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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 876
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OP
old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 876 |
Today marks the passing of one of the greatest writers of science fiction, Arthur C. Clarke. In his honor, I post his "laws": 1. 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.2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.I know most of those visiting this website are born readers, although not all of science fiction, and hopefully appreciate the contributions Mr. Clarke made to expanding our thoughts and the pushing out the boundaries of what we know into what might be... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_C._ClarkeHe will be greatly missed.
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 956
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old hand
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 956 |
2001, one of my favourite Movies/books. What a guy.
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210 |
oh, I hadn't heard. what a loss.
formerly known as etaoin...
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
"Sometimes I think we're alone in the universe, and sometimes I think we're not. In either case the idea is quite staggering."
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067 |
"Sometimes I think we're alone in the universe, and sometimes I think we're not. In either case the idea is quite staggering." Is he talking about Aliens? Or God? Or both?
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
He was a very important influence in my early life.
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290 |
Sad, all too sad. I've always felt that Childhood's End would make a great film.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154 |
He was quoted today as saying (as accurately as I can remember) that UFO's tell us very little about intelligence on other planets. On the other hand they have a lot to say about its relative scarcity on Earth.
There is a certain genre of SciFi that springs from philosophical thought and scientific speculation and another that starts with "Ooh, I have a great idea for a monster..."
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067 |
Clarke's philosophy for 2001-2010 was similar to Platonic gnosticism with its hope of escaping from the confines and limitations of the body. In his schema the stages are flesh to machine to pure energy, but it's essentially the same old Greek ideas recast in the guise of Science Fiction. There's nothing new under the sun.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526 |
Regarding "Childhood's End": I agree. It would make a great movie.
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