Arthur C. Clarke
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'''Arthur C. Clarke''' (16 December 1917 - 18 March 2008) was an [[astronomy|astronomer]] and prolific science fiction writer. | '''Arthur C. Clarke''' (16 December 1917 - 18 March 2008) was an [[astronomy|astronomer]] and prolific science fiction writer. | ||
| − | Clarke's most famous work is ''2001: A Space Odyssey''. He collaborated with famed director Stanley Kubrick to make the major motion picture, while simultaneously writing the novel of the same name. The story itself is based in part on various short stories by Clarke, most notably "The Sentinel". "The Sentinel" was written for a 1948 BBC competition, but it wouldn't be published until 1951, as "Sentinel of Eternity". | + | For non-science fiction fans, Clarke's most famous work is a film: ''2001: A Space Odyssey''. He collaborated with famed director Stanley Kubrick to make the major motion picture, while simultaneously writing the novel of the same name. The story itself is based in part on various short stories by Clarke, most notably "The Sentinel". "The Sentinel" was written for a 1948 BBC competition, but it wouldn't be published until 1951, as "Sentinel of Eternity". |
During World War II he worked on the team that developed radar. He proposed the idea of communication satellites placed in geostationary orbits in 1945, long before any government would have taken the concept seriously enough to issue a patent on it. Clarke popularized the idea of "space elevators" (first proposed by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky) in his book ''Fountains of Paradise''. Space elevators are now being seriously investigated as a method of reaching space from the surface of the Earth.<ref>[http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/space_elevator_020327-1.html Space.com's article re: Space Elevators]</ref> | During World War II he worked on the team that developed radar. He proposed the idea of communication satellites placed in geostationary orbits in 1945, long before any government would have taken the concept seriously enough to issue a patent on it. Clarke popularized the idea of "space elevators" (first proposed by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky) in his book ''Fountains of Paradise''. Space elevators are now being seriously investigated as a method of reaching space from the surface of the Earth.<ref>[http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/space_elevator_020327-1.html Space.com's article re: Space Elevators]</ref> | ||
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| + | Among Clarke's classic works is the 1953 novel '''Childhood's End''', which describes the evolutionary transition of humanity from beings with physical bodies to beings of pure mind. This may have contributed inspiration to the movement known as [[Transhumanism]]. | ||
Although born in England, he lived most of his later years in Sri Lanka, because he loved scuba diving. There he was an occasional guest lecturer at the American Community Center, a school run by the U.S. A.I.D. program. | Although born in England, he lived most of his later years in Sri Lanka, because he loved scuba diving. There he was an occasional guest lecturer at the American Community Center, a school run by the U.S. A.I.D. program. | ||
Revision as of 00:46, 29 August 2010
Arthur C. Clarke (16 December 1917 - 18 March 2008) was an astronomer and prolific science fiction writer.
For non-science fiction fans, Clarke's most famous work is a film: 2001: A Space Odyssey. He collaborated with famed director Stanley Kubrick to make the major motion picture, while simultaneously writing the novel of the same name. The story itself is based in part on various short stories by Clarke, most notably "The Sentinel". "The Sentinel" was written for a 1948 BBC competition, but it wouldn't be published until 1951, as "Sentinel of Eternity".
During World War II he worked on the team that developed radar. He proposed the idea of communication satellites placed in geostationary orbits in 1945, long before any government would have taken the concept seriously enough to issue a patent on it. Clarke popularized the idea of "space elevators" (first proposed by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky) in his book Fountains of Paradise. Space elevators are now being seriously investigated as a method of reaching space from the surface of the Earth.[1]
Among Clarke's classic works is the 1953 novel Childhood's End, which describes the evolutionary transition of humanity from beings with physical bodies to beings of pure mind. This may have contributed inspiration to the movement known as Transhumanism.
Although born in England, he lived most of his later years in Sri Lanka, because he loved scuba diving. There he was an occasional guest lecturer at the American Community Center, a school run by the U.S. A.I.D. program.
He was buried with a 'Secular Ceremony' on 22 March 2008. [2]
Clarke's Laws
- First law: When a distinguished, but elderly, scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
- Second law: The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.
- Third law: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
Everyone is aware of Clarke's three laws (and various other three laws, from Asimov to DeMeyr to thermodynamics), but most people can usually only recall the third one, which has has been applied to science fiction as well as some of reality itself - what would a medieval peasant make of an iPad, for instance? It's simple and catchy wording has been often parodied, such as in Clark's law, which states that "any sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from malice".
Dr. Barry Gehm stated a corollary to Clarke's third law: Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced. [3]