My fantasies are a bit more charitable: Taking long dead people for a tour of the present, to see the consequences of their discoveries.

As a kid I used it as a way of analyzing the ramification of singular ideas, or understanding the complex phenomenons that interplay in technology. Eg, I would break down how a computer works (from the plug to the screen) to Benjamin Franklin, who would appreciate why you'd want to arrange silicon to make the thinking for you.

In adulthood they've quietly settled into the occasional "Man, I wish Kepler could play Kerbal Space Program".