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paleotn

(22,206 posts)

3. Lots of stuff like that back in the day. Feels like there's less emphasis on such things today.

Reply to LiberalArkie (Original post)

Sun Mar 29, 2026, 09:20 AM

Sunday

I remember "graduating" from tinker toys and lincoln logs to erector sets, Kenner girder and panel, and various and sundry science kits.

They were the mental birthplace of engineers and scientists not simply because we got the kit to work. Some of us wanted to know how and why it worked.

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LiberalArkie

28 replies

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Highlight:

(AI Created voice and images): What Happened To Radioshack's Science Fair Kit? The Toy That Built America's Engineers [View all] LiberalArkie Sunday OP

I had a crystal radio kit, probably around 1950. 3Hotdogs Sunday #1

So, I had pretty much every version from their catalog. OldBaldy1701E Sunday #2

Back in the day. It's a wonder we lived through it. paleotn Sunday #5

Famous Chevy Nova. Named to appeal to Latinos. No Va. Doesn't Go. usonian Sunday #17

I had heard about how it was one of the worse selling cars in Hispanic America for that reason. OldBaldy1701E 18 hrs ago #25

A 350 in that little car was just amazing. usonian 17 hrs ago #28

Lots of stuff like that back in the day. Feels like there's less emphasis on such things today. paleotn Sunday #3

Makers Maninacan Sunday #4

AI slop. Please edit your title to reflect this is AI slop, or better yet, pull the entire thing. TIA Celerity Sunday #6

It literally says AI Generated content right on the screen. LiberalArkie Sunday #7

IMHO you should disclose that this is AI slop in your OP title. Celerity Sunday #8

Many kids and teens today build their own gaming rigs Prairie Gates Sunday #9

My first IBM Clone was from a defective motherboard I bought from Jameco as I could not afford a new one LiberalArkie Sunday #20

Some of us had a higher risk tolerance (just kidding) usonian Sunday #10

I have the transistor version of that tube radio. hunter Sunday #13

I never saw one. usonian Sunday #14

Yeah, it is curious that there were not more injuries. Disaffected Sunday #18

There's a lot of ways to electrocute yourself with that. hunter Sunday #19

Wow, that takes me back. Disaffected Sunday #16

Radio Shack was far from the only company that made such kits. MineralMan Sunday #11

I had a montgomery wards type of electronic kit about 1970 BlueWaveNeverEnd 18 hrs ago #27

Why do people keep hammering this site with AI slop? If it is not inaccurate, it is unethical on account of how it . . . xocetaceans Sunday #12

I didn't watch the video. I rarely do. hunter Sunday #15

It was good. LiberalArkie Sunday #21

I can imagine that the scribes felt the same way when the Gutenberg press came out. And all readers that would read LiberalArkie Sunday #22

The problem with that comment is that your analogy is faulty. 'AI' is not a means of transmission of ideas: it has . . . xocetaceans Sunday #23

Same here because generally it is a waste of time to interact with 'AI' content. Take for example this video from . . . xocetaceans Sunday #24

More AI slop, with the script probably AI-written as well. Possibly from a foreign content farm. highplainsdem 18 hrs ago #26