Wanted: 1950-1956 era Popular Science Magazines

Post by **benheck** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 12:20 pm

I'm thinking about doing another "Lizard of Death" type 1950's bad science fiction movie, but this time involving space, Mars, death beams, etc.

As with "Lizard" the movie would be supposedly MADE in 1956 or so, but take place in the future (say 50 years from now) So my idea is, what better way to get ideas for the 1950's "Vision of the Future" than Popular Science?

I'd just need to borrow them if available. If anyone knows of a relative, packrat, etc that might be able to help me out, please let me know!

xxxeagle · Post by **xxxeagle** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 12:29 pm

I can check my local library last year they had tons of old magazines I'll pm you if I find any.

kade · Post by **kade** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 1:12 pm

cool idea. i dont have any or any where to get some.

Post by **SpongeBuell** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 2:14 pm

I'd like to see those magazines, just for humor's sake. Imagine, "ENIAC built, adds numbers without human" (or something along those lines

Post by **Sparkfist** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 2:24 pm

Well about two years ago PopSci started to post the cover story of issues 25, 50, 75, 100 years ago, listed in the back. I dont know if you have issues that go that far back to when they stated this, but that would be someting worth looking at.

Otherwise the next best thing is to rent/buy/download scifi movies from the 50s. That should give you a great number of idea. Like colonies on the moon, Mars, Venus, Jupitor and Saturn. Personal jet-packs, nuclear powered everything, and food in small freeze-dried food packages.

Post by **bicostp** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 2:26 pm

I'm sure there's some old back issues on eBay, and if you wanted to you could probably print some covers off onto semi-gloss photo paper and glue them to year-old issues or something. (Unless you need to have them open to articles or something...)

madc0w · Post by **madc0w** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 2:31 pm

umm, he needs the magazines for ideas...

Post by **benheck** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 4:50 pm

Yeah I just want to read the articles, look at the pictures. I looked for archives on the Popular Science website, no luck (well, for more than a year old at least)

Our perspective of what they might have thought was high tech isn't as accurate as THEIR perspective. Sure a lot of those old articles were hooey, but so are the ones now- "How We'll Colonize Mars" and stuff like that. 'The Cyber-Body of the Future", "Garage of the Future" It's all speculation, even now. I want 1950's speculation.

Like in a recent article, the garage of 2015 will have a fuel cell, robot lawnmower and CNC machine in it. SURE....

Undisclosed · Post by **Undisclosed** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 4:54 pm

they dont have archives on their site from that far back so Lucretius who is pointing and laughing no.......swear i didnt edit

Lucretius · Post by **Lucretius** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 5:04 pm

benheckc wrote:Yeah I just want to read the articles, look at the pictures. I looked for archives on the Popular Science website, no luck (well, for more than a year old at least)

Our perspective of what they might have thought was high tech isn't as accurate as THEIR perspective. Sure a lot of those old articles were hooey, but so are the ones now- "How We'll Colonize Mars" and stuff like that. 'The Cyber-Body of the Future", "Garage of the Future" It's all speculation, even now. I want 1950's speculation.

Like in a recent article, the garage of 2015 will have a fuel cell, robot lawnmower and CNC machine in it. SURE....

Did you read?

Undisclosed · Post by **Undisclosed** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 5:11 pm

sorry, its a monday, im a idiot, point,laugh,have ur fun

Lucretius · Post by **Lucretius** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 5:14 pm

HaHA! *points*

teraflop122 · Post by **teraflop122** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 8:00 pm

Nuclear powered everything

Don't forget all of the computers with the swarms of flashy lights, radar screen look-alikes, a few neato spinning tape reels, and MAYBE some form of dot-matrix printer (Oh, advanced!)

I'm afraid I have none of the sought-after magezines (heck, even the five year old issues frighten me with their nonsense). If they are considered collectors items, they may be very expensive on eBay.

Post by **bicostp** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 8:07 pm

Nuclear water heaters!

"Invigorating" Radon water!

Flying cars! (think "The Jetsons")

Free cigarettes for all!

(Watch some 60's game show clips, they gave cigarettes out as consolation prizes!

)

HK-47 · Post by **HK-47** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 1:09 pm

Check this out: http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000430055334/
Its not popsci, or the 1950s, but it has some pretty funny stuff from the 1980s...