Notes on Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World Episode 299: The Chronovisor

Introduction

• Episode 299 focuses on the Chronovisor, a purported time machine.
• Hosts: Jimmy Akin and Dom Banelli.
• Mention of previous discussions on the chronovisor in episode 147.

---

Background on the Chronovisor

• 1972 Announcement: Italian newspaper La Domenica Del Corriere reported the invention of the Chronovisor by Benedictine monk Father Pellino Eretni and a group of scientists.
• Claimed to allow viewing any point in history; included a photo of Jesus on the cross as evidence.
• Skepticism: Initially dismissed as a rumor, later found to have historical roots.

---

Credibility of the Newspaper

• La Domenica Del Corriere:
  • Respected Italian newspaper, not a tabloid.
  • Equivalent to American papers like The New York Times.

---

Father Pellino Eretni

• Biography:

  • Born 1925, passed in 1994 at 68.
  • Joined the Benedictine order at 16, worked in the Abbey of San Gregorio Maggiore in Venice.
  • Known for contributions to pre-polyphonic music and exorcism.

• Education and Accomplishments:

  • Degrees in music, quantum physics.
  • Authored 70 books and hundreds of articles.
  • Recognized exorcist, wrote "Satan's Catechism".

---

Development of the Chronovisor

• Work began in the 1950s, took about 13 years to develop.
• Team included 12 scientists, some notable figures:
  • Enrico Fermi: Nobel Prize winner, nuclear reactor inventor.
  • Wernher von Braun: Rocket scientist, prominent in NASA’s space program.
  • Potential members speculated, including Hideki Yukawa and ** Ettore Majorana**.

---

Design of the Chronovisor

• Components:
  1. Antennae: Pick up all wavelengths of light and sound.
  2. Direction Finder: Set to specific times and places.
  3. Recording Devices: Captured sounds and images from any time.

---

Testing the Chronovisor

• Initial tests involved viewing Mussolini's speeches, Napoleon's proclamations, Cicero's oratory.
• Able to verify accuracy against historical records, noticed slight differences in pronunciations.
• Later observations included theatrical performances, notably Thyestes.

---

The Photo of Christ

• Publicized image of Christ's face during crucifixion garnered attention.
• Eretni claimed it was captured via the Chronovisor.
• Controversy: Photo matched a popular Spanish wood carving, raising questions of authenticity.
• Ernetti's Response: Varied explanations, including potential connections to a Spanish nun’s vision.

---

Allegations of Cover-Up

• Father Francois Brun: Claimed Vatican ordered Eretni to remain silent and suppress evidence.
• Brun also authored books discussing Eretni and the Chronovisor.

---

Theories on the Chronovisor

• Two basic theories:
  • The story is true and the device exists or existed.
  • The story is false, and no such device was ever built.

---

Faith Perspective

• Viewing past events is not inherently against faith.
• Concerns arise from potential misuse of such power.

---

Reason Perspective

• Verification of Father Eretni's existence through various sources, including books and articles.
• Debate over the authenticity of the Thyestes script and photo of Christ.

---

Conclusion

• Skepticism:
  • Mainstream physics does not support the feasibility of a Chronovisor.
  • Lack of preliminary scientific research or credible evidence.
• Bottom Line:
  • While Father Eretni was a respected figure, his claims about the Chronovisor are scientifically implausible.

---

Resources for Further Reading

• Books on Eretni and Chronovisor.
• Articles discussing the implications of time travel and the historical context.

---

Next Episode Preview

• Episode 300 will focus on mysterious experiences shared by listeners.