The museum approached some venerable British designers and architects to ask them which of their favourite symbols they would like to see placed in the capsule. The European flag was selected by artist Cecil Balmond, while Kenneth Grange offered a cylindrical coffee pot, designed by Arne Jacobsen.
As 2012 is London's Olympic year, an Olympic torch was chosen by the director of the museum. British fashion designer Paul Smith opted for a set of limited edition stamps and Thomas Heatherwick - designer of the Olympic cauldron - picked a standard light bulb.
When these souvenirs are rediscovered in a century's time, no one really knows if they will still be in use; whether they maintain their status as style icons, or if they will be dismissed as a passing fad.
Sir Terence Conran bucked the trend and decided to include a simple tin of anchovies. His idea for including the tinned fish was, he claimed, to demonstrate the ineffective use of expiry dates on tinned food. The container is likely to preserve the contents and it may even still be edible in 2112.
So what designs do you think deserve to be remembered in 100 years' time?
Quiz 測驗 1. Where is a time capsule buried?
underground
2. What word is used to describe a container when it is tightly closed?
sealed
3. What word describes an object that is round or tube-shaped?
cylindrical
4. What noun is given to an object that is a reminder of the past?
souvenir
5. What idiom describes an action that is different from the way a situation develops in general?
buck the trend
Glossary 词汇表 stylish有風格的，時髦瀟灑的 submitted遞交 time capsule時間艙 sealed密封 venerable令人尊敬的 designers設計師 architects建築設計師 cylindrical圓柱（筒）形的 limited edition限量版 souvenirs紀念品 icons標誌 fad趨勢，潮流 bucked the trend反潮流 expiry dates到期日 preserve保存 edible可食用的 remembered記住
