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When Russia sent Gagarin out in space, USA panicked: At that time, learning makeup and social dancing and how to drive a car were important high school subject - rocket science was not. So the authorities started a crash program to develop high quality science textbooks for the high school level, one series of chemistry books, one of physics books.
I know only the physics books, but they were excellent! They were not the ones used in my high school, but I found them in the school library. I would very much like to have a copy of those books today. If I only knew what to search for.
The books were known by some 4 letter abbreviation. I believe it was something like "Study Committee for the Physical Sciences". "SCPS" does not ring any bell, at least nor very loudly, but I believe that I am close. Can anyone help my memory? Or even better: Help me to get hold of a copy of the book set.
Curious note: Since my teenage years, one of my favorite Albert Einstein quotes is "The answer is 'yes' or 'no', depending on the interpretation". For thirty years, I was curious to know what the question was  . A few years ago, someone suggested that I tried the "Ask the library" service of Library of Congress. All I knew was AE's answer, with no source, and not even the exact wording. Nevertheless, in less than 24 hours, I received an answer. I was impressed!
The question was asked in the same context as what caused this textbook project to be initiated. Quoting from memory (so it may not be exact, word by word), the question was: "Does the high school system provide a good enough education for American youth?"
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Sorry, I was not born back then, I can't help you with that.
I found this one by random surfing
M.D.V. 
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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PSSC is what you are looking for. They were brilliant, and the movies they made were just mind-boggling. I think I may still have the book I bought for my kids in the 80s. Can't have done too much harm, 2 science PhDs from 3 kids. (The other one took after me, nerd.)
Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012
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That's it! "Physical Sciences Study Committee"! Thanks a lot. Now I will know what to search for in used book shops!
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Thanks - Amazon's "Marketplace" has a quite a few, some at astronomical prices. But quite a few of the sellers won't ship to Norway. I tried four different sellers that didn't want to have me as a customer. The one I finally found (and at a very acceptable price) offered a 1986 edition. I suppose that it is as good as the 1960 edition; anything else would be a pity.
Well, who knows... I've seen some outright terrible college level textbooks in modern times. The worst one that comes to mind was one in data communications, with a small green Martian taking you step by step through the fantastic wold of intergalactic telecommunication... in a college/university level textbook!
If the PSSC Physics 1986 edition has fallen into that trap, or something similar, I guess I will get back to Amazon for a 1960 edition. My impression of the PSSC is that they are not much likely to go in that direction. Then, it would be interesting to buy the 1960 edition as well, for comparing the two editions side by side, to see what has changed, and by how much, in 26 years!
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Great! I had heard rumors of some films, but never seen them. I guess I will spend a few hours looking through these.
Btw, I thought it was Gagarin's space flight that kicked the PSSC program going. It is older than that; it seems to be the Russian Sputnik program that triggered it.
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I'd have preferred "Joining general relativity and quantum physics for kids", but thanks
"Five fruits and vegetables a day? What a joke!
Personally, after the third watermelon, I'm full."
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If (or when) that book is ever written, you may be sure that many physicists will be buying it. 
Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.
-- 6079 Smith W.
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For sure
"Five fruits and vegetables a day? What a joke!
Personally, after the third watermelon, I'm full."
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:evil_grinse:
M.D.V.
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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apparently cats have been found with it
your pet:
- lock down ?
- or lock out ?
@OriginalGriff - just thikin ... ya know that nice box you made for your 3D printer.... would be purrfect!
1. open, 2. remove printer, 3. insert cat, 4. close
...squeeze food in through fan grille, convince the cat to likewise squeeze it's poo back out [another?] grille (don't forget: drill holes in bottom for pee drain)
pestilence [ pes-tl-uh ns ] noun
1. a deadly or virulent epidemic disease. especially bubonic plague.
2. something that is considered harmful, destructive, or evil.
Synonyms: pest, plague, CCP
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Works for the missus as well... 
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
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The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
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Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.
Mark Twain
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I hope our neighbours don't hear about this, they are real cat haters that even put spikes on their fence 
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I was scratching my head on this as well. There's an article that said a tiger at a zoo in USA got it from it's handler. Now there are cats and a dog (in China) that's been found positive with it, but the experts say that our pets (which are animals) can't transfer it to us.
Now, I don't understand how we got it from an animal then in the first place.
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apparently a couple of house cats in NY were found to have it,
- one was "slightly" symptomatic (breathing congestion),
- one was asymptomatic (not enough test kits for humans - WTF was this cat tested ??? $$$)
Dylvh wrote: Now, I don't understand how we got it from an animal then in the first place.
one getting-more-popular (France, USA) rumor suggests a scientist blended a bat-sars protein (that didn't infect humans but is deadly) with the SARS virus that does infect humans - and yes... then it escaped. -I can't (wont waste my time to try to) prove it nor claim if true or not. ... if you care Google is your friend (in most countries)
pestilence [ pes-tl-uh ns ] noun
1. a deadly or virulent epidemic disease. especially bubonic plague.
2. something that is considered harmful, destructive, or evil.
Synonyms: pest, plague, CCP
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lopatir wrote: I can't (wont waste my time to try to) prove it nor claim if true or not.
Agreed. The media just doesn't always make sense to me.
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No surprise here - cats are evil.
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This has me kind of worried...
People buy kittens and puppies and then dump them when they're not "cute" anymore.
People bought dalmatians after the 100 Dalmatians movie and then dumped them when they weren't as nice as a f***ing cartoon.
Same with fish and turtles after Finding Nemo.
Some people are scum who think animals are there for their enjoyment and can be disposed of whenever.
People are burning 5G towers because they think it transmits COVID-19.
This news could lead to massive animal suffering 
Personally, I'd have to be close to death to give up my feline friend and then I'd make sure she'd be with good people and I could have her back later.
Here's a super cute baby asking everyone not to hurt their pets[^]
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Sander Rossel wrote: Personally, I'd have to be close to death to give up my feline friend
Sander Rossel wrote: and then I'd make sure she'd be with good people and I could have her back later.
AFTER death, you mean? 
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
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The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
-
Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.
Mark Twain
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You're dark (I like that).
But I meant after I'm healed 
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Sander Rossel wrote: Some people are scum who think animals are there for their enjoyment and can be disposed of whenever.
"Animals" is a large word here; lots of animals are food, not entertainment. Some animals are pests, or parasites. Not each animal should have "pet" status; gutworms and undomesticated rats come to mind.
Bastard Programmer from Hell 
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
"If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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Eddy Vluggen wrote: lots of animals are food
As a vegetarian I'd like to disagree 
The animals you eat are especially social and intelligent.
And they're treated so horrible that lots of people wouldn't eat meat for a while if they saw it with their own eyes.
Eddy Vluggen wrote: Some animals are pests, or parasites
Unfortunately, that's true 
I have ants in my house now.
Normally I'd love ants, like when I spot them in a forest, but NOT in my house.
I feel bad for every ant I kill though 
You say "undomesticated" rats, but the fact that we can domesticate them should be an indication of their intelligence.
I wouldn't want to kill an undomesticated rat, but I also wouldn't want them in my house, obviously.
The rat just lives its life and it can't really help it is what it is, it's certainly not out to hurt me.
I'd try a non-violent approach if possible.
Not so much for flies, death to all!
I wasn't always like that, but I once had a fly plague.
Killed 5+ flies every time I entered my bedroom, sometimes even 10+, and I still don't know where they came from
That was when I still lived with my parents.
Once I moved out they never saw a fly again (and no, I didn't live dirty or anything) 
Anyway, I wasn't talking about pets specifically.
People kill and mistreat all manner of animals just because they don't like animals or an animal living somewhere is inconvenient.
Or because we want a fur coat or because some people somewhere believe elephant teeth and rhino horns can cure erectile dysfunction 
Bullfighting, foie gras, hunting, fishing, cockfights...
If everyone treated animals with some respect we wouldn't have COVID-19 either, just saying...
So yeah, animals.
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