How and Why to go Retro-Techno

I'm not talking about music here, I'm talking about retreating to simpler (older), or more "primitive" forms of technology. I'll give you some resources that will provide a "how," but first, I'll briefly explain the "why."


If you can get past a few anachronistic elements (for example, language that we now consider sexist) a lot of practical information can be gleaned from retro-techno resources like this 1940's article from the Popular Science archives (right).






Let's take cars for one example. The autos being made today are so "high-tech" that specialized training and equipment is often needed to work on them. In the old days, pretty much any "handy" person could fix pretty much any vehicle. So flexibility and the potential to save a lot of money is part of the upside of going retro-techno.

Another thing to think about is the unrest going on in the Middle East right now. Our own media has only addressed this turbulence as a democracy vs. dictatorship kind of conflict, but more is going on. Larger numbers of people are being forced to live with less food available at higher and higher prices. Furthermore, countries - Egypt being one of them - that used to export oil now consume more than they produce. Although it may be difficult to accept, we Americans are also stressed by rising food prices and our dependence on oil and other fossil fuels. We are living in uncertain times. Therefore, I think the best reason to go retro-techno is that it will help you to "do for yourself", that is, to be more self-reliant.


Okay here are some resources:


Archives of Popular Science magazine has sections dealing with gadgets, cars, science and technology. The site features videos and galleries and - best of all - you can search the contents of the magazine itself as far back as the 1940's.


Instructables.com is a site that features brief how-to's posted by ordinary people. Some are practical like the "How to Grow Oyster Mushrooms" post; others, like the post that shows you how to breathe underwater, might seem to be a little bit goofy.














Makezine also has a wide variety of things you can get to work on. It appears to be better illustrated and more "professional" than the instructables site.

The Failblog's "There I Fixed it" repairs section features creative ideas like how to make your Ford look like a Mercedes with only a piece of cardboard and a magic marker.


One last piece of advice for adjusting to harder times: Spend time with elderly people, they know what life was like in simpler times where people had to work hard to get by. Just get them started and they'll tell you all about it.