Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters
Fish Full of Freight
It's the 21st century and we don't have flying cars. Nor do we have atomic-powered submarine freighters towing underwater barges.However, this did remind me of the Russian scheme to use nuclear submarines as oil tankers.
Fortune - Feb 1959
Posted By: Alex - Sat Apr 22, 2023 -
Comments (1)
Category: Boats, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, Transportation, 1950s, Yesterday’s Tomorrows
Woops!
A comedy about life after nuclear Armageddon.Fox cancelled the series in late November. At the time, it was ranked 105th out of 108 weekly shows [54]. Only 10 of the 13 produced episodes were aired; the last was broadcast on December 6th.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Mar 01, 2023 -
Comments (5)
Category: Humor, Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Television, War, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, 1990s
Miss Electrical Wonderland
Miss Electrical Wonderland used a radioactive key to open 1950's Electrical Wonderland expo in San Francisco. The radioactivity of the key was sensed by a Geiger counter that then triggered a man-made bolt of lightning to flash between two towers in the auditorium.
San Francisco Examiner - Sep 18, 1950
San Francisco Examiner - Sep 18, 1950
However, the identity of Miss Electrical Wonderland was, for some reason, switched at the last minute. The pre-show publicity stated that Janet Jackson was Miss Electrical Wonderland, and a photo (above) showed her handling the radioactive key bare-handed.
However, the news on the day of the opening stated that Elaine Doyle was now Miss Electrical Wonderland, and that she "gingerly lifted a radioactive copper key from its lead lined box with a pair of long handled tongs."
Why the switch? Gotta wonder if Janet Jackson was recovering from radiation burns.
San Francisco Examiner - Sep 24, 1950
Posted By: Alex - Sun Jan 08, 2023 -
Comments (2)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, 1950s
Blast-Resistant House
Posted By: Alex - Fri Dec 30, 2022 -
Comments (1)
Category: Architecture, Advertising, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, 1950s
Atomic-Powered Vacuum Cleaners
Alex Lewyt, owner of the Lewyt Vacuum Corporation, has been mocked for his 1955 prediction that vacuum cleaners would one day be atomic-powered.But he also predicted self-guided, robotic vacuums, and he was right about that.
Louisville Courier Journal - May 19, 1955
Albuquerque Tribune - Jun 7, 1955
Below: a 1950 ad for Lord Calvert whiskey that, for some reason, featured Alex Lewyt. Note the vacuum cleaner in the glass case behind him.
Posted By: Alex - Fri Aug 26, 2022 -
Comments (4)
Category: Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, Appliances, 1950s, Yesterday’s Tomorrows
The Atomic Balm prank
I'm not sure when exactly Atomic Balm was first sold. I believe it was sometime in the 1950s. But it very quickly became widely used by football teams as a pain-relieving ointment.It also became a favorite of pranksters. The prank involved surreptitiously placing Atomic Balm in a player's jockstrap. Since the ointment contains Capsaicin, the results were painful.
The Atomic Balm prank was a perennial favorite on high school football teams, but the most famous instance of the prank occurred on the Miami Dolphins, recounted below.
Source: Teena Dickerson, The Girlfriend's Guide to Football
Posted By: Alex - Fri Aug 19, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Sports, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, Pranks, Pain, Self-inflicted and Otherwise
Atomic Victory Trotter
Seems that everyone called him 'Mike' instead of 'Atomic Victory.' But even so, all his official documents must have had his name listed as 'Atomic Victory Trotter'.
Wilmington Morning News - Nov 17, 1945
Louisville Courier-Journal - Aug 14, 1953
Posted By: Alex - Sat Aug 06, 2022 -
Comments (3)
Category: Odd Names, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, 1940s
Atomic Brandy
1971: Soviet scientists claimed to have invented a method of making brandy in 10-15 days, as opposed to the 2-3 years it usually takes. Specifically, their method involved infusing grape juice with "oak shavings irradiated with 200 rads," and in this way rapidly transforming the juice into brandy.
San Rafael Daily Independent Journal - Sep 14, 1971
Some googling reveals that food scientists have continued to experiment with using ionizing radiation to speed up the aging process for alcoholic beverages. For instance, here's a 1999 article about Brazilian scientists using radiation to speed up the aging of cachaca.
Would the resulting brandy or cachaca be radioactive? Apparently no more so than any alcoholic drink.
Consider this Snopes article: Does U.S. Law Require Alcohol to Be Radioactive?
The answer is that, no, the law doesn't require alcohol to be radioactive, but any alcohol made from plants is going to be slightly radioactive because the plants have been exposed to cosmic rays. As opposed to synthetic alcohol made from petroleum, which will be far less radioactive. So, one way to determine if alcohol came from plants or petroleum is to measure how radioactive it is. Most people, I assume, would prefer the more radioactive stuff.
Posted By: Alex - Mon Jul 11, 2022 -
Comments (0)
Category: Inebriation and Intoxicants, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters
The best defense against an atomic bomb…
"... is not to be there when it goes off."Advice which remains true to this day.
Manchester Evening News - Feb 18, 1949
Posted By: Alex - Sat Jun 18, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: War, Weapons, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, 1940s
“Goodbye, Three Mile Island”
With Chernobyl in the news again, perhaps we need to revive this song.Gary and the Outriders, a local music group, recorded an original song, "Goodbye T.M.I. (The Ballad of Three Mile Island)," and released it as a 45 rpm record. Its catchy melody contrasts with its dire refrain: "Goodbye, goodbye to your life, T.M.I."
Posted By: Paul - Tue Apr 19, 2022 -
Comments (4)
Category: Music, Regionalism, Riots, Protests and Civil Disobedience, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, 1970s
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| 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 |