A time capsule that won’t be opened till 2957

While digging outside of MIT.nano, a brand-new research facility slated to open in 2018, construction workers at MIT unearthed a surprise find: a high-tech time capsule, which was wedged into a pipe in the ground by the university’s 10th president, James R. Killian.

The custom-built, airtight glass container was planted in 1957 to honour the building of the university’s brand-new Karl Taylor Compton Laboratories — a facility named after the prominent physicist.

According to MIT News, it was filled with nostalgic items — new coins, a Class of 1957 mug, and Compton’s 1955 book A Scientist Speaks. However, being MIT, this wasn’t an ordinary time capsule. To prevent decomposition, the capsule was filled with argon gas. A tiny amount of carbon-14 was placed in the capsule, ensuring that scientists could determine the exact year it was buried. The capsule’s most unique feature is its label, which tells finders not to open it until the year 2957 — exactly 1000 years after it was first buried.