Case Study on Arcturus IV (MIT 1950s) for the year 2951

A rare object, just catalogued...

Case Study on Arcturus IV (Product Design 2.734)

Massachustes Institute Of Technology ( Department Of Mechanical Engineering) Circa 1952-1955 First Edition. Wraps., 1955. 4to. About 100 pages printed recto only. A curious production with the printed monogram of M.I.T. on the cover and stapled at the spine like an official report or script. It is a collection of memos, missives and communication from the years 2951 and 2952, mostly about the Massachusets Intergalactic Traders and concerning opportunities for export business with the newly discovered planet Arcturus IV (in the Methania galaxy 36 light years away). There are diagrams, an illustration of an Arcturus native ('Sub Human type') and detailed plans for a food mixer suitable for 'Methanians' (also a carriage incubator and other machinery. )

America is no longer mentioned, addresses end 'Terran', presumably Earth was now one country.

The fantasy of the fantastic trade opportunity is sustained throughout. The cover reads 'Pre Publication Copy - Not to be Reproduced.' No copy located at WorldCat or any other world library database. There is precious little about this project on the web (an article by Katherine Pandora) but it was the SF brainchild of MIT professor John E Arnold to encourage design creativity among students. It had good coverage in LIFE magazine and prompted a 1952 article in Popular Science. It was also praised by SF supremo John W Campbell, Jnr of Astounding Science Fiction. A fascinating and very scarce item in very good shape.