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00:00:00 – 00:38:52
The video delves into the internet legend of John Titor, a self-proclaimed time traveler from 2036, who first emerged on Coast to Coast AM with Art Bell in the late 1990s. Titor's claims revolved around time travel mechanics, advanced technology, and dystopian predictions involving civil unrest and global conflict. His story garnered widespread attention and included detailed descriptions of his time machine, said to be built by General Electric, and his mission to retrieve an IBM 5100 computer to solve future technological problems like the 2038 issue. Investigations into Titor's identity pointed to the Haber family, particularly Maury Haber, an expert in cybersecurity and IBM technology, as the likely creators of the Titor persona. Despite detailed analyses and attempts to debunk the myth, the true identity behind John Titor remains a topic of intrigue, further popularized by media coverage and adaptations.
00:00:00
In this segment, the video dives into the famous internet legend of John Titor, a self-proclaimed time traveler from the year 2036. John Titor’s story, which captured the imagination of early internet users, remains a mysterious hoax with unknown origins. The host takes us back to the late 1990s, particularly to Coast to Coast AM, a popular paranormal talk radio show hosted by Art Bell. The segment details a message sent to the show by Titor, claiming that time travel was invented in 2034 through advances in fusion reactor research at CERN. Titor elaborates on the mechanics of time travel, including the creation of new timelines and the consequences of altering history. He also mentions a “brick wall” in the year 2564, beyond which nothing exists, prompting time travelers to investigate where the timeline diverged, suggesting the year 2000 as a critical point. Titor’s message hints at potential societal collapse due to the Y2K bug, adding urgency to his mission.
00:05:00
In this part of the video, the story of a supposed time traveler known as “Time Travel Zero” is outlined in detail. Time Travel Zero’s entrance onto an internet forum in 2000 shifted a discussion about time travel theories into more extraordinary claims. He alleged that time travel experiments would start at CERN in 2001 and that General Electric would eventually create a time machine prototype. He described how his device worked, providing vivid details about the experience of time travel, the sensations involved, and the safety precautions needed. Additionally, he made predictions about future events, including a U.S. civil war starting in 2004 and a subsequent world war. He maintained that paradoxes wouldn’t occur due to the multiverse theory and shared details about his device’s installation in a 1967 Chevrolet. Despite his elaborate stories, he was reluctant to provide blueprints, citing the complexity and potential misunderstandings.
00:10:00
In this segment, the video discusses a time traveler named “Time Travel Zero” or “John Titor,” who claims to have come from a future embroiled in civil conflict and world war. He notes that meeting significant historical figures like Christ would be uncertain due to alternate world lines. He dismisses queries about using time travel for financial gain and explains the technology’s basis in manipulating gravity. Describing his dystopian future, Titor reveals his mission to retrieve an IBM 5100 computer to address the 2038 problem and warns of impending civil war and mad cow disease outbreaks. Although some of his predictions came true, others did not. He details how the societal collapse influenced technology distribution and emphasizes the IBM 5100’s unique, unadvertised feature central to his mission. He also mentions other time travelers in his unit and responds to skepticism by comparing doubters to flat earthers. His posts garnered attention, suggesting comprehensive knowledge of computer engineering.
00:15:00
In this part of the video, the narrator discusses the technical intricacies and authenticity of John Titor’s posts, pointing out that while the technical diagrams seemed credible, there was a noticeable absence of futuristic slang. The segment details John Titor’s announcement of his return trip with stops in 1998 and 1975, offering forum members a chance to send messages to their past selves. After contributing to the prevention of the Y2K disaster, Titor bid farewell, communicated through Pamela, who later confirmed his departure. Years later, Titor’s story resurfaced in a 2005 Hustler magazine article featuring an interview with Oliver Williams and introducing Lawrence H. Haber, who was speculated to be involved in the story. A book titled “John Titor: A Time Traveler’s Tale” added to the intrigue, with its links to Haber. Oliver Williams continued to publicize the story through various media appearances. Marlin Pullman, intrigued by Titor’s story, sought a patent for a time travel device but was later arrested. Interest in Titor persisted, with investigators like Mike Lynch and John Houston uncovering connections to Florida and questioning the legitimacy of Titor’s identity through writing style analyses. Pamela, who regularly communicated with Titor, received a symbolic patch and expected further proof through a video and a song, reinforcing her belief in Titor’s authenticity.
00:20:00
In this part of the video, the narrator discusses the investigation into the origins of the John Titor story, which involved an alleged time traveler. Pamela, a key interviewee, confirmed the letter she received was from Florida, which helped establish a lead. Larry Haber emerged as a primary suspect, especially after it was discovered he had a brother, John Rick Haber, who was a computer scientist with knowledge relevant to the story’s technical details. Additionally, Mori Haber, another brother, was an expert in computers and internet security. Despite Larry Haber denying direct involvement, inconsistencies were found in his family’s correspondence, suggesting their involvement. John Houston argues that John Titor is a fictional character created by Mori Haber, who was a harmless forum troll that sparked a wide belief and attracted a cult following, leading many to idolize John Titor. Houston found Mori Haber’s existence independently and used text analysis to support his claim. He recounts the evolving investigation further and the skepticism from believers who doubted anyone could uncover the real identity behind John Titor.
00:25:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses efforts to debunk the myth of John Titor, a supposed time traveler, by uncovering the identity behind the persona. The speaker was motivated by a desire to stop fanatical admiration of Titor, which started intensifying around 2004. Through approximately a thousand hours of Google searches, the speaker identified Maury Haber as the possible person behind John Titor. Maury was extremely cautious about his anonymity, which was evident from his use of an internet hacker-themed avatar. This discovery involved recognizing Maury as the brother of Larry Haber, who was known to some fans. Maury was a cybersecurity expert, working for EI Security, and had a particular interest in IBM, often writing about its strengths over Apple. By comparing Maury’s cybersecurity articles with John Titor’s texts, the speaker found similarities that suggested Maury possessed detailed knowledge about IBM’s 70s-era technology, such as the IBM 5100 and its unique Y2K solution, linking him further to the Titor persona.
00:30:00
In this part of the video, the speaker delves into their extensive research into the identity of John Titor, a purported time traveler. They compared various texts using a specialized program designed to detect plagiarism and found significant language overlap between John Titor’s texts and those of someone named Maury Haber. This research led to a video titled “The Real John Teter Hoax Hunter,” which received significant attention.
The speaker discusses interactions with Arthur Haber, the lesser-known brother in the Haber family, who contacted them offering assistance. Skeptical of Arthur’s openness, the speaker shared emails in another video providing further evidence linking Maury Haber to John Titor. Arthur suggested that perhaps his nephew, Brandon Haber, was involved, but the speaker found this implausible due to Brandon’s age during the events. They suspect that Brandon’s claims on time travel forums are attempts to misdirect from the true identity of John Titor, which they believe is Maury Haber.
00:35:00
In this part of the video, the discussion revolves around the mysterious figure of John Titor, a supposed time traveler who posted on forums claiming to be from 2036. It explores accusations that the real identity behind John Titor was likely Maury Haber, dismissing other suspects like Arthur and Richard Haber. Several red flags are highlighted, such as cropped photos supposedly of the time machine and Titor’s emotional responses to disbelief. The segment also delves into Larry Haber’s role and his maintenance of attorney-client privilege. Despite ongoing claims and adaptations like in the Japanese anime “Stein’s Gate,” the true identity of John Titor remains inconclusive as of June 2021, with lingering intrigue about the time travel narrative.