Trace the course of human history through clips from The Office

Trace the course of human history through clips from The Office

Most people who wanted to take a deep dive into history would probably start with an encyclopedia or a textbook. Joe Sabia, who created "The Office Time Machine," offers a different solution: A journey through the full scope of human history, told entirely through brief clips from NBC's The Office.

Try it for yourself on The Office Time Machine's official website. Type in 2012 A.D. and soak in the pop-cultural references of yesteryear. Type in 336 B.C. and watch Andy Bernard quote Alexander the Great. Type in 10,000 A.D and... well, you'll see what happens.

Sabia explains that his project was designed "to advocate for copyright reform and highlight the importance of fair use in protecting creators and their art." The project, which consists of roughly 1,300 clips from The Office's nine seasons, took a year and a half to complete. Believe it or not, there are a few clips that Sabia couldn't source — so if you want to contribute, watch this video and fill in Sabia's few remaining pop-cultural gaps. --Scott Meslow

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Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.