Weird Universe: Technology

Category:
Technology

EMAG-3

I did a science fair project in high school, but I put so little effort into it that I'm now embarrassed thinking back on it. The topic I chose was "The Electrolysis of Water." I basically just had some electrodes splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen.

David Ecklein, however, had an extraordinary high school science fair project. Back in 1959, he built a computer, which he named EMAG-3, that was capable of playing "an interesting and reasonable game" of checkers. It was made from 3200 vacuum tubes and three miles of wiring. It stood 15 feet tall.

On his website, he notes that he designed it to fit the science fair floor space requirements, knowing that the regulations had omitted to mention anything about how high a project could be. Height restrictions were introduced the following year.

More info: MIT Museum

Great Falls Tribune - Apr 17, 1959

Posted By: Alex - Tue Sep 13, 2022 - Comments (6)
Category: School, Technology, Computers, 1950s

Mystery Gadget 102

Automatic fingernail painter? What's your guess?

The answer is here.

Or after the jump.

Mystery Illustration 108

What's extra-special about this submarine?

The answer is here.

Or after the jump.

The Teppaz Transistradio

Besides having an unpronounceable name and being ugly, this French radio-turntable looks like very kludgy tech.

The entry at the Radio Museum.

Posted By: Paul - Fri Jul 08, 2022 - Comments (4)
Category: Music, Radio, Technology, 1960s, Europe

World’s Largest Collection of 8-Track Tapes

Posted By: Paul - Thu Jun 09, 2022 - Comments ()
Category: Eccentrics, Collectors, Kitsch and Collectibles, Music, Technology

The Prayer

A concept by Diemut Strebe. “The Prayer” is probably the first robot that speaks and sings to God, all Gods. A rough design (inspired to a machine produced by Japanese scientists that replicates the human vocal tract) is combined with a cutting edge neural language model, fine tuned on thousands of prayers and religious books from all over the world. The prayer generates original prayers vocally articulated by Amazon Polly's Kendra voice, and sings religious lyrics to the Divine.

Text by Enrico Santus. More info: Diemut Strebe

Diemut Strebe has made a previous appearance on WU:

Artist Diemut Strebe offered his 3-D-printed re-creation of the famous ear of Vincent van Gogh for display in June and July in a museum in Karlsruhe, Germany--having built it partially with genes from a great-great-grandson/nephew of van Gogh--and in the same shape, based on computer imaging technology. (Van Gogh reputedly cut off the ear, himself, in 1888 during a psychotic episode.) Visitors can also speak into the ear and listen to sounds it receives. [Wall Street Journal, 6-4-2014]

Posted By: Alex - Wed May 25, 2022 - Comments (5)
Category: Music, Religion, Technology, AI, Robots and Other Automatons

Page 1 of 47 pages 1 2 3 > Last ›

Books Selected and endorsed for Pure Weirdness by Your WU Team

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, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. 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. Contact Us

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, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes.

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.

Contact Us

Monthly Archives
September 2022 • August 2022 • July 2022 • June 2022 • May 2022 • April 2022 • March 2022 • February 2022 • January 2022 December 2021 • November 2021 • October 2021 • September 2021 • August 2021 • July 2021 • June 2021 • May 2021 • April 2021 • March 2021 • February 2021 • January 2021 December 2020 • November 2020 • October 2020 • September 2020 • August 2020 • July 2020 • June 2020 • May 2020 • April 2020 • March 2020 • February 2020 • January 2020 December 2019 • November 2019 • October 2019 • September 2019 • August 2019 • July 2019 • June 2019 • May 2019 • April 2019 • March 2019 • February 2019 • January 2019 December 2018 • November 2018 • October 2018 • September 2018 • August 2018 • July 2018 • June 2018 • May 2018 • April 2018 • March 2018 • February 2018 • January 2018 December 2017 • November 2017 • October 2017 • September 2017 • August 2017 • July 2017 • June 2017 • May 2017 • April 2017 • March 2017 • February 2017 • January 2017 December 2016 • November 2016 • October 2016 • September 2016 • August 2016 • July 2016 • June 2016 • May 2016 • April 2016 • March 2016 • February 2016 • January 2016 December 2015 • November 2015 • October 2015 • September 2015 • August 2015 • July 2015 • June 2015 • May 2015 • April 2015 • March 2015 • February 2015 • January 2015 December 2014 • November 2014 • October 2014 • September 2014 • August 2014 • July 2014 • June 2014 • May 2014 • April 2014 • March 2014 • February 2014 • January 2014 December 2013 • November 2013 • October 2013 • September 2013 • August 2013 • July 2013 • June 2013 • May 2013 • April 2013 • March 2013 • February 2013 • January 2013 December 2012 • November 2012 • October 2012 • September 2012 • August 2012 • July 2012 • June 2012 • May 2012 • April 2012 • March 2012 • February 2012 • January 2012 December 2011 • November 2011 • October 2011 • September 2011 • August 2011 • July 2011 • June 2011 • May 2011 • April 2011 • March 2011 • February 2011 • January 2011 December 2010 • November 2010 • October 2010 • September 2010 • August 2010 • July 2010 • June 2010 • May 2010 • April 2010 • March 2010 • February 2010 • January 2010 December 2009 • November 2009 • October 2009 • September 2009 • August 2009 • July 2009 • June 2009 • May 2009 • April 2009 • March 2009 • February 2009 • January 2009 December 2008 • November 2008 • October 2008 • September 2008 • August 2008 • July 2008 •

Monthly Archives

September 2022 • August 2022 • July 2022 • June 2022 • May 2022 • April 2022 • March 2022 • February 2022 • January 2022

December 2021 • November 2021 • October 2021 • September 2021 • August 2021 • July 2021 • June 2021 • May 2021 • April 2021 • March 2021 • February 2021 • January 2021

December 2020 • November 2020 • October 2020 • September 2020 • August 2020 • July 2020 • June 2020 • May 2020 • April 2020 • March 2020 • February 2020 • January 2020

December 2019 • November 2019 • October 2019 • September 2019 • August 2019 • July 2019 • June 2019 • May 2019 • April 2019 • March 2019 • February 2019 • January 2019

December 2018 • November 2018 • October 2018 • September 2018 • August 2018 • July 2018 • June 2018 • May 2018 • April 2018 • March 2018 • February 2018 • January 2018

December 2017 • November 2017 • October 2017 • September 2017 • August 2017 • July 2017 • June 2017 • May 2017 • April 2017 • March 2017 • February 2017 • January 2017

December 2016 • November 2016 • October 2016 • September 2016 • August 2016 • July 2016 • June 2016 • May 2016 • April 2016 • March 2016 • February 2016 • January 2016

December 2015 • November 2015 • October 2015 • September 2015 • August 2015 • July 2015 • June 2015 • May 2015 • April 2015 • March 2015 • February 2015 • January 2015

December 2014 • November 2014 • October 2014 • September 2014 • August 2014 • July 2014 • June 2014 • May 2014 • April 2014 • March 2014 • February 2014 • January 2014

December 2013 • November 2013 • October 2013 • September 2013 • August 2013 • July 2013 • June 2013 • May 2013 • April 2013 • March 2013 • February 2013 • January 2013

December 2012 • November 2012 • October 2012 • September 2012 • August 2012 • July 2012 • June 2012 • May 2012 • April 2012 • March 2012 • February 2012 • January 2012

December 2011 • November 2011 • October 2011 • September 2011 • August 2011 • July 2011 • June 2011 • May 2011 • April 2011 • March 2011 • February 2011 • January 2011

December 2010 • November 2010 • October 2010 • September 2010 • August 2010 • July 2010 • June 2010 • May 2010 • April 2010 • March 2010 • February 2010 • January 2010

December 2009 • November 2009 • October 2009 • September 2009 • August 2009 • July 2009 • June 2009 • May 2009 • April 2009 • March 2009 • February 2009 • January 2009

December 2008 • November 2008 • October 2008 • September 2008 • August 2008 • July 2008 •

Weird Universe Categories
Accidents Goofs and Screw-ups Addictions Alcohol Eating Sex Agriculture Aliens Amateurs and Fans Ambiguity, Uncertainty and Deliberate Obscurity Animals Dinosaurs and Other Extinct Creatures Farming Fish Taxidermy Cows Anniversary Annoying Things Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults Anthropomorphism Antiques, Anachronisms and Throwbacks Antisocial Activities Architecture Ruins and Other Abandoned or Shuttered Structures Armageddon and Apocalypses Art Avant Garde Comics Homages, Pastiches, Tributes and Borrowings Outsider Art Performance Art Pop Art Surrealism Statues and Monuments Carvings Absurdism and Dadaism Authorities and Experts Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests Babies Bad Habits, Neuroses and Psychoses Bathrooms Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues Bicycles and Other Human-powered Vehicles Boats Body Blood Bodybuilding Brain Brain Damage Dieting and Weight Loss Differently Abled, Handicapped, Challenged, and Otherwise Atypical Diseases Dismemberment Eyes and Vision Face and Facial Expressions Feet Genitals Hair and Hairstyling Head Longevity Obesity Pain, Self-inflicted and Otherwise Pregnancy Screams, Grunts and Other Exclamations Skin and Skin Conditions Skulls, Bones and Skeletons Stomach Teeth Legs Smells and Odors Body Modifications Body Painting Facial Hair Tattoos Bombast, Bloviation and Pretentiousness Boredom Buildings and Other Structures Bums, Hobos, Tramps, Beggars, Panhandlers and Other Streetpeople Business Advertising Giant People in Ads Corporate Mascots, Icons and Spokesbeings Freebies, Come-ons and Loss Leaders Industry, Factories and Manufacturing Insurance Products Retailing Utilities Miniature People in Ads Loyalty Programs, Shopper Incentives, Coupons and Other Discounts Cannibalism Celebrities Couples Censorship, Bluenoses, Taboos, Prohibitions and Other Cultural No-No’s Centuries Eighteenth Century Nineteenth Century Seventeenth Century Sixteenth Century Twentieth Century Twenty-first Century Ancient Times Ceremonies Weddings Certificates, Diplomas, and Other Testaments of Achievement Charities and Philanthropy Chuck’s Hand-Picked Weird News Can’t Possibly Be True More Things To Worry About Not Clear On The Concept Recurring Sex Lives Worse Than Yours Your Daily Jury Duty Your Daily Loser Clowns Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations Columnists: Advice, Gossip, Etc Communications Postal Services Stamps Confusion, Misunderstanding, and Incomprehension Contests, Races and Other Competitions Conventions Cops Cosmetics Perfume and Cologne and Other Scents Costumes and Masks Crafts Crime Scary Criminals Stupid Criminals Unauthorized Dwellings Criticism and Reviews Crowds, Groups, Mobs and Other Mass Movements Cryptozoology Fictional Monsters Cult Figures and Artifacts Culture and Civilization Customs Foreign Customs The More Things Change Daredevils, Stuntpeople and Thrillseekers Death Obituaries Suicide Decades 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s Delusions, Fantasies and Other Tricks of the Imagination Pareidolia Design and Designers Graphics Destruction Detectives, Private Eyes and Other Investigators Dictators, Tyrants and Other Harsh Rulers Dinners, Banquets, Parties, Tributes, Roasts and Other Celebrations Disabilities Disasters Disguises, Impersonations, Mimics and Forgeries Domestic Appliances Divorce Interior Decorating Landscaping Backyard BBQ Marriage Dreams and Nightmares Drugs Psychedelic Smoking and Tobacco Drones Eccentrics Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers Busybodies, Snoops and Kibitzers Collectors Conspiracy Theories and Theorists Curmudgeons and Contrarianism Hermits Wimps, Milquetoasts and Cowards Crackpots Outsiders, Marginals, the Excluded and Low-castes Education Universities, Colleges, Private Schools and Academia Elderly and Seniors Emigrants, Immigrants and Borders Emotions Love & Romance Moral Panics and Public Hysteria Nausea, Revulsion and Disgust Sadness Nostalgia Courage, Bravery, Heroism and Valor Anomie, Exhaustion, and General Malaise Attractiveness, Sexiness, Allure and Personal Magnetism Engineering and Construction Enlargements, Miniatures, and Other Matters of Scale Entertainment Actors Dance Opera Videogames Ethnic Groupings Native Americans Etiquette and Formal Behavior Evil Excess, Overkill, Hyperbole and Too Much Is Not Enough Exercise and Fitness Experts and Authority Figures Explorers, Frontiersmen, and Conquerors Explosives Fads Fairs, Amusement Parks, and Resorts Circuses, Carnivals, and Other Traveling Shows Family Babies and Toddlers Children Elderly Husbands Juvenile Delinquency Parents Teenagers Wives Fashion Hair Styling Headgear Perfume and Other Scents Shoes Underwear Denim Fate, Predetermination and Inevitability Feminism Fey, Twee, Whimsical, Naive and Sadsack Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Flight Food Bacon Candy Chocolate Coffee and other Legal Stimulants Junk Food Nutrition Soda, Pop, Soft Drinks and other Non-Alcoholic Beverages Vegetables Mayonnaise Cereal Cookbooks Fruit Bananas Forgotten Figures and Where Are They Now? Forteana Frauds, Cons and Scams Freaks, Oddities, Quirks of Nature Funk Furniture Futurism Games Gambling, Casinos, Lotteries and Other Games of Chance Roleplayers and Re-enactors Videogames and Gamers Puzzles Garbage, Trash, Waste and Other Detritus Geeks, Nerds and Pointdexters Geography and Maps Gifts, Presents, Tributes, and Other Honoraria Gods Goths Government Civic Duties Diplomacy and Foreign Relations Flags Officials Regulations Spies and Intelligence Services Spies, Quislings, Fifth Columnists and General Espionage Guns Headlines Health Disease Mental Health and Insanity Highways, Roads, Streets and Traffic Hillbillies, Country Bumpkins, Ruralism and Flyover Country History Archaeology Historical Figure Wild West and US Frontier Unexplained Historical Enigmas Hoaxes and Imposters and Imitators Hobbies and DIY Holidays Christmas Halloween Thanksgiving Hollywood Horror Horticulture and Gardens Hospitals Human Marvels Humor Comedians Jokes Parody Pranks Satire Hunting, Trapping and Other Wilderness Activities Hygiene Baths, Showers and Other Cleansing Methods Body Fluids Excrement Flatulence Hypnotism, Mesmerism and Mind Control Imitations, Forgeries, Rip-offs and Faux Inebriation and Intoxicants Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art Injuries Innuendo, Double Entendres, Symbolism, Nudge-Nudge-Wink-Wink and Subliminal Messages Insects and Spiders Intelligence Child Prodigies Inventions Chindogu Patents Jabberwocky, Scat Singing, Nonsense Verse and Glossolalia Jewelry Jobs and Occupations Mining Johnson Smith Catalog Journalism Kitsch and Collectibles Kludges, Hacks and Duct-tape Repairs Languages Curses, Slurs, Insults, Vituperation, Libel and Slander Mistranslations Puns and Other Wordplay Slang Double Entendres and Nudge-Nudge, Wink-Wink Swears Law Judges Lawsuits Vigilante Justice Lies, Dishonesty and Cheating Literature Books Crossovers and Mashups Fantasy Libraries Myths and Fairytales Curses Poetry Romances Science Fiction Time-travel Superheroes Writers Little People Love and Romance Luck, Good and Bad Mad Scientists, Evil Geniuses, Insane Villains Magazines Magic and Illusions and Sleight of Hand Mass Transit Medicine Patent Medicines, Nostrums and Snake Oil Surgery Midwest Divisions Friday Feast Military Misbehavior, Rebellion, Acting-out and General Naughtiness Money Charity Outrageous Excess More Money Than Brains Motor Vehicles Bus Cars Motorcycles Trains Trucks Movies Cartoons Documentaries Exploitation and Grindhouse Stop-motion Animation Special Effects Museums Music Space-age Bachelor Pad & Exotic Nature Natural Resources Natural Wonders Weather New Age Newspapers NGOs Noises and Other Public Disturbances of the Peace Obscenity Obsessions Fetishes Oceans and Maritime Pursuits Odd Names Overpriced Merchandise Parades and Festivals Paranormal Patriotism Pests, Plagues and Infestations Pets Cats Dogs Philosophy Ethics and Morals Paradoxes, Enigmas and Other Conundrums Photography and Photographers Pirates Police and Other Law Enforcement Political Correctness Politics Reformers, Do-gooders, Agitators and SJWs Strange Candidates Pop Culture Pranks and Revenge Predictions Yesterday’s Tomorrows Prisons Propaganda, Thought Control and Brainwashing PSA’s Public Humiliation Public Utilities Power Generation Publicity Stunts Publishing Puppets and Automatons Quizzes Guess the Scientist Name That List Racism Radio Rants, Warnings, Jeremiads, Prophecies and Cassandra-like Figures Real Estate Recreation Really Bad Ideas Regionalism Religion Nuns Restaurants Retail Establishments Riots, Protests and Civil Disobedience Rituals and Superstitions Rivalries, Feuds and Grudges Robots Royalty Scams, Cons, Rip-offs, and General Larceny Scandals and Controversies Scatology Scholarship School Science Anthropology Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters Dinosaurs and Other Antediluvian Creatures Environmentalism and Ecology Experiments Psychology Infantilism Pseudoscience Screwups Seasonal Self-help Schemes Sexuality Birth Control Gender Gender-bending LGBT Men Women Public Indecency Sex Symbols Sex Toys Shopping ShowBiz Signage Billboards Graffiti Posters Skeptics, Debunkers, and Rationalists Slavery, Bondage and Indenture Sleaze and Sleazeballs Sleep and Dreams Souvenirs, Mementos, and Tchotchkes Spaceflight, Astronautics, and Astronomy Spies and Secret Agents Spies and Secret Agents Sports Martial Arts Wrestling Statues, Monuments and Memorials Stereotypes and Cliches Stupid and/or Dangerous Products Stupidity Subcultures Success & Failure Supernatural, Occult, Paranormal Superstition Swimming, Snorkeling, and Diving Synchronicity Synchronicity and Coincidence Technology AI, Robots and Other Automatons Computers Internet Strange Websites Rube Goldberg Devices Telephones Instruments and Measuring Devices Television TV News Terrorism and Terrorists Testing and Ranking Theater and Stage Vaudeville Tobacco and Smoking Tools Torture Toys Dolls and Stuffed Animals Tradesmen, Manual Laborers, and Skilled Workers Tragedy and Pathos Travel Air Travel and Airlines Hotels Landmarks Monuments Sightseeing Space Travel Tourists and Tourism Trains and Other Vehicles on Rails Transportation Twins, Lookalikes & Doppelgangers Unsolved Mysteries Urban Life Subways Utilities and Power Generation Utopias and Dystopias Vegetarians and Vegans Video Violence War Armed Forces Weapons Weddings and Marriage Weird Facts Weird Names Weird Studies and Guides Weird Theory Weird Universe Alex Chuck Comments Contest Corrections Paul Reader Recommendation Work and Vocational Training World Africa Asia Australia Caribbean Central America Europe India Middle East New Zealand North America Russia South America South Pacific South Pacific and Polynesia United Kingdom World Records Zeitgeist Bullying, Harassment, Outsiders, Persecuted, and Excluded Groups Conferences, Conventions, Meetings and Symposia Lakes, Ponds, Rivers, Streams, Swamps and Other Bodies of Fresh Water Medieval Era Renaissance Era Codes, Cryptography, Puzzles, Riddles, Rebuses and Other Language Alterations Burlesque, Exotic Dancing, Stripping and Other Forms of Staged Nakedness Cemeteries, Graveyards, Crypts, Mortuaries and Other Funereal Pursuits Unlikely, Improbable and Counterfactual Phenomena International Cooperation, Global Events and Planetary-scale Happenings Sticky, Messy, Sloppy, Drippy, Treacly Things Gonzo, Demento, Kooky, Wacky and Out-there Nudism and Nudists Caves, Caverns, Tunnels and Other Subterranean Venues Current Events, Headlines and Topicality Communes, Utopias, and Other Alternative Societies Packaging, Wrapping, and other Protective Measures Firefighting, Arson, Wildfires, Infernos and Other Conflagrations Proverbs, Maxims, Sayings, Folk Wisdom and Quotations Skating, Sledding, Skiing and Other Wintertime Pursuits Studies, Reports, White Papers, Investigations Fables, Myths, Urban Legends, Rumors, Water-Cooler Lore Cafes, Coffeehouses, Teahouses, and Other Caffeine Culture Chiropractic, Massage and Other Physical Therapies Bets, Wagers, Challenges and Contracts Bars, Saloons, Pubs, and Other Drinking Establishments Viruses, Germs and Other Sources of Infection Danger, Risk, and Peril Camouflage, Counterintelligence, Diversions, Chaff and Fakeouts Expositions, World Fairs, Celebrations Disgrace, Shame, Infamy and Downfalls Correspondence, Telegrams, Letters, and Other Written Communications Sadism, Cruelty, Punishment, and Torture Infrastructure Offices, Business Supplies, Institutional Regulations Unwanted Intimacy, Close Quarters and Tight Squeeze Reptiles, Snakes, Worms and Other Slithery Things Poor People, Poverty, Proles, and the Underclass Social Services Lost, Newly Discovered, Cutting-Room-Floor, and Discarded Cultural Items Vinyl Albums and Other Media Recordings Simulations, Make-Believe, Cosplay and other Pretend Situations Rhetoric, Eloquence, Public Speaking, and Vocabulary Day Camps, Away Camps, Outdoor Activities and Recreational Retreats Premiums, Come-ons, Giveaways, Lossleaders and Freebies Self-protection, Defenses, and Safeguards Threats, Assaults and Intimidation Ridiculousness, Foolishness, Public Ridicule, Silliness, Goofiness and Dumb-looking

Weird Universe Categories

EMAG-3

Mystery Gadget 102

Mystery Illustration 108

The Teppaz Transistradio

World’s Largest Collection of 8-Track Tapes

The Prayer

Follies of the Madmen #533

Null-A Synthesizers

Nipper Runs Amok!

Mystery Gadget 101