Old Age Rejuvenator Centrifuge of 1935
The August, 1935 issue of Science and Mechanics carried this hilarious article on the "Old Age Rejuvenator Centrifuge" -- a technology that whirled the elderly to keep them supple.
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"What shall the prophylaxis (prevention) and therapy (treatment) be? How can the effects of this force be mitigated? Lying down relieves the daytime direction of fatiguing pull in the case of the well or slightly ill; but something more than this is needed by the badly-damaged. We suggest periods of centrifugalization. An individual in special need of treatment might rest at night upon a large revolving disc with his head toward the outer rim; the disc should be so beveled as to carry the head at a lower level than the feet; optimum (best) speed to be determined by laboratory experimentation. Such a disc might be large enough to carry ten or twenty patients. This mechanism would facilitate the functions which during the day are inhibited by gravity. Incidentally, certain cardiac (heart) and vascular disabilities might be especially helped. The decompensated heart, with edematous (swollen) and varicose extremities, might respond well."
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Am I the only one who looks at this image and sees a scene from the end of the movie "Tron" in which the old, venerable programs are lined up and marched into the Master Control Program's input/output tower to be assimilated?
Wouldn't it just be cheaper to hang folk upside down?
Centrifuges are also great for labor and delivery. Spin the baby out into a reception net, even if the mother has lost consciousness due to the g-forces.
http://www.thingamababy.com/baby/2007/01/baby_patent_his.html
Sure, you laugh, but I'd try it! It might work. Can't be much worse than gravity/inversion boots.
Page 825! Was the magazine that long every month? Or that bizarre?
... Well it does look like it was usually a little weird:
http://www.magazineart.org/main.php/v/technical/sciencemechanics/
The stuff on those covers really doesn't look "everyday", especially not for the 30's.
What's going to stop these poor folk from sliding towards the head-end of the bed and ending up hunched against the headboard? Are there going to be ropes linking their feet to the bottom of the bed? Perhaps something like stocks for them to stick their feet through...
The throwing up would also be nice for my waistline!!
Sue
praiseandcoffee * com
I think they used a modified version of this technology on Shatner in the original Star Trek. Apparently, it doesn't work...
Well, Kurzweil's ideas aren't that much less wacky...
In Shatner's case, they confused centripetal with centrifugal force, and all the fat went to his head.
I just recently finished playing the video game Bioshock, and I can't help but see that image as something that may have been used in the game. The picture didn't help.
Maybe this could invigorate Fred Thompson. Set it on overdrive. You DID tighten the wing nut screws, right?
RENEW!
While watching Mars Rising on TV, several excersise spinning machines were shown that remind me of this thing. Horrible idea.
In the past cientifics was crazy.
Other cientifics try to sold Mouse milk $10,000 quart....
Link:
http://coldchiliandhotchilly.blogspot.com/2007/12/leche-de-rata-por-1000.html
I like how they define (explain) all of the technical (smartypants) words for their readers (presumed morons).
But I like Lectroid's Logan's Run reference even more.
It has evolved into the Vomit Comet.