closer than we think
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This Robot Gardener From The 1960s Looks Like A Techno-Utopian Version Of The Apocalypse
When people of the 1950s and 60s imagined the robot lawnmowers of the future, they were generally pretty small and cute. But not this guy.
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The Futuristic Invisible Wall That Was Supposed To Protect Entire Towns From Missiles In 1959
When you hear about the concept of missile defence in space, your first thought might be Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defence Initiative, more commonly called Star Wars. But ideas for an invisible missile shield in the sky are much older than the 1980s. As just one example, we have this Sunday comic strip from 1959, which…
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These Space Farmers Of 1959 Were Way Ahead Of Their Time
This month, astronauts aboard the International Space Station ate fresh food grown in space for the first time. It’s an exciting accomplishment and will be crucial for the survival of the first crewed missions to Mars. But it’s been a long time coming, as we can see from this 1959 comic strip depicting the “space…
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This Cop Car Of The Future From 1958 Was Pretty Intimidating
There are few things more anxiety-inducing than seeing a cop car’s flashing lights in your rearview mirror. But that terror probably would have been about a thousand times worse had this police car of the future from 1958 ever become a reality.