

Popular Science Puts Entire Scanned Archive Online, Free - ukdm
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/03/popular-science-puts-entire-scanned-archive-online-free/

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icey
Here is a cover view of all the issues, courtesy of Google Books:
<http://books.google.com/books/serial/wzsEAAAAMBAJ?rview=1>

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decode
It's really interesting to look at the trends of the covers.

If you start looking in the 1930's, you have occasional military themed
covers, but primarily civilian themes:
[http://books.google.com/books/serial/wzsEAAAAMBAJ?rview=1...](http://books.google.com/books/serial/wzsEAAAAMBAJ?rview=1&lr=&sa=N&start=810)

Then, starting in December of 1940, you only get military themed covers.
Between December of 1940 and December 1945, you get exactly two non-military
images on the covers (Jun 1944 and Mar 1945), but both have prominent war
themed text on them. January 1946 is the first fully civilian cover in over 5
years.

It really makes me realize how distant war seems to us now, even though the US
has been involved in international wars for most of the last 60 years. Imagine
if PopSci had images of Iraq and Afghanistan on the cover of every issue
today.

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fnid2
The difference between WWII and the wars of the next 60 years is that WWII was
one the people rallied behind. The American people have never supported a war
since then.

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acg
Some accounts of history don't have Americans backing the war until 1942. It
could indeed be that WWII changed the way we looked at war and little to do
with popular support.

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wmblaettler
The classified ads in the back bring back memories (1980s-1990s): Plans for
building a jetpack, helicopters, hovercraft, tv descramblers, "plasma fire
sabers", "ion ray guns", "blaster defense weapon". A boy can dream can't he?

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chasingsparks
Remember: <http://www.amazing1.com/>

:)

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wmblaettler
Absolutely!

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mechanical_fish
I read this when I was a kid and had a subscription:

[http://www.popsci.com/archive-
viewer?id=rAAAAAAAMBAJ&pg=...](http://www.popsci.com/archive-
viewer?id=rAAAAAAAMBAJ&pg=99&query=mini+mac)

I've still got the paper copy. Though it was perhaps another year before I
actually touched a Mac in person (at, I believe, a department store -- they
sold computers in those days) and five years before I could afford one.

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maukdaddy
and it weighs just 20 pounds! How far we've come...

~~~
lanstein
and is made out of wood

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joezydeco
Having a subscription to PopSci in the late 70s-early 80s was like reading
Gizmodo or Engadget today. Every month was filled with magical things that you
wouldn't see in person for months or years.

Optical discs! Fuel injected cars! Weird crap from DAK!

And Wordless Workshop FTW.

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rbanffy
I wish someone did that for BYTE too.

But with PDF downloads.

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melling
Now I can read all those bullet trains stories. I hear someday they may come
to America.

<http://www.popsci.com/results?query=bullet+trains>

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allenp
"Prepare to lose the rest of your day to awesomeness."

Indeed. I think I will start with "Secrets of New Color Movies"

