In an era where everybody is glued to their cell phones and conspiracy theories run wild, footage recorded back in 1938 has set the internet abuzz, raising questions about the possibility of time travel.
The video, shared by the YouTube user ScoopView, captures a monochromatic scene from the past. Amidst a crowd, one young woman in particular stands out to modern viewers.
As she walks towards the camera, she seems to be engrossed in conversation, holding an object close to her ear, eerily resembling a modern-day cell phone.
As the brief clip concludes, a clearer view of this object intensifies the mystery. The description that accompanies the YouTube video stirs the pot further, suggesting the clip depicts a "Time Traveler in 1938 film caught talking on a cell phone in 1938 [coming] out of a Dupont Factory in Massachusetts."
Check out the video below:
However, things took an even more intriguing turn when another YouTube user, Planetcheck, claimed that the woman in question was actually his great-grandmother. "[She] was 17 years old. I asked her about this video and she remembers it quite clearly. She says Dupont had a telephone communications section in the factory," Planetcheck wrote in the comments section.
Per The Mirror, the YouTube user claimed that his great-grandmother - named Gertrude Jones - was part of an experimental mobile phone test conducted by industrial giant Dupont. "Gertrude and five other women were given these wireless phones to test out for a week," they continued. "Gertrude is talking to one of the scientists holding another wireless phone who is off to her right as she walks by."
However, another YouTuber who questioned if the woman was a time traveler also shared the clip, but claimed that the footage was filmed in 1938 at the Massena New York Aluminum Company of America.
As riveting as the theory is, experts and enthusiasts alike are skeptical. David Mikkelson, known for debunking online myths and founder of fact-checking site Snopes.com, spoke to The Huffington Post about the footage. "You can take any piece of WWII footage showing someone holding something to the side of their head talking, and claim it is a time-traveling cell phone user," he explained, emphasizing the limitations of film resolution.
Mikkelson theorized that the item could be anything from a handkerchief to a hearing aid.
"And this video is silent, so you can't even tell if the person is engaged in a two-way conversation," Mikkelson added.
The myth-busting expert also contradicted Planetcheck's story that the woman in the video was their great-grandmother, saying: "I doubt it would have just been handed out to a young woman working at the factory. And why isn't there documentation?"
The majority of YouTube comments seem to echo Mikkelson's sentiment. Several users theorized it might be a "hearing aid" or "prototype radio receiver". One discerning user humorously quipped: "If it really was a phone, I would be more curious about how she managed to get a signal from a non-existent network provider."
Which, is another incredibly good point.
So, although the notion of time travel has always fascinated us, let's not jump to conclusions about old videos on YouTube and remember: Not everything that glitters is gold... or in this case, a cell phone.
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