| Article: 1845
From: clarinews@clarinet.com (Reuter/James Forrester)
Newsgroups: clari.world.europe.western,clari.news.books
Subject: Writer Opens Science Festival with Vision of Mars
Date: Thu, 31 Mar 94 16:20:07 PST
EDINBURGH, Scotland (Reuter) - Writer Arthur C. Clarke,
renowned for his knack for predicting the course of space technology,
opened the world's biggest science festival Thursday and said people
would one day live on Mars.
Clarke, derided when he forecast satellite communications
back in 1945 and mocked when he predicted a man on the Moon before the
year 2000, spoke to the festival in Edinburgh over a telephone link
from his home in Sri Lanka.
``Science and technology are the two main driving forces
shaping our future,'' Clarke said. ``Far more so than politics or
ideology, important though these are.''
The science fact and fiction writer spent most of his
20-minute phone call dealing with his newest vision -- the
``greening'' of the planet Mars so that it could support life.
``There is certainly no life on Mars at the moment,'' the
British-born author said. ``But there may have been and there
certainly could be in the future.''
All the elements were there, but the planet was horribly
cold. Clarke outlined possibilities for creating ``a beneficial
greenhouse effect'' so that life in the open would be possible.
Giant satellite mirrors focused to deflect the Sun's rays
onto selected parts of Mars was one option, he said.
``It could take a hundred years, it could take a thousand,
but it will be done.''
Clarke said he did not envisage mass migration from Earth,
but there would be scientific colonies and that it was essential plans
were made now to establish them.
Clarke, 76, whose script for Stanley Kubrick's film ``2001: A
Space Odyssey'' won an Oscar in 1967, has been honored by the United
Nations and numerous academic bodies.
When Neil Armstrong first set foot on the Moon in 1969, the
United States said Clarke ``provided the essential intellectual drive
that led us to the Moon.''
Up to a quarter of a million people are expected to visit the
Science Festival during its three-week run at nearly 40 venues in the
Scottish capital.
The festival's lectures, family activities, tours and at
least 20 conferences will touch on subjects including the design of
the golf club of the future, computer identification of bank robbers,
and protection from cancer.
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| Article: 61958
From: holman@tauon.ph.unimelb.edu.au (Brett Holman)
Newsgroups: sci.astro,rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Clarke nominated for Nobel Peace Prize!
Date: 23 Jun 1994 00:24:34 GMT
Organization: School of Physics, University of Melbourne
Found this on the bulletin board at the Anglo-Australian Observatory ...
anyone know Sejersted's email address????
************
From: SMTP%"DIS@AAOCBN3.AAO.GOV.AU"
Date: Wed, 22 Jun 1994 16:52:17 +1000 (EST)
From: DIS@AAOCBN3.AAO.GOV.AU
To: bboard@aaocbn.oz.au
Message-Id: <940622165217.1355@AAOCBN3.AAO.GOV.AU>
Subject: NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
Many astronomers and space scientists have been inspired in their
choice of career by the books of Arthur C. Clarke. Quite apart from
that, we all benefit in our work and leisure from his invention of the
geostationary communications satellite concept in 1945. The
development of global communications through such satellites has had a
major impact upon world peace in the past few decades, and, partly as
a result of that, Clarke has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize
of 1994. If you would like to support that nomination,
(i) Send a letter saying so to:
Professor Francis Sejersted
Chairman, Nobel Peace Prize Committee
Drammensvejen 19
N-0255 Oslo
Norway
(ii) Circulate this message to others.
--
______________________________________________________________________
Brett Holman holman@tauon.ph.unimelb.edu.au
School of Physics
University of Melbourne I can't believe that I, let alone the Uni,
AUSTRALIA would hold the opinions expressed here.
"Stop quoting the laws to us. We carry swords." - Pompey the Great
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