Lost 'Steve Jobs Time Capsule' unearthed after 30 years

[Shawn Knight]

A time capsule that was buried more than 30 years ago at the close of the International Design Conference containing, among other things, the mouse that Steve Jobs used during his Lisa computer presentation, has been unearthed in Aspen, Colorado.

The original plan was to dig up the capsule in 2000 but thanks to a significant re-landscaping of the area, its exact whereabouts were unknown. But thanks to the help of the National Geographic Channel show “Diggers” and a local excavation team, the Aspen Time Tube – or the Steve Jobs Time Capsule as some call it – has been found.

The 13-foot long, 1.5-foot-diameter tube is literally packed with hundreds of different items, many of which were thoughtfully placed inside plastic bags to help preserve them while underground. Due to the overwhelming smell of mold and the task of wading through so many artifacts, the team has elected to wait a day before they set out to locate the mouse and other relics.

Aside from the Lisa mouse, the only other known item in the capsule is a six-pack of beer. Harry Teague, who was the president of the conference, remembered putting a six-pack in the tube because he reckoned the guys that dig it up will be sweaty and will appreciate a six-pack.

Moving forward, the Diggers crew along with people from the Aspen Historical Society are planning to catalog each and every item in the tube with the goal of preserving them for potential public display.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/54080-lost-steve-jobs-time-capsule-unearthed-after-30-years.html

 

[oldikes]

Doesnt that defeat the purpose of a time capsule. to dig it up less than what, 40 years later?

 

[Guest]

Looks like a bunch of trash. And people want to put this on display? The diggers will probably get shot if they drink that beer, got to preserve it!

 

[p51d007]

Considering the attention span of the average American, they will conclude this is "ancient" history, being 30 years ago...heck, they can't keep their attention for 1 day to the next.

 

[Camikazi]

Doesnt that defeat the purpose of a time capsule. to dig it up less than what, 40 years later?

The length of time it remains buried depends on the person who put it there, there is no minimum time for it to be considered a Time Capsule. Given the way technology has moved in the last 40 years, this is definitely a time capsule since it is all ancient compared to what is around now. The whole purpose is to give yourself or a different generation reminders of what was used back when it was buried, not to leave it for 10,000 years, it's like finding an old letter from your youth in the closet.

 

[Camikazi]

Considering the attention span of the average American, they will conclude this is "ancient" history, being 30 years ago...heck, they can't keep their attention for 1 day to the next.

Kewl American Hater Hipster found, hi there having fun today? Anyway this is ancient considering how fast things have moved in the last 40 years, all of it has been left long behind and there is a good chance that most of the companies that made this items are long gone. The original formula and maker of that beer IS actually gone, the name is used but it is far away from its origins.

 

[oldikes]

The length of time it remains buried depends on the person who put it there, there is no minimum time for it to be considered a Time Capsule. Given the way technology has moved in the last 40 years, this is definitely a time capsule since it is all ancient compared to what is around now. The whole purpose is to give yourself or a different generation reminders of what was used back when it was buried, not to leave it for 10,000 years, it's like finding an old letter from your youth in the closet.

Not really. Its not hard to find what a mouse from 40 years ago was like. Or what hardware was like. I dont need a time capsule to know remind me of tech from 40 years ago, a time capsule I would like to see would be from like the early 1900s or something. something not to tell you what tech was like, but a feel of what life in general was like from a time period. Which I guess this was, its just that to half the worlds population this is pointless, as they grew up or lived through this time.

 

[tipstir]

They should have left it alone until the year 3040.

 

[Jad Chaar]

Yeah they dug it up too quickly.

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

Doesnt that defeat the purpose of a time capsule. to dig it up less than what, 40 years later?

Well, they said it was 'lost' so they didn't dig it up on purpose. If it's a construction site, then something has to go there now and they can't exactly put it back.

I agree though, you really shouldn't be able to look through a time capsule and be able to discuss the items with the people who put them in there.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Except in this case it was meant to be dug up back in 2000. This means it is free for recovery anytime afterward.

The original plan was to dig up the capsule in 2000 but thanks to a significant re-landscaping of the area, its exact whereabouts were unknown.

Seemed to be a 20 year time capsule, I'd imagine Steve Jobs wanted to see the contents himself. To me the original goal of the time capsule died with Steve. But then there were so many items in the capsule, it looked as if it was a group effort. I can only imagine the anticipation of all those who participated in burying the capsule.

 

[GunsAblazin]

That was stupid. If the people who buried it are still alive what's the point? They already know what's in it. They need to put it back underground for at least 100 years.

 

[Guest]

How conveniently this news sprung up just days of the new Apple product release. Another marketing move perhaps? I can see it now, in remembrance to Steve, one should buy the new iPhone 5c/s.

 

[cliffordcooley]

That was stupid. If the people who buried it are still alive what's the point?

Because those people want to remember how things were. Time capsules are not always meant for newer generations to uncover. There is a such thing as personal capsules.

They already know what's in it.

Yes and likely forgotten most everything packed inside.

 

[dividebyzero]

Aside from the Lisa mouse, the only other known item in the capsule is a six-pack of beer. Harry Teague, who was the president of the conference, remembered putting a six-pack in the tube because he reckoned the guys that dig it up will be sweaty and will appreciate a six-pack.

Ballantines has a bit of a metallic tang to it when in an ideal state. Forty years sitting in a can certainly won't improve it. Mr Teague must have thought that the people excavating this little treasure trove are the same connoisseurs that appreciate Colt 45 for breakfast.

 

[Guest]

1. Go to tech conference
2. Snort heaps of Coke
3. Hear that a time capsule is being prepared, and there is heaps of space left for stuff
4. Brainstorm that throwing in a few pies and a six-pack is an awesome idea
5. Become a billionaire

Priceless.

 

[tomryanhanks]

Does anyone ever heard of 'sentimental value'?.. that was the purpose of the time capsule

 

[cliffordcooley]

Does Has anyone ever heard of 'sentimental value'?.. that was the purpose of the time capsule

I don't know what you mean. Because the option to bury items with sentimental value, would never enter my mind. I'd be willing to bet that everything buried in the time capsule was disposable, and the only intent was to remind themselves of the way things were.

 

[Guest]

Cleaning out my closet I could find half this stuff.

 

[Guest]

Kudos to you sir.

 

[GunsAblazin]

That was stupid. If the people who buried it are still alive what's the point?

Because those people want to remember how things were. Time capsules are not always meant for newer generations to uncover. There is a such thing as personal capsules.

They already know what's in it.

Yes and likely forgotten most everything packed inside.

If they were doing this for nostalgia, why bury it? They could have just put it in storage then came back to see it years later. If they were meticulous enough to put items in zip-lock bags, I'm sure they made a list of what went in there. This is just an attempt to make money off the items inside by the parties involved. After Steve Jobs died it became free game.

 

[cliffordcooley]

If they were meticulous enough to put items in zip-lock bags

The zip-lock bags were secondary protection against even the slightest of moisture from being buried. Go watch a few Youtube videos where a zip-lock bag or similar was not used in time capsules. You might be surprised at how little is left to recognize after only 10 years.

 

[GunsAblazin]

If they were meticulous enough to put items in zip-lock bags

The zip-lock bags were secondary protection against even the slightest of moisture from being buried. Go watch a few Youtube videos where a zip-lock bag or similar was not used in time capsules. You might be surprised at how little is left to recognize after only 10 years.

That was my point; keep reading. They were careful enough to bag items; wouldn't you think they would have the foresight to catalog what went in there?

 

[cliffordcooley]

wouldn't you think they would have the foresight to catalog what went in there?

No, because then they wouldn't need to catalog the items once they came out. Besides keeping record ruins the element of surprise, once the capsule is opened. You don't want to keep content records of a time capsule.

 

[GunsAblazin]

No, because then they wouldn't need to catalog the items once they came out. Besides keeping record ruins the element of surprise, once the capsule is opened. You don't want to keep content records of a time capsule.

The people who buried it aren't the ones digging it up, so they wouldn't have that information.