I’m slowly getting the feeling that I’ve been living through history. Perhaps because antiques toadshow (oops, roadshow) is now showcasing items from the 1990s.

I can remember the introduction of:
natural gas
plastic in cars
decimal currency
computers that had a screen display
cars that don’t rust
pocket calculators
contact lenses
the first take-away restaurant – it was chinese
The Frost Report on TV
the newspaper was first delivered by being thrown from a Mini Moke
the first home circuit breaker
Australia Square

I remember when Colonel Sanders appeared on the TV program “What’s my line” and nobody on the panel came close to guessing his occupation. They finally figured out that he sold something, but the best guess was that he sold guns and ammunition.

When I was young:
Milk came in glass bottles that were delivered to the door
I watched the landing of Apollo 11 on TV
Holt went missing
I learnt computing from a computer with punched paper tape, then marked cards, and only later punched cards
The stink from Davis Gelatine was replaced by the sweet smell from Kellogs, both several miles away
The only fish in Sydney Harbour were jellyfish, and nobody was insane enough to swim or fish there
Put some more coal in the fireplace
The radio was as large as the refrigerator
The only plastic in the house was the bakelite light switches and power points
I visited the Sydney Opera House under construction
Computer memory came on tape reels a foot in diameter
Every time you left a room you switched the light off
Kids made go-carts and kites

I remember when my job was to cut bits of paper into squares. Some to be hung on a nail in the long drop and others for the rabbit traps.
Had to put kerosene in the fridge and unless there was fuel for the generator, it was kerosene lanterns and candles.

mollwollfumble said:

I’m slowly getting the feeling that I’ve been living through history. Perhaps because antiques toadshow (oops, roadshow) is now showcasing items from the 1990s.

I can remember the introduction of:
natural gas
plastic in cars
decimal currency
computers that had a screen display
cars that don’t rust
pocket calculators
contact lenses
the first take-away restaurant – it was chinese
The Frost Report on TV
the newspaper was first delivered by being thrown from a Mini Moke
the first home circuit breaker
Australia Square

I remember when Colonel Sanders appeared on the TV program “What’s my line” and nobody on the panel came close to guessing his occupation. They finally figured out that he sold something, but the best guess was that he sold guns and ammunition.

When I was young:
Milk came in glass bottles that were delivered to the door
I watched the landing of Apollo 11 on TV
Holt went missing
I learnt computing from a computer with punched paper tape, then marked cards, and only later punched cards
The stink from Davis Gelatine was replaced by the sweet smell from Kellogs, both several miles away
The only fish in Sydney Harbour were jellyfish, and nobody was insane enough to swim or fish there
Put some more coal in the fireplace
The radio was as large as the refrigerator
The only plastic in the house was the bakelite light switches and power points
I visited the Sydney Opera House under construction
Computer memory came on tape reels a foot in diameter
Every time you left a room you switched the light off
Kids made go-carts and kites

I remember when
“The cat in the hat” first came out
The first “Sesame street”
The first colour TV
The first concerns about the crown of thorns
UFOs were still taken seriously
New Scientist was still claiming that birds were descended from mammals
The discovery of the dinosaur-killing asteroid using iridium
Continental drift was first taken seriously
It was first suggested that the reduction in air pollution would lead to global warming (before then, the main worry was that we were heading for a new ice age).
The Club of Rome’s predictions came out
Everyone thought that Mars had canals
Venus was thought to have a steamy tropical climate

mollwollfumble said:

mollwollfumble said:

I’m slowly getting the feeling that I’ve been living through history. Perhaps because antiques toadshow (oops, roadshow) is now showcasing items from the 1990s.

I can remember the introduction of:
natural gas
plastic in cars
decimal currency
computers that had a screen display
cars that don’t rust
pocket calculators
contact lenses
the first take-away restaurant – it was chinese
The Frost Report on TV
the newspaper was first delivered by being thrown from a Mini Moke
the first home circuit breaker
Australia Square

I remember when Colonel Sanders appeared on the TV program “What’s my line” and nobody on the panel came close to guessing his occupation. They finally figured out that he sold something, but the best guess was that he sold guns and ammunition.

When I was young:
Milk came in glass bottles that were delivered to the door
I watched the landing of Apollo 11 on TV
Holt went missing
I learnt computing from a computer with punched paper tape, then marked cards, and only later punched cards
The stink from Davis Gelatine was replaced by the sweet smell from Kellogs, both several miles away
The only fish in Sydney Harbour were jellyfish, and nobody was insane enough to swim or fish there
Put some more coal in the fireplace
The radio was as large as the refrigerator
The only plastic in the house was the bakelite light switches and power points
I visited the Sydney Opera House under construction
Computer memory came on tape reels a foot in diameter
Every time you left a room you switched the light off
Kids made go-carts and kites

I remember when
“The cat in the hat” first came out
The first “Sesame street”
The first colour TV
The first concerns about the crown of thorns
UFOs were still taken seriously
New Scientist was still claiming that birds were descended from mammals
The discovery of the dinosaur-killing asteroid using iridium
Continental drift was first taken seriously
It was first suggested that the reduction in air pollution would lead to global warming (before then, the main worry was that we were heading for a new ice age).
The Club of Rome’s predictions came out
Everyone thought that Mars had canals
Venus was thought to have a steamy tropical climate

I remember WWII rationing. Going to the corner shop with the ration book to buy potatoes.

You have seen a lot of technological change because the development of technology is accelerating

Meanwhile, your grand parents witnessed the introduction of the motor car, electricity, two world wars, the great depression, man going into space…

A few things that spring to mind:

Walking a couple of miles for Saturday Morning Cinema (age 5 or 6)

A year or two later, walking down the road to watch Huckleberry Hound and The Flintstones on the neighbours TV (the only one in the street).

Banging on the central side pillar in the family’s first car, to make the indicator arm come out when it got stuck.

Dark Orange said:

You have seen a lot of technological change because the development of technology is accelerating

Meanwhile, your grand parents witnessed the introduction of the motor car, electricity, two world wars, the great depression, man going into space…

Technological change goes in fits and starts.

It was very fast in 50s-60s, slowed right down, then picked up a fair bit in 90s to zeros, now slowing right down again.

My teachers always told me I’d need to do maths in my head because I wouldn’t carry a calculator in my pocket. Turns out they were very wrong. And I still suck at maths. (But I have taught the first grade class the word loquacious.)

The Rev Dodgson said:

A few things that spring to mind:

Walking a couple of miles for Saturday Morning Cinema (age 5 or 6)

A year or two later, walking down the road to watch Huckleberry Hound and The Flintstones on the neighbours TV (the only one in the street).

Banging on the central side pillar in the family’s first car, to make the indicator arm come out when it got stuck.

Was it a Jowet Javelin?

Peak Warming Man said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

A few things that spring to mind:

Walking a couple of miles for Saturday Morning Cinema (age 5 or 6)

A year or two later, walking down the road to watch Huckleberry Hound and The Flintstones on the neighbours TV (the only one in the street).

Banging on the central side pillar in the family’s first car, to make the indicator arm come out when it got stuck.

Was it a Jowet Javelin?

Singer 10.

Pretty sure natural gas existed before me

dv said:

Pretty sure natural gas existed before me

Look I don’t wanna cast aspersions but I remember your post about your fart that brought tears to your son’s eyes so it’s entirely possible natural gas existed before you but you totally brought it into something people remember forever.

Divine Angel said:

dv said:

Pretty sure natural gas existed before me

Look I don’t wanna cast aspersions but I remember your post about your fart that brought tears to your son’s eyes so it’s entirely possible natural gas existed before you but you totally brought it into something people remember forever.

Weaponised it.

The Rev Dodgson said:

Dark Orange said:

You have seen a lot of technological change because the development of technology is accelerating

Meanwhile, your grand parents witnessed the introduction of the motor car, electricity, two world wars, the great depression, man going into space…

Technological change goes in fits and starts.

It was very fast in 50s-60s, slowed right down, then picked up a fair bit in 90s to zeros, now slowing right down again.

I wonder about that. That sounds plausible. It slowed right down during the war years, even for military technology.

I remember when:
Men’s clothing included the button-up fly, cufflinks, braces, the cardigan and scratchy woollen trousers
Sheets were of linen, starched
Eiderdowns were around, but quilts came very much later
The Phillips head screw first appeared
The first power tool for the home use appreared
Lace was all hand-stitched
The first polyester fabrics appeared, later came polyester-cotton
There were no finely knitted fabrics
The first stretch socks appeared

Food back then consisted of meat and three veg
I remember when spaghetti appeared as the first home-cooked ethnic food
Broccoli hadn’t appeared. Greens meant beans or peas
If you wanted a mango or pineapple, you had to live in the tropics
If you wanted a nectarine, you had to grow it yourself
I remember when the first sweet apples appeared. Before that, apples were stewed with rhubarb
Rice wasn’t eaten as part of a main course, only in rice budding
Sweet potato wasn’t available
Bread came from a baker and you had to cut it youself. Only later was the baker able to cut it for you
Fruit and veg came from open air markets
The only breakfast cereal was Kellogs cornflakes. Rice bubbles didn’t appear until later
I remember when skim milk first appeared
All fish contained bones
Canned tuna contained edible bones
The only seedless fruit was banana (now we have seedless grapes, watermellons etc.)
The shelf life of fruit was tiny

There were no shopping centres.
Our only supermarket was a four-square, later taken over by 7-eleven.

The Rev Dodgson said:

Dark Orange said:

You have seen a lot of technological change because the development of technology is accelerating

Meanwhile, your grand parents witnessed the introduction of the motor car, electricity, two world wars, the great depression, man going into space…

Technological change goes in fits and starts.

It was very fast in 50s-60s, slowed right down, then picked up a fair bit in 90s to zeros, now slowing right down again.

That’s due to the aliens returning with new things to give us and then going back home to get more and coming back again

Cymek said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Dark Orange said:

You have seen a lot of technological change because the development of technology is accelerating

Meanwhile, your grand parents witnessed the introduction of the motor car, electricity, two world wars, the great depression, man going into space…

Technological change goes in fits and starts.

It was very fast in 50s-60s, slowed right down, then picked up a fair bit in 90s to zeros, now slowing right down again.

That’s due to the aliens returning with new things to give us and then going back home to get more and coming back again

I was in the electric cable industry. We went from paper insulated, lead sheathed, 500 pair cables to foam insulated coaxial in only a few years.

Divine Angel said:

dv said:

Pretty sure natural gas existed before me

Look I don’t wanna cast aspersions but I remember your post about your fart that brought tears to your son’s eyes so it’s entirely possible natural gas existed before you but you totally brought it into something people remember forever.

Thanks

Cymek said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Dark Orange said:

You have seen a lot of technological change because the development of technology is accelerating

Meanwhile, your grand parents witnessed the introduction of the motor car, electricity, two world wars, the great depression, man going into space…

Technological change goes in fits and starts.

It was very fast in 50s-60s, slowed right down, then picked up a fair bit in 90s to zeros, now slowing right down again.

That’s due to the aliens returning with new things to give us and then going back home to get more and coming back again

50s to 60s was playing catch-up after the technology depression during WW-II.

Outside of wartime, personal history is ‘histopry of technology’, isn’t it?
History of politics, music, science, etc. is relatively insignificant.

mollwollfumble said:

Cymek said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Technological change goes in fits and starts.

It was very fast in 50s-60s, slowed right down, then picked up a fair bit in 90s to zeros, now slowing right down again.

That’s due to the aliens returning with new things to give us and then going back home to get more and coming back again

50s to 60s was playing catch-up after the technology depression during WW-II.

Outside of wartime, personal history is ‘histopry of technology’, isn’t it?
History of politics, music, science, etc. is relatively insignificant.

I don’t think there was a WWII technology depression.

mollwollfumble said:

Cymek said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Technological change goes in fits and starts.

It was very fast in 50s-60s, slowed right down, then picked up a fair bit in 90s to zeros, now slowing right down again.

That’s due to the aliens returning with new things to give us and then going back home to get more and coming back again

50s to 60s was playing catch-up after the technology depression during WW-II.

Outside of wartime, personal history is ‘histopry of technology’, isn’t it?
History of politics, music, science, etc. is relatively insignificant.

Technology today may also be commercially restrictive, you can make something better than the current model by far but do it in stages to sell more.

I was looking at computer chips times frames and wondered if it was due to the actually process of creating the materials/methods needed or a profit making time frame or perhaps both

mollwollfumble said:

Cymek said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Technological change goes in fits and starts.

It was very fast in 50s-60s, slowed right down, then picked up a fair bit in 90s to zeros, now slowing right down again.

That’s due to the aliens returning with new things to give us and then going back home to get more and coming back again

50s to 60s was playing catch-up after the technology depression during WW-II.

Outside of wartime, personal history is ‘histopry of technology’, isn’t it?
History of politics, music, science, etc. is relatively insignificant.

I’d call it a history of engineering, but yes, I agree.

I remember the conversion of the railway line from diesel to electric.

party_pants said:

I remember the conversion of the railway line from diesel to electric.

I vaguely remember the conversion from steam to diesel & in some cases rail motors.

Tamb said:

party_pants said:

I remember the conversion of the railway line from diesel to electric.

I vaguely remember the conversion from steam to diesel & in some cases rail motors.

I remember going from riding dinosaurs to riding horses

Cymek said:

Tamb said:

party_pants said:

I remember the conversion of the railway line from diesel to electric.

I vaguely remember the conversion from steam to diesel & in some cases rail motors.

I remember going from riding dinosaurs to riding horses

Dragons were between dinos & horses.

I remember when the periodic table had 103 elements.

KJW said:

I remember when the periodic table had 103 elements.

It is slowly growing.

Tau.Neutrino said:

KJW said:

I remember when the periodic table had 103 elements.

It is slowly growing.

The impression I have is that the elements from 95 to 103 were synthesised rather quickly, then there was a long pause, then the elements from 104 to 118 were synthesised in fairly quick succession. I suspect we are now in another long perhaps indefinite pause.

KJW said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

KJW said:

I remember when the periodic table had 103 elements.

It is slowly growing.

The impression I have is that the elements from 95 to 103 were synthesised rather quickly, then there was a long pause, then the elements from 104 to 118 were synthesised in fairly quick succession. I suspect we are now in another long perhaps indefinite pause.

Also, it seems to me that we have synthesised all the possible isotopes of all the elements.

KJW said:

KJW said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

It is slowly growing.

The impression I have is that the elements from 95 to 103 were synthesised rather quickly, then there was a long pause, then the elements from 104 to 118 were synthesised in fairly quick succession. I suspect we are now in another long perhaps indefinite pause.

Also, it seems to me that we have synthesised all the possible isotopes of all the elements.

The next level collider might find a few more.

Tau.Neutrino said:

KJW said:

KJW said:

The impression I have is that the elements from 95 to 103 were synthesised rather quickly, then there was a long pause, then the elements from 104 to 118 were synthesised in fairly quick succession. I suspect we are now in another long perhaps indefinite pause.

Also, it seems to me that we have synthesised all the possible isotopes of all the elements.

The next level collider might find a few more.

Our existing colliders have already produced the top quark, so creating elements beyond 118 isn’t really a matter of energy. The fundamental difficulty of creating heavy elements is that the lighter nuclei that are used do not have enough neutrons to form the heavy nucleus.

KJW said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

KJW said:

I remember when the periodic table had 103 elements.

It is slowly growing.

The impression I have is that the elements from 95 to 103 were synthesised rather quickly, then there was a long pause, then the elements from 104 to 118 were synthesised in fairly quick succession. I suspect we are now in another long perhaps indefinite pause.

Possibly, let me look it up.

Plutonium, 1940
Am, 1944
Cu, 1944 (secret until 1947)
Bk, 1949
Cf, 1950
Es, 1952 (in atomic bomb debris)
Fm, 1952 ditto
Md, 1955
No, Found in 1957 in US, confirmed in 1966 in Russia, but not IUPAC recognised until 1997
Lr, Found in 1958 in US, named in 1961, confirmed in 1966 in Russia, but not IUPAC recognised until 1997
Ru, Found in 1964 in Russia, confirmed in 1969 in US, but not IUPAC recognised until 1997 (I knew it as Kurchatovium)
Db, Found in 1968 in Russia, confirmed in 1970 in US, IUPAC ditto
Sg, Found in 1974 in Russia and US, IUPAC ditto
Bh, Found in 1976 in Russia, confirmed in 1981 in Germany, IUPAC ditto (latest isotope in 2009)
Hs, Found in 1984 in Russia and Germany, named in 1992, IUPAC ditto 1997 (latest isotope in 2012)
Mt, Found in 1982 in Germany, confirmed in 1985 in Russia, named in 1994, IUPAC ditto 1997
Ds, Found in 1994 in Germany, confirmed in 1995 in USA
Rg, Found in 1994 in Germany (latest isotope in 2010)
Cn, Found in 1996 in Germany (latest isotope in 2016)
Nh, Found in 1998, confirmed in 2003 in Germany and 2004 in Japan (latest isotope 2010)
Fl, Found in 1998 in Russia, but not IUPAC recognised until 2012
Mc, Found in 2003 in Russia, but not named by IUPAC until 2016
Lv, Found in 2000 in Germany, but not recognised by IUPAC until 2012
Ts, Found in 2010 in Russia, but not named by IUPAC until 2016
Og, Found in 2015 in Russia

There were discoveries in every decade, and in nearly every case the IUPAC dragged way behind. It was 40 years late in officially recognising Nobelium.

For a couple of these, Lv and Og, an initial discovery claim in 1999 by the USA was retracted.

> Also, it seems to me that we have synthesised all the possible isotopes of all the elements.

I wouldn’t agree with that.

serious question, aside from being just another archaic form of colonisation and opening up to history erasures and left wing cancel culture

beyond the end of Period 7 in the f-block, say No or Lr (though we’d probably be just as happy with cutting at Pu), is there actually any value in naming these

mollwollfumble said:

KJW said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

It is slowly growing.

The impression I have is that the elements from 95 to 103 were synthesised rather quickly, then there was a long pause, then the elements from 104 to 118 were synthesised in fairly quick succession. I suspect we are now in another long perhaps indefinite pause.

Possibly, let me look it up.

Plutonium, 1940
Am, 1944
Cu, 1944 (secret until 1947)
Bk, 1949
Cf, 1950
Es, 1952 (in atomic bomb debris)
Fm, 1952 ditto
Md, 1955
No, Found in 1957 in US, confirmed in 1966 in Russia, but not IUPAC recognised until 1997
Lr, Found in 1958 in US, named in 1961, confirmed in 1966 in Russia, but not IUPAC recognised until 1997
Ru, Found in 1964 in Russia, confirmed in 1969 in US, but not IUPAC recognised until 1997 (I knew it as Kurchatovium)
Db, Found in 1968 in Russia, confirmed in 1970 in US, IUPAC ditto
Sg, Found in 1974 in Russia and US, IUPAC ditto
Bh, Found in 1976 in Russia, confirmed in 1981 in Germany, IUPAC ditto (latest isotope in 2009)
Hs, Found in 1984 in Russia and Germany, named in 1992, IUPAC ditto 1997 (latest isotope in 2012)
Mt, Found in 1982 in Germany, confirmed in 1985 in Russia, named in 1994, IUPAC ditto 1997
Ds, Found in 1994 in Germany, confirmed in 1995 in USA
Rg, Found in 1994 in Germany (latest isotope in 2010)
Cn, Found in 1996 in Germany (latest isotope in 2016)
Nh, Found in 1998, confirmed in 2003 in Germany and 2004 in Japan (latest isotope 2010)
Fl, Found in 1998 in Russia, but not IUPAC recognised until 2012
Mc, Found in 2003 in Russia, but not named by IUPAC until 2016
Lv, Found in 2000 in Germany, but not recognised by IUPAC until 2012
Ts, Found in 2010 in Russia, but not named by IUPAC until 2016
Og, Found in 2015 in Russia

There were discoveries in every decade, and in nearly every case the IUPAC dragged way behind. It was 40 years late in officially recognising Nobelium.

For a couple of these, Lv and Og, an initial discovery claim in 1999 by the USA was retracted.

> Also, it seems to me that we have synthesised all the possible isotopes of all the elements.

I wouldn’t agree with that.

They don’t seem to have much practical use unless they can be made stable longterm

mollwollfumble said:

> Also, it seems to me that we have synthesised all the possible isotopes of all the elements.

I wouldn’t agree with that.

It’s probably true that there are missing isotopes for the heavy synthetic elements, but for the lighter primordial elements, the full range of isotopes seem to have been synthesised.

mollwollfumble said:

No, Found in 1957 in US, confirmed in 1966 in Russia, but not IUPAC recognised until 1997
Lr, Found in 1958 in US, named in 1961, confirmed in 1966 in Russia, but not IUPAC recognised until 1997
Ru, Found in 1964 in Russia, confirmed in 1969 in US, but not IUPAC recognised until 1997 (I knew it as Kurchatovium)
Db, Found in 1968 in Russia, confirmed in 1970 in US, IUPAC ditto
Sg, Found in 1974 in Russia and US, IUPAC ditto
Bh, Found in 1976 in Russia, confirmed in 1981 in Germany, IUPAC ditto (latest isotope in 2009)
Hs, Found in 1984 in Russia and Germany, named in 1992, IUPAC ditto 1997 (latest isotope in 2012)
Mt, Found in 1982 in Germany, confirmed in 1985 in Russia, named in 1994, IUPAC ditto 1997

All the chemistry textbooks I had during the late ’70s-early ’80s had No and Lr, but not Ru, Db, Sg, Bh, Hs, or Mt.

There had been the occasional mention of Ru being produced, but no confirmations.

Continuing with the personal history, I studied biochemistry before PCR.

> Continuing with the personal history, I studied biochemistry before PCR.

OMG. We now have separate disciplines of biochemistry and molecular biology. Molecular biology is all PCR.

KJW said:

mollwollfumble said:

No, Found in 1957 in US, confirmed in 1966 in Russia, but not IUPAC recognised until 1997
Lr, Found in 1958 in US, named in 1961, confirmed in 1966 in Russia, but not IUPAC recognised until 1997
Ru, Found in 1964 in Russia, confirmed in 1969 in US, but not IUPAC recognised until 1997 (I knew it as Kurchatovium)
Db, Found in 1968 in Russia, confirmed in 1970 in US, IUPAC ditto
Sg, Found in 1974 in Russia and US, IUPAC ditto
Bh, Found in 1976 in Russia, confirmed in 1981 in Germany, IUPAC ditto (latest isotope in 2009)
Hs, Found in 1984 in Russia and Germany, named in 1992, IUPAC ditto 1997 (latest isotope in 2012)
Mt, Found in 1982 in Germany, confirmed in 1985 in Russia, named in 1994, IUPAC ditto 1997

All the chemistry textbooks I had during the late ’70s-early ’80s had No and Lr, but not Ru, Db, Sg, Bh, Hs, or Mt.

There had been the occasional mention of Ru being produced, but no confirmations.

I think I know why. The periodic tables were made up in the USA, specifically at Lawrence Livermore Laboratories.
So it contained Lawrencium as 103 even though it wasn’t IUPAC approved, because up to there the discoveries were in the USA.
No more new discoveries were made by the Lawrence Livermore team until they teamed up with Germany after 1995, and later in 2003 with Russia

Because the USA hadn’t discovered them, they didn’t bother to put them on the periodic table. Bloody yanks. They certainly weren’t going to credit the USSR with discoveries during the cold war era.

After Lawrencium, I did have one periodic table with Kurchatovium and Hahnium on it as 104 and 105 but, as you say, almost all published periodic tables stopped at element 103.