Category: Weird Science

Soviet Cities on the Moon?

On: By: Romeyn

Science Digest, Feb, 1958

 

We advertise our failures, but the Soviets don’t. For all we know, Moscow’s scientists and engineers did try to shoot a rocket to the moon last November 7, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Communist seizure of power in Russia, but failed.

You will recall that for a while, during that weekend, some mysterious radio signals were heard from outer space. They were not accountable by the two Sputniks, and soon they faded out.

We may surmise that, in their try for the moon, the Soviet shooting team took a wrong aim, and that the rocket they fired is now either orbiting around the sun or is lost in space…

Martians Pelting Us!

On: By: Romeyn


TTAWA, Nov. 29. – E. Stone Wiggins, the professor of meteorological, astronomical and weather lore, has a solution of meteoric problems. He says they are the result of Mars’ inhabitants stoning us. If that be true the Martians are an ill-bred race, and it is not worth our while to know them. He said the other day:
“Our earth – and probably all planets – is surrounded by a ring of floating stones. This ring is much broken, there being parts of the ring where there are no stones. Some are very large, but the greater number small. The flat part of direction of this ring does not lie exactly in the ecliptic, or they would be instantly crossing the sun’s disk. The ring sways sometimes and they are seen on the sun’s orb, and are what astronomers call ‘sun spots.’ The orbits of our two moons, like this ring, are inclined to the ecliptic, and hence, like these stones, only now and then come between us and the sun, when we say the sun is eclipsed.
Continue reading “Martians Pelting Us!” →

Deluge of Freak Aeroplanes

On: By: Romeyn

IF THE publishers of the Patent Office Gazette ever conclude to add a comic supplement to their weekly edition, we can supply them with all the material without their having to hunt in other divisions.” So spoke an official in the aeroplane and airship section of the examining division of the patent office at Washington, when asked as to the character of inventions now being offered for patent in this line.

“Before Wright startled the country with his flight of more than one hour over here at Fort Myer a couple of years ago,” continued the official, “there were not many applications of this kind filed. Since that time, however, they have steadily increased, until now we are getting them In at the rate of more than 150 a week. They are now far ahead of all other kinds of invention In number filed, and, I may add, in freakishness.

“The large majority offered are not allowed, and of these the public can know nothing. But these rejected ones have by no means a monopoly as examples of an unique form of lunacy. Continue reading “Deluge of Freak Aeroplanes” →