Category:
Technology

Survival Under Atomic Attack

A reader named John, commenting on the WHY STUDY SCIENCE? thread, asked to see a film about surviving atomic attack. Here it is, John!

(There's no static image on the screen, but just click the PLAY button on the bottom of the viewing window.)

Posted By: Paul - Wed Sep 24, 2008 - Comments (8)
Category: Armageddon and Apocalypses, Disasters, History, Military, Movies, Patriotism, Technology, War, Weapons, Reader Recommendation, 1950s, Yesterday’s Tomorrows

Why Study Science?

Has science ever looked duller than in this video?

Posted By: Paul - Fri Sep 19, 2008 - Comments (4)
Category: Boredom, Education, Family, Children, Parents, Futurism, Pop Culture, Science, Technology, Video, 1950s, Yesterday’s Tomorrows

Kiddie Treadmills

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Those tykes today! if they're not wearing Baby High Heels, they're improving their lung capacity like little Wall Street "Masters of the Universe" on special kiddie treadmills. Read all about the craze here.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Sep 18, 2008 - Comments (16)
Category: Business, Products, Exercise and Fitness, Fads, Family, Children, Parents, Frauds, Cons and Scams, Technology

Follies of the Mad Men #27

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[Frpm Life magazine for June 9 1952. Two separate scans, upper and lower.]

James Brown's got nothing on this guy!

Posted By: Paul - Wed Sep 17, 2008 - Comments (13)
Category: Business, Advertising, Domestic, Marriage, Family, Children, Husbands, Parents, Wives, Pets, Dogs, Technology, Gender, 1950s

Swedish Bat Detectors

I'd call this weird in the sense of out-of-the-ordinary and interesting. I certainly wasn't aware that there were gadgets specifically for listening to bats. From the site:

A bat detector is an indispensable tool for anyone studying bats in the field. The detector enables you to hear the otherwise inaudible ultrasonic calls of the bats. This is most useful to identify different species as well as just determining bat activity.

And if you'd like some music to relax to, try The Inaudible World, a collection of bat sounds put together by Michel Barataud. I'm wondering if you need the bat detector to hear the "inaudible" CD.

Posted By: Alex - Fri Sep 12, 2008 - Comments (2)
Category: Animals, Technology

Robot Suit Enters Production

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This sounds pretty cool. Almost too cool to be true:

When you want to move your body, your brain sends out an electric signal that is received by your muscles, which then contract, thus producing motion. This electric signal travels to the muscles via the body's nerves, generating a slight voltage of electricity on the surface of the skin. This is known as a bioelectric signal, and Robot Suit HAL detects them using the sensors placed around the wearer's body. Depending on the voltage running the surface of the skin, the computer inside Robot Suit HAL analyzes the signal and sets the appropriate motors in motion.

This unique method of operation means that a person can control Robot Suit HAL by his or her own will, even if he or she is unable to actually move. And as the suit detects the signal sent from the brain even before it gets to the muscle, it can move an instant before the muscle does.

a) They chose to name it Robot Suit HAL (as in HAL, from 2001: A Space Odyssey).
b) They chose to name their company Cyberdyne, Inc. (as in Cyberdyne from the Terminator movies.)

So I'm going to need a little more evidence before I'm convinced this isn't a joke.

Posted By: Alex - Wed Sep 10, 2008 - Comments (3)
Category: Inventions, Technology

Follies of the Mad Men #25

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Didn't you enjoy the vivacious and perkily sexy Tad Tadlock in yesterday's DESIGN FOR DREAMING? How could anyone resist a sequel?

Let's watch A TOUCH OF MAGIC.



Posted By: Paul - Mon Sep 08, 2008 - Comments (8)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Domestic, Marriage, Family, Husbands, Wives, Food, Futurism, History, Inventions, Movies, Pop Culture, Technology, Sex Symbols, 1960s, Dance, Cars, Yesterday’s Tomorrows

Radiological Defense

Much of what we define today as "weird" looks to be weird simply because the context that surrounded its creation is no longer in place. As famously said, "The past is another country," and we all know that stuff that happens in other countries is quite often weird.

Once upon a time--in 1961--the staged documentary featured here seemed like the most sober-sided, commonsense bit of educational material. But now--

--well, see for yourselves!

Posted By: Paul - Mon Sep 08, 2008 - Comments (12)
Category: Death, Futurism, Military, Movies, Technology, War, Weapons, 1960s

Follies of the Mad Men #24

And now, something different for this series: a video titled DESIGN FOR DREAMING.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Sep 07, 2008 - Comments (4)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Domestic, Fashion, Futurism, Inventions, Technology, Sex Symbols, 1950s, Cars

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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, 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.

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