Opinion

3001 The Final Odyssey

Friday, March 21, 2008

That was the title of the last of the four famous books in the "2001: A Space Odyssey" series, by famed science fiction writer, Arthur C. Clarke. The noted writer and scientist passed away Wednesday, March 19, at age 90.

He was a man who was able to write about our dreams.

I had no idea that Mr. Clarke had written two more sequels to the original "2001: A Space Odyssey." I have only seen the movies of the first book, and the follow-up story, "2010." When it came to science fiction, Clarke was a legend.

No other writer or figure is as famous as he was in the science fiction community.

What is perhaps not known about Arthur C. Clarke, is that many of his dreams would later become realities.

None of these is more significant than his idea of the satellite.

Way back in 1945, Clarke wrote about the use of satellites in orbit around earth. He did not just envision them circling the earth. He also came up with the idea of a "geosynchronous orbit."

In this type of orbit, which is now very commonplace, the satellite's orbit is at a speed which keeps it in a stationary position with the earth. It was this idea which led to our modern day communication satellites. Just try watching CNN without one.

In the 2001 original story, Clarke teamed with legendary movie director Stanley Kubrick. The book was written simultaneously as a screenplay. Released in 1968, it was and remains to this day a masterpiece.

Arthur C. Clarke wrote more than 100 books in his career.

I have read only a couple of his books, but I think I will definitely pick up a couple more for future reading. When once asked what he wanted to be remembered for, his simple answer was, "as a writer!"

Science fiction is often viewed by many as frivolous.

It is a venue that has a small but dedicated following. The television and movie series "Star Trek," is a good example. Many people don't much care for these types of shows, but for the faithful, it is almost like a religion.

Like Clarke's vision of communications satellites, "Star Trek" has led us to many new inventions. Back in the late sixties, a communicator was pure science fiction. Our flip phones of today show a striking resemblance.

When the ships doctor "Bones" McCoy, used machines that were a lot like our modern MRI devices, most of us thought it would be decades before anything like that would ever be built.

That's the real significance of people like, Arthur C. Clarke. It is their imagination combined with an almost obsessive curiosity, that leads to discovery.

Dreams lead the way for the practical to follow.

There is a famous proverb, "necessity is the mother of invention." I could not disagree more. It is the dreamers like Clarke who see something that is almost unbelievable at the time. Later we wonder how we ever lived without it.

What is particularly a problem, is that our society often discourages the visionary.

How many times, as a kid, did you seem some boy get in trouble in school for "doodling?" You know, back when the teacher was trying to show you something important like diagraming a sentence.

She would walk back to some boy's desk and get mad because he was drawing race cars, airplanes, rocket ships, or whatever, instead of doing his assignment.

I wonder if Arthur C. Clarke ever got in trouble for "doodling?"

Every invention of man, every great idea, was once just a small dream in the mind of an individual. Like seeds, these dreams can germinate and grow into something wonderful, like a satellite.

If we try to stifle the illusions of people, we learn nothing. That is one of the reasons, I like Arthur C.Clarke, am so opposed to our current rigid education system.

In today's world, we have standardized tests and curriculum.

Everyone is slotted and timed to better fit in to the "great education plan."

Arthur C. Clarke would tell you there is a better way.

Last week, I saw the test of a new nonviolent weapon which for a better name is a "ray gun." The government is using this new weapon to be able to disperse crowds a distances of several hundred yards, without actually killing anyone.

A "ray gun," is not the result of necessity. Arthur C. Clarke would tell you that long before him, there was a "Buck Rogers." He would tell you that some other science fiction writer once had a dream, and now that dream is finally coming true.

Thanks, Arthur for your dreams. Just for kicks, I think I'll send this article by some mystical electric digital system called "e-mail" to my editor, on my newly named computer "HAL!!!!!!"