Pulp Science

[Mentor]

I have noted that many of the science magazines have 70 or 75 years ago sections, which gives a great feel for the Pulp Era. Here is one that I found very interesting in Science News Online.


From the October 12, 1935, issue


WILL UNCLE SAM'S GAS TANK RUN DRY?





Petroleum experts of all kinds, including geologists, chemists and statisticians, are in wide disagreement over the question of whether or not there will be a gasoline shortage in the United States within the next 5 or 6 years. Each is vehemently voicing his own opinion in the matter.

So far, it has been impossible to produce it at a market price of much less than twice what an ordinary gallon of natural petroleum gasoline now costs. In other words, synthetic gasoline costs about 32 or 33 cents a gallon, although large-scale production would undoubtedly lower this figure.

What chemistry, spurred on by necessity, can accomplish can be seen by a glance at what is now happening in Germany, struggling to be free of foreign imports. Automobiles are being driven increasingly by illuminating gas, alcohol, benzol, diesel oil, and a variety of nonliquid gases, including propane, butane, methane, coke, and wood gas.

Propane and butane are available in large amounts in the United States, as well as natural illuminating gas, which is mostly methane. Both of the former are now used in liquid form as solvents to remove impurities from motor oil in U.S. refineries. Their great versatility makes it possible to use them first as a solvent and then as motor fuel, without great additional cost. These could undoubtedly be used in an emergency, although they require additional equipment to that used in gasoline-burning automobiles. Liquefied propane tanks are shown on the front cover of this week's Science News Letter.

[Mentor]

Here is a great link to inventions and science fiction writers from 1920 to 1930.



http://www.magicdragon.com/UltimateSF/timeline1930.html

[JakSpade]

Here's a diagram from the British National Archives about information they had received detailing the Germans had a plan to sneak "exploding chocolate bars" into allied countries.

Here's some James Bond for you...

German Exploding Chocolate Bar

Jak

[Mentor]

Here's a diagram from the British National Archives about information they had received detailing the Germans had a plan to sneak "exploding chocolate bars" into allied countries.

Here's some James Bond for you...

German Exploding Chocolate Bar

Jak

"Q" must have been a young man at the time this thing was fabricated and it inspired him.

[Cancer]

Scientific American has a regular feature where they print a page of outtakes from their issues of 50, 100, and 150 years ago. That sort of straddles the pulp era, but if you have access to issues from, say, the 1970's and '80s, the 50-years-ago spot puts you firmly in the heart of the pulp times.

[st barbara]

Here's a diagram from the British National Archives about information they had received detailing the Germans had a plan to sneak "exploding chocolate bars" into allied countries.

Here's some James Bond for you...

German Exploding Chocolate Bar

Jak

Didn't the Allies in World War II have explosives disguised as dog poo ?

[AlHazred]

Scientific American has a regular feature where they print a page of outtakes from their issues of 50, 100, and 150 years ago. That sort of straddles the pulp era, but if you have access to issues from, say, the 1970's and '80s, the 50-years-ago spot puts you firmly in the heart of the pulp times.

Except that the issues from the 70s and 80s didn't have those sections. (I used to read it at that time.)

I seem to remember that Popular Mechanics produced a book of articles culled from their past issues; plenty of them were from that era. I could be conflating PM with Popular Science, though.

[Cancer]

Except that the issues from the 70s and 80s didn't have those sections. (I used to read it at that time.)

Really? Now you have me doubting my memory. Time for me to go into the crawlspace and crack open a box ... either that, or visit a library with decent stacks. I think the latter sounds easier.

[Alistair]

Really? Now you have me doubting my memory. Time for me to go into the crawlspace and crack open a box ... either that, or visit a library with decent stacks. I think the latter sounds easier.

They seem to be fairly common in antique store in the US. I have in my hand a copy of the May 1936 issue of "Modern Mechanix and Inventions Magazine" that I picked up in Missouri when I was over in April. It's got "Super-Speed Turbo-Plane" on the cover, which was promised to fly between London and New York in 6 hours!

Cheers

Alistair

[JakSpade]

They seem to be fairly common in antique store in the US. I have in my hand a copy of the May 1936 issue of "Modern Mechanix and Inventions Magazine" that I picked up in Missouri when I was over in April. It's got "Super-Speed Turbo-Plane" on the cover, which was promised to fly between London and New York in 6 hours!

Cheers

Alistair

OOOOOOO!!! Scans? Pictures?

Jak

[Alistair]

OOOOOOO!!! Scans? Pictures?

Jak

Hmmm - I'll have a shot with my digital camera - give me a couple of days...

Cheers

Alistair

[Supreme Serpent]

Didn't the Allies in World War II have explosives disguised as dog poo ?

Not sure about dog poo specifically, but the OSS did use "exploding coal" to sabotage trains with, and I think some kind of dung-disguised explosives.

The whole concept of exploding dung makes me even more afraid of monkeys.

[Alistair]

OOOOOOO!!! Scans? Pictures?

Jak

Okay, That should be the Super-Speed Turbo-Plane uploaded.

Cheers

Alistair

[Alistair]

Of course there's also the Bel-Geddes Flying Wing seaplane:

http://home.att.net/~dannysoar/BelGeddes.htm

Cheers


Alistair

[austenandrews]

Of course there's also the Bel-Geddes Flying Wing seaplane:

http://home.att.net/~dannysoar/BelGeddes.htm

Cheers


Alistair

That is an awesome site! Rep on the way.

I've got an old pulp science mag on my desk at home. I'll see if I can scan in some cool stuff tonight.