When I was a kid I used to love to get my hands on the Popular Science magazines and read about what might be in the future. Amazingly enough much of what was published actually came true and a lot of it is in use today. Popular Science and Google teamed up and you can now go through the 138 years of archives. That is a bunch of reading!!! One of my members of my main site posted a link there about a ford falcon engine breaking a world speed record back in 1961 and I started reading through the whole issue. I found some things that would go real good in the offgrid life like heating your home with solar. A water purification plant that could probably be scaled way down and powered by solar to get decent drinking water from some of the crappy water down here. One of the ads was for a two seat 3 wheeled cabbed scooter thar got 130+ MPG. That would sure go good now!
The fun part can also be the small personal type classified ads to see what was being sold way back when and for how much. You can get to the archives at:
I started reading this magazine in about 1950 along with Mechanics Illustrated. I was allowed into the stacks at the Little Rock, Ark to read back issuses because I was such a pain in the ass about wanting them. I didn't read them all but I gave it a good try.
ReplyDeletePopular science is the only one we get in our library here and I think I am the only one that reads it. popsci.com is a regular read here.
Of, I don't think I ever had a subscription and I'm not sure who did when I was a kid. If I was around where there was one after I got older I always picked it up and started reading though. I didn't know the archives were online until my member posted the link he did, but you can bet I'll be spending a lot of time on it now. I liked MI about as well to.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link! I forwarded it to Hubby for some light reading. It's right up his alley. I may do some reading myself!
ReplyDeleteJudy, I bet if you comb through 138 years of magazines you can find a lot of stuff that interests you. Of course all that combing could take a while though. ;)
ReplyDeleteBefore the quality Chinese Crap...oh yeah my scooter broke in half. Dumped me on South County Road...I am sure the 4 inch deep wash board road didn't help!
ReplyDeleteLOL I'm a fan of Popular Mechanics - I wonder if they're related?
ReplyDeletetffn - seen this site?
ReplyDeletehttp://fordfalcon.net/
Frann, hope you didn't get any road rash or any other injuries from it! I didn't think it would last as long as it did. They are cheaply made and the frames are made out of almost paper thin tubing to save on weight and steel. At best it was made to stay on smooth ground or road. It can probably be TIG welded back together, but it won't hold up. Don't junk it though because it can be built in to something else using good tubing. Maybe a quad or cart?
ReplyDeleteDani, I don't think they are related, but might be. I think the guy that runs that website is probably one of my members. Most falcon sites are run by my members.(Not all though)
I loved Popular Science and Popular Mechanics as a kid. They always seemed to be around at my schools. Never had a subscription, though. Will click on the link and read a few, maybe more.
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