To the Passing of a Hero: Arthur C. Clarke, 1917-2008
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke was born on the 16th of December 1917 in Minehead, England. Perhaps best known for his contributions to science fiction, and his inventions, his achievements will certainly not be forgotten anytime soon.
Clarke served in the Royal Air Force as a radar instructor from 1941-1946. It was there where he invented & proposed the idea of communications satellites in 1945 — an idea that materialized quickly and we now know, use and depend on to sustain our societies. His proposal won him the Franklin Institute Gold Medal and in 1994 he was nominated for a Nobel Prize. Consequently he became the chairman of the British Interplanetary Society.
He collaborated with Stanley Kubrick to create, in my and many others’ opinion, one of the greatest films of all time — and concurrently developed what later became a novel of the same name: 2001: A Space Odyssey shook the world and continues to inspire and provoke thought.
Moved to Sri Lanka in 1956. Knighted in 1998.
A Hero Passed Away on March 19th, 2008.
Arthur Charles Clarke will be missed.
And...
2 Comments, Comment or Ping
Nils Geylen
Not sure whether “hero” is the right word. What I am sure of is that he changed the way people and societies think of a lot of things, especially regarding computing, the future, space travel and life and science in general. That is a cultural impact he had on this world that will be lasting.
Mar 21st, 2008
Hrafn
He was idolized for his achievements, had ideas he pursued with sure sacrifices. His stories inspired and changed the way people think indeed — perhaps even incited many to explore scientific ideas and technology that improved the world.
Although possibly debatable, someone who chooses to spend his time on this planet to improve and inspire mankind can be called a hero. If it generally isn’t the use case, some things should warrant exceptions
Mar 21st, 2008
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