Non-want-to-belivers: let’s try to think in those terms – if there was a way to ‘date’ earlier techs, we could more convincingly disprove OUR potential for backwards time travel, without having to disprove time travel itself. Just disprove that HUMANS visited us from the future, and I think you will have effectively won this argument (speculating about aliens is like speculating about God). New tech doesn’t starve the herd – just because RADAR is NEWER than SONAR, it doesn’t mean that we have stopped using SONAR altogether. It should stand to reason that future humans would employ the same economies. That is to say: there is no reason to believe that our alleged future visitor – now matter how sophisticated they may be – should be ‘above’ employing technology CUMULATIVELY.

The benchmark-tech in question doesn’t need to be as primordial as radio for this to work either – nukes, for example, should leave a signature – on rocks, dinosaur bones, what have you. If we could establish a disparity (either by discovering a caveman that – according to radioactive dating – is only 1 year old, or by discovering a radius of site radioactivity, outside of which, dinosaur bones abruptly spike in age) we might be on to something.

These are just the first two examples that popped into my head. But very many of our technologies impact the environment in subtle (radio waves) and catastrophic (nuke) ways. The future is in many ways inconceivable, but come on, even Ripley used radio waves. It is not unthinkable that someone could affirmatively disprove the capacity for HUMANS from our instance of the universe to travel in time and have an effect on the past of humans from our instance of the universe (whether by impossibility or the future extinction of humans). But until you have personally accomplished this laudable task – STOP TROLLING. There is a difference between skepticism and pessimism. This is hella fun!

http://www.phisick.com/images/ent/silver-ear-trumpet-small-102.jpg

Kudos on finding it. He has been trying to keep it secret. He called from the past on Feb 17, 2008. Apparently the time machine somehow provided a path for the mobile phone signals. Amazing. Just trying to figure out what to do with the capability.

Everyone know that no one held their hand to the side of her head until the advent of cellular telephony! It’s a proven fact!!1!

VERY interesting video. Besides most of the ‘ridiculous’ answers of “it’s an iPhone, or etc..”, I think there is a possibility that the device he/she is holding could possibly be a primitive (to our standards) hearing aid. It does appear that he/she is holding some sort of device.

I think there may also be some merit to an above comment concerning the adjustment of an earing.

Additionally, added as a joke comment, but maybe getting someone who can actually read lips may at least assist in what this person might be saying. If we knew what he/she was saying, perhaps that may clarify things a bit. Speculation says perhaps she is speaking to the person in front of her, commenting on the fake zebra with a saddle, etc. There’s a wide array of possible variables that we do not know.

Not sure of the crossdresser portion though, as unfortunately it seems that she might be wearing what was in-style at the time, however masculine it may appear. Style was horrible in those times anyhow!

Have you tried taking some frames of this video and perhaps doing some reverse coloring or enhancement in Photoshop?

Have you perhaps tried to contact a Chaplin expert? (Not sure if those exist anymore.) Perhaps maybe someone who might be a historian of this film company, or of Chaplin’s works could also be an additional option. Oddly enough since this is so strange, you might also try to directly contact the film company, or whatever company may have bought out the filming company that Chaplin worked for. Chaplin was a bit of a prankster at times, so it really would not surprise me if we found out that there was way more to this story than we know!

Obviously, as you probably can tell, I do not assume that this is a time traveler. However, it does somewhat appear so if you take into account her body language compared to what you see daily in any decent sized city. I find this sort of oddity absolutely fascinating, and definitely presents more of a curiosity than the other ‘time traveler’ videos posted on BB.

Additionally, I think it would be very cool to discuss this with you in further detail. I’d also like to know your additional thoughts on this, or if you have uncovered any more detail about this video.

Or maybe… she’s using her phone. To talk to another time traveller. On a network they specially brought with them for such instances. Or maybe it connects via a beacon on their ship. But then that would be spotted easily and is absurd. Instead, it work by magic.

Anyway, good to see some Nordies on Boingboing

In your face, time traveller!!

can i blame the political season? people are just so inundated with stupidity that they are grasping at the most far-fetched diversion they can find to help them cope?

Migawd, it’s a pack of Five Gum! What an amazing use of time travel technology for ingenious product placement!

It’s logic the creature uses a Quantum Phone: no need for mobile antennas!

(And btw: the being is an androgyne Spaghettimonster)

That’s all. Maybe you should perhaps lighten up?