Weird Universe Archive

November 2022

November 20, 2022

The house of 2020

Back in 1989, the BBC show 'Tomorrow's World' predicted what kind of technology people would have in their homes in 2020. They weren't that far off.

They got music on voice command right. But we don't yet have walls that turn into windows.

Posted By: Alex - Sun Nov 20, 2022 - Comments (4)
Category: Technology, Yesterday’s Tomorrows

TV INTROS TO 18 SHORT-LIVED SITCOMS OF THE 70s

Wow, what a bunch of bizarre stinkers from an odd decade.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Nov 20, 2022 - Comments (3)
Category: Success & Failure, Television, 1970s

November 19, 2022

Loving Bear Puffy

Loving Bear Puffy is a plush figure in the shape and size of a male human body, but with the head of a half-asleep bear...

Puffy replaces the need for the physical presence of a person in various moments and situations of everyday life, especially during long lonely nights...

ATTENTION! Due to Puffy's human figure and size, it will take some time to get used to him, but we assure you that very soon you will get used to his presence and will only enjoy and cuddle him.

More info: puffybear.com



Posted By: Alex - Sat Nov 19, 2022 - Comments (2)
Category: Dolls and Stuffed Animals

Les Baxter’s “Goliath and the Barbarians”



Space-age Bachelor Pad meets Sword and Sandals. What could be better?

If you dig the first track, embedded here, go to the Internet Archive listing for the album, click the Spotify option, and you get the whole thing.



Posted By: Paul - Sat Nov 19, 2022 - Comments (3)
Category: Movies, Space-age Bachelor Pad & Exotic, 1950s, 1970s, Europe

November 18, 2022

Underground Smog Shelter

Despite living on a hill that was relatively free of smog, millionaire Bill Bounds built an underground smog shelter where he could "breathe air filtered by activated charcoal."

"Bill Bounds at the entrance to his underground smog shelter"



Lansing State Journal - Dec 5, 1971

Posted By: Alex - Fri Nov 18, 2022 - Comments (3)
Category: Architecture, Urban Life, 1970s

November 17, 2022

Breakaway Stethoscope

Joshua Allen Stivers of Puyallup, WA recently received a patent for a "breakaway stethoscope." It works like a normal stethoscope, but breaks apart if someone tries to use it as a garrote to strangle a person:

Medical staff, such as doctors, nurses and technicians, are often required to deal with unruly and/or aggressive patients that may become violent and cause injury to themselves or others. Medical staff also often carry and wear a stethoscope while working and tend to rest the stethoscope around the neck and on the shoulders when not in use. Unfortunately, violent patients may see that as an opportunity to harm the doctor, nurse or technician by grabbing the stethoscope that is resting on the wearer's neck and strangle or injure the wearer and in some cases cause death. Thus, there is a need for a breakaway stethoscope that will separate into two or more pieces when forcefully pulled on or forcefully wrapped around a doctor's, nurse's, or technician's throat to prevent injury or death to the doctor, nurse or technician.


A quick google search reveals that stethoscopes become weapons disturbingly often. So it's kind of surprising that breakaway ones aren't already standard issue.

Derby Evening Telegraph - Aug 9, 1948



via Jeff Steck

Posted By: Alex - Thu Nov 17, 2022 - Comments (3)
Category: Crime, Medicine, Patents, Weapons

November 16, 2022

Color photographs to fight crime

Use color film so you can see the blood better.

Time - May 19, 1952

Posted By: Alex - Wed Nov 16, 2022 - Comments (1)
Category: Photography and Photographers, Advertising, 1950s, Blood

Fat Woman in Quicksand

Source: The New York Times New York, New York 14 Aug 1908, Fri

Posted By: Paul - Wed Nov 16, 2022 - Comments (0)
Category: Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, Danger, Risk, and Peril, 1900s, Obesity

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Who We Are
Alex Boese
Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction books such as Elephants on Acid.

Paul Di Filippo
Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1.

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Chuck is the purveyor of News of the Weird, the syndicated column which for decades has set the gold-standard for reporting on oddities and the bizarre.

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