In Search of - Nimoy - Bittersweet

Cafe Society
#1

I found In Search of with Leonard Nimoy on Youtube recently. The nostalgia was Bittersweet.

Nimoy’s death aside, I do believe the world is better off today than in the 60’s and 70’s. Crime alone would make it so. If you think there is much crime today, you weren’t around during the 70’s.

However, that time had an…optimism…that doesn’t seem to be as present as today. Hell, we landed on the moon and were on our way outward! Back then, while young, I was interested in all the Woo. UFOs, ghosts, loch ness/Bigfoot, crystals, pyramid power, Bermuda Triangle etc etc etc etc. I didn’t really believe it was true but it was fun and there seemed to be a certain ‘feeling’ that mankind was on the verge of something. I was somewhat skeptical but …you know…maybe they will find Bigfoot soon…who knows? I was a real 60’s-70’s girl!

Then I became involved in my career and really threw myself into it.

40-50 years later I have just retired and so am regressing back to my childhood. I took a day to ‘check things out’. This was inspired by the aforementions “In Search Of”

After finding out that South America really seems to be coming along in general and isn’t the basketcase I remember I went onto Woo.

Nothing. Well, not nothing…Tabby’s star is interesting as hell and, while it is probably a natural explanation, alien civilization is still on the table. Not likely…but TANTALIZING!

In Search of could air today pretty much as is and would seem to be just as relevant as the ‘documentaries’ today.

Nothing? Nothing?! Not one damn thing has something tantalizing? (I know it couldn’t be proved or even I would have heard of it). This is disheartening. The world seems to be really as mundane as I feared it to be.

I mean KILLER BEES turned out to be nothing forchrissake! That was the terror of the 70’s!! :smiley:

So, I ask. Is there nothing…no tantalizing (meaning still probably not true but can’t be just thrown out) evidence of ANYTHING from In Search of?

#2

One other pleasant surprise was that Quantum computers seem to be coming along. I had a suspicion back then that they wouldn’t work. So that is cool.

#3

One big difference is that in the 60s and 70s, we had more-or-less rational actors in charge in the main nuclear countries. Now we have a pair of irrational bullies threatening each other.

#4

Which episode of In Search Of… was that related to?

#5

His son did and excellent bio-doc on Nimoy called For the Love of Spock, it is on Netflix. Worth checking out if you’re a big fan of Nimoy like I am.

#6

I have only the vaguest memories of the series (I was 10 when it went off the air) but there were 148 episodes of the original series. Browsing the list of topics, some of them seem like something reasonable (though I don’t know how the show presented it) while most of them seem to be total garbage.

#7

Moved to Café Society from General Questions.

samclem, moderator.

#8

Mao+Cultural Revolution was just as crazy as Kim. Mao didn’t mind getting nuked because of China’s huge population.

#9

Cite

#10

Not when presented in Nimoy’s voice.

#11

I loved the show but even as a little kid I’m not sure I believed any of it. It was that eras version of clickbait. It drew you in with the premise then never really delivered. I do find it more enjoyable than similar History Channel crap now.

Agreed I found it to be very inciteful.

#12

In Search of is airing today, it’s just called “Destination Truth” and “Expedition Unknown”. :slight_smile:

#13

Shows somewhat similar to “In Search Of” still exist. “Unexplained Mysteries” “What On Earth”

I always say the best part of the sixties was the early seventies and there definitely was a mood that “unexplored possibilities” existed. But what has happened in my experience is that our generation set out to change the world, but instead the world changed us.

#14

Awesome theme song!

#15

That probably applies to most generations.

#16

Or they explored them and found that they weren’t possibilities after all.

#17

As one of my friends once said, “I’ve taken acid, done Kundalini Yoga and meditated my ass off. I’ve talked to God, I’ve felt all the energy of the universe flowing through me, and I’ve directly experienced the unity of all living things. But right now I need a lift to work, can you take me?”

#18

I tried watching those shows, they’re way too heavy on conspiracy theories to be considered similar to Leonard’s show. Josh Gates is where it’s at.

#19

I was a huge fan of In Search Of. As a kid I devoured books about Bigfoot, Nessie, UFOs and other mysteries. Something that saddens me is how neat mysteries like Out Of Place Artifacts have been coo-opted by Creationists to “support” their nonsense. Those mysteries were some of my favorites.

The trippiest In Search Of was the one where they claim that plants and bacteria have thoughts and feeling. To the point where a “scientist” hooked equipment up to yogurt to show how it “feels pain” when you eat it. That stuck with me and I wasn’t 100% sure it was real until I sought it out on YouTube. Something else that stuck with me is for many years I thought what were then called Idiot Savants (now Autistic Savants, maybe? Could be even that same is outdated) were called Idiots of Awnt because that’s what it sounded my kid ears when Nimoy said it.

Still, I loved the show. And as someone above sad, awesome theme song.

Side Note: I am almost positive In Search Of was rebooted by a cable channel at some point years ago. Maybe SyFy? It didn’t last long.

#20

I’ve always loved Sid Meier’s Civilization computer games. I’ve played all the real ones (Civ I - VI), plus Colonization, Civ IV: Colonization, and Alpha Centauri - I even dabbled in the heresy that was Activision’s Call to Power.

Civilization IV is still the stand-out best, though. The mechanics have struck a nice balance, the tech tree allows for plenty of re-play value, and the combinations of civilizations and their leaders make for loads of interesting challenges.

On top of that, every time your civilization’s wise men discover a new technology, Leonard Nimoy reads a historically relevant passage (a famous quote, a bible verse, or even lyrics from a Velvet Underground song!) to accompany the Civilopedia article.

It’s the icing that makes the cake!