You've become an Observer...

[Kodos]

An alien race, the Observers, have come to Earth and have sought you out personally. You have been chosen to come with them to observe one week of time at any place and time in the history of our planet or of our universe. You will be able to observe events in complete safety. As an Observer, nobody and no thing will be able to detect your presence, and you will not be able to make the slightest change to whatever event(s) you choose to witness. If need be, you can travel many times the speed of light during your week of observation. Distance will not be an issue. You can be right in the thick of things, or observe from a distance.

Where and when do you go?

[albionmoonlight]

Hmm. Great question.

Some early thoughts, subject to revision:

Holy Week/the Crucifixion

A random week during the late-cretaceous period zipping around to dinosaur-heavy areas.

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

A random week during the late-cretaceous period zipping around to dinosaur-heavy areas.

What inspired this was a similar, but more specific idea I had today. I'd want to go see the final 4 or 5 days of the dinosaurs before the asteroid hit that wiped them out. I would zip around the planet looking at all the varieties of dinosaurs that were in existence. And then I'd spend a few days watching the hit and the aftermath of that hit.

[Thomkal]

I would love to travel to whatever event(s) caused Earth to exist with full knowledge of what I was seeing just so I could come back and tell the scientists/astronomers they were wrong.

[ColtCrazy]

I would love to observe the one week leading up the ratification of the original 12 articles of the Bill of Rights as it would be fascinating to hear the arguments for each and their rationale on them.

[Logan]

I'd probably just plop my ass in a comfy seat in Madison Square Garden during mid June 1994 to watch the Rangers win the Cup.

Added bonus of getting some NBA Finals games out of it too.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm thinking a week with the invasion of Normandy maybe? Maybe 24-36 hours before Omaha Beach and then the rest of the time after.

[Suicane75]

The first 3 that popped into my head were watching Amelia Earharts final flight, following DB Cooper and watching the very first time humanoids had sex.

[NobodyHere]

Are you talking about these guys?

[Kodos]

Those guys look like they are from Mystery Science Theater.

[sabotai]

In this scenario, am I invulnerable? Nothing can harm me?

[Kodos]

Correct. Think of it like watching the event on TV, but you are there in person.

[Julio Riddols]

I would either choose a great tragedy that would be a spectacle to see, or a moment of great joy where everyone probably had one of the most memorable weeks of their lives.

Hiroshima before and after or maybe the week the Berlin Wall came down.

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I'm thinking a week with the invasion of Normandy maybe? Maybe 24-36 hours before Omaha Beach and then the rest of the time after.

This would be my answer. Or maybe Dunkirk.

[sabotai]

I was going to say Hiroshima to be inside the explosion to be able to see what that looks like for the inside, but I only get 1 week, so I'll say be at Nagasaki, right under the bomb as it goes off to see the inside of the 2nd atomic bomb on Aug 9th, spend the next several days watching the last engagements of the war, then be in Tokyo on Aug 15th to listen to Hirohito's announcement of Japan's surrender, then jump at many times to the speed of light to various cities and spend the rest of my time watching the Victory in Japan day celebrations.

[sabotai]

dola,

Originally Posted by Julio Riddols

I would either choose a great tragedy that would be a spectacle to see, or a moment of great joy where everyone probably had one of the most memorable weeks of their lives.

Had the same thought and went with both.

[BBT]

I'd choose the creation of the Universe to find out exactly how it came to be.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by BBT

I'd choose the creation of the Universe to find out exactly how it came to be.

I've been wondering about that. In theory couldn't you "observe" the big bang (or whatever happened) at any point in time? The trick being that you would have to go far enough out so that the initial light of the universe hits you. A great telescope would help also.