What would you put in a time capsule?

What would you put in a time capsule that will be opened in 2085? In celebration of its 75th Anniversary, The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital - The Neuro, McGill University is re-filling its time capsule with new exciting contents to be discovered by the next generation of Montrealers in 2085. 

New items to be inserted into the time capsule represent technology, neuroscience, the environment, Montreal, The Neuro and more. These include winning ideas from students in grades 5 and 6 who participated in an exciting, city-wide contest hosted by The Neuro giving students a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase their creative ideas and to develop a deeper appreciation for, as well as become a part of, Montreal’s scientific and historic legacy. Capsule contents will include: an iPod, a time line of global warming, a plastic bag, video message to the future, Fleur-de-lys seeds, and neurosurgical tools used in today’s surgeries of the brain.

Before The Neuro opened its doors in 1934, a tradition began: The Laying of the Cornerstone. On October 6, 1933, Dr. Penfield and a host of government dignitaries laid The Neuro’s first cornerstone containing a time capsule of souvenirs from 1933. Exactly 75 years to the day, on October 6, 2008, the cornerstone was re-opened, the time capsule unlocked, and the contents revealed.

“With this time capsule, we wanted to inspire the next generation to think about the future – their careers, to ponder advancements in technology, improvements in healthcare, and importantly a proactive preservation of the health of our planet.” says Dr. David Colman, Director of The Neuro. “We hope that many of the young people witnessing the sealing of this time capsule today will be present when it is reopened in 2085. I hope that they will be able to tell the audience of the far future if their career plans and predictions worked out.”

“The Neuro, through its outstanding, world-leading research remains at the forefront of vital exploration into one of the human body’s most complex organs and systems,” says Michelle Courchesne, Minister of Education, Leisure and Sports. “The work of The Neuro contributes to advancing science on an international scale and plays a major role in the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disease leading to a significant and very positive improvement in countless lives in Quebec, Canada and around the globe.”

“The Time Capsule will let those who open it in 75 years witness the evolution of science and allow the children who are participating in this project to think about what the future holds in store for them,” says Miss Aurélie Fourage, a student at Collège Stanislas who submitted an idea for the capsule and is representing her school during the ceremony. “Who knows? Maybe they’ll become researchers at the Neuro. I am very flattered that the Neuro has taken an interest in me and grateful for the opportunity to discover the world of science.”

The Neuro, an internationally recognized landmark of Quebec and Canada, was brought to life by the inspiration and drive of Dr. Wilder Penfield, with a one-of a kind vision of integrating research with clinical care benefiting patients and advancing scientific knowledge.  This successful model has become a template used world-wide, providing unprecedented hope for some of our most debilitating conditions, from epilepsy to stroke to Parkinson’s. In 2007 The Neuro was named one of the Canadian Government’s seven national Centres of Excellence in Commercialization and Research.

About the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital:

The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital - The Neuro is a unique academic medical centre dedicated to neuroscience. The Neuro is a research and teaching institute of McGill University and forms the basis for the Neuroscience Mission of the McGill University Health Centre. Founded in 1934 by the renowned Dr. Wilder Penfield, The Neuro is recognized internationally for integrating research, compassionate patient care and advanced training, all key to advances in science and medicine. Neuro researchers are world leaders in cellular and molecular neuroscience, brain imaging, cognitive neuroscience and the study and treatment of epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and neuromuscular disorders. For more information, please visit www.mni.mcgill.ca.