New 850 t-shirt!

Post by **matthew1** » 24 Nov 2025, 11:51

New MVS t-shirt! These ship in 10 days. You might be wondering "Matt, why did you make a Volvo t-shirt with the graphed pulses from the first known pulsar, CP 1919, discovered in 1967 by Jocelyn Bell Burnell and Antony, the image of the pulses taken from The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Astronomy (1977)?" If you’re confused, and maybe you should be, I’ll fill in the blanks. If you’re not confused and you instantly recognized it and can’t wait to smash that Buy T-shirt button, you’re likely a Gen X who listens/listened to Alternative music.

I'll post soon explaining it in detail.

Pre-order here

: black-pulsar-shirt.jpg (173.88 KiB) Viewed 1427 times

Post by **volvolugnut** » 24 Nov 2025, 12:20

Huh?
-old guy

volvolugnutr

Post by **BlackBart** » 24 Nov 2025, 12:58

I'm waiting in my chair to understand the connection! I found the music reference, I will not spoil it.

"The readings are plotted by a computer receiving radio signals and stacked on top of one another using the average period of 1.33730 seconds."

Post by **matthew1** » 24 Nov 2025, 18:06

Short version: in 1979 an English band named Joy Division put out their first record Unknown Pleasures. You might have seen or heard about a 2007 movie named Control starring Samantha Morton and Sam Riley. It's about Ian Curtis, the singer.

Anyway, some of the members of the band were into astronomy, and one of them had a copy of The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Astronomy. Someone in the group suggested that image when they were brainstorming album art. It was black lines on white paper, and they inverted it and also didn't get permission to use it because they didn't think it would sell nearly enough to make any difference.

: s-l960.jpg (27.48 KiB) Viewed 1402 times

The album and band rocketed to fame in the Post Punk years, and that shirt could be found at every club and every underground coffeehouse for a good decade, maybe two.

Then came the memes. Fast forward to the 2000s and 2010s, and people started making the same design, but with alternate type. See http://archive.today/Is0ay

In 2012, even the Disney corporation got in on the fun and used the cover image for a t-shirt with Mickey Mouse.

: Screenshot 2025-11-24 at 18-02-37 Mickey Mouse Unknown Pleasures T-Shirt.png (418.6 KiB) Viewed 1402 times

Another example below. You can find dozens with an internet image search.

: Screenshot 2025-11-24 at 18-05-19 Ohio Unknown Pleasures Tee – Eleven Warriors Dry Goods.png (473.53 KiB) Viewed 1402 times

Post by **matthew1** » 24 Nov 2025, 18:14

And now, I've thrown my hat into the ring. Longer explanation tomorrow, more about the pulsar itself, and the discoverers.

Post by **volvolugnut** » 24 Nov 2025, 18:43

I can go to sleep now. I learned my one thing for the day.
volvolugnutr

Post by **matthew1** » 24 Nov 2025, 19:02

You can't sleep til tomorrow. I'm not done.

matthew1 wrote: 24 Nov 2025, 18:14 Longer explanation tomorrow, more about the pulsar itself, and the discoverers.

Post by **erikv11** » 24 Nov 2025, 20:11

I'm stuck in Boomersville but I had one of those JD shirts in 1983!

Post by **matthew1** » 24 Nov 2025, 20:17

Hell yea.

Capndirk · Post by **Capndirk** » 25 Nov 2025, 10:12

I pre-ordered one because it has "Volvo" on it, it supports the site, I like the graphic although it means nothing to me, and the print is on the back. I hate T-shirts with splash prints on the front. It is on the back isn't it? Maybe the shirt could feature XC90 instead of 850. I would buy another one.