time period and i see to how to born all element in this planet earth.
Hi Rishabh, Wow, that would be fascinating to witness how Earth was born. If you do get to visit that time period, be sure to let us know what happened! 🙂
If Bill Dorman is coming, I could make the trip too. Keep me in the loop…
Hey Stan, Sure, come and join the party! We just need to decide which time to visit to make sure we meet at the same place and era. 😉
Carolyn,
That’s really going to be fun 🙂
I did visited Hollywood studios CA during 2006 and had a chance to enjoy with the simulator. It’s not a time machine but still it will take you to deep valley, ocean, volcano …wow..it was fun.
I think this looks little different and going to be great fun for family. Let me check whether we could make it or not 🙂
Thanks for the info Carolyn.
Hi Vijay, Wow, I bet that trip to the simulator in California was very cool! To travel to those different places in a virtual world must have been fantastic. I bet that’s a memory for a lifetime.
I look forward to visiting the Time Machine later this month and hope that the experience is equally as awesome!
nice info and great idea but so sad i can’t visit it because of the distance that it has from my place of residence…
Hi Jawad, Yes, it would be great if the Time Machine were to go on tour! I don’t know of any plans for that to happen though.