Arthur C. Clarke has passed away
Mar. 19th, 2008 11:13 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
plutherusArthur C. Clarke, the inventor of the communications satellite, has passed away.
He was also the first to write about a space elevator, in his book Fountains of Paradise. He was once asked when he would expect such a thing to be built. He replied "About ten years after everyone stops laughing about it." I think in that case he's wrong, and that it'll actually be built at least a year before everyone stops laughing at the concept. Like Rama, a space elevator would be a Very Big Thing, and most people don't like to imagine the Very Big, or think that we can achieve it.
He had more faith in human potential than most people do. Despite the setbacks he never stopped believing that we will eventually build our space elevator, and have manned missions to Jupiter, and that humanity will eventually reach the stars.
I haven't either.
Thank you, Mr. Clarke, for the dreams, the wonder of all that might be out there, and the encouragement to think of Very Big Things. It might take another generation or three, but we'll reach the stars. And we'll still have your books to help guide us.
Rest in peace, you've earned it.
He was also the first to write about a space elevator, in his book Fountains of Paradise. He was once asked when he would expect such a thing to be built. He replied "About ten years after everyone stops laughing about it." I think in that case he's wrong, and that it'll actually be built at least a year before everyone stops laughing at the concept. Like Rama, a space elevator would be a Very Big Thing, and most people don't like to imagine the Very Big, or think that we can achieve it.
He had more faith in human potential than most people do. Despite the setbacks he never stopped believing that we will eventually build our space elevator, and have manned missions to Jupiter, and that humanity will eventually reach the stars.
I haven't either.
Thank you, Mr. Clarke, for the dreams, the wonder of all that might be out there, and the encouragement to think of Very Big Things. It might take another generation or three, but we'll reach the stars. And we'll still have your books to help guide us.
Rest in peace, you've earned it.
