Prophets of Science Fiction - Arthur C. Clarke

Today on Far Future Horizons we commemorate the memory and centennial birthday of Science Fiction writer and visionary Arthur C. Clarke with an episode from the acclaimed documentary series Prophets of Science Fiction. 

Executive Producer Ridley Scott presents Prophets of Science Fiction.

The "Science Fiction" of the past has now simply become "Science". And the science of the future was strangely prophesied by a group of visionaries whose dreams once may have deemed them renegades and "mad scientists," have become reality!

A very good review concerning this episode of ‘Prophets Of Science Fiction: Arthur C. Clarke’ – Recap by Janice Kay   appeared in Science Fiction.Com.

Arthur C. Clarke’s vision of the future was not as fatalistic. He focused more on what was our place in the universe and the future of humanity and what would we would evolve into. His futuristic meta-physical take of science made him unique and even now, there are still many of his prophesies just at the beginning stages of being realized.

Arthur C. Clarke saw the world differently. In his late teens, he joined the British Interplanetary Society. This society shared the common goal to help lead mankind into space. In the 1930’s many thought their calculations and ideas to travel to the moon were foolish but Clarke saw differently keeping books of calculations of possible ways that space travel could occur.

Not all of Clarke’s ideas and predictions came in books. In WWII, while in the Royal Air Force, Clarke was stationed to man the top secret radar system, The Mark I. This equipment allowed operators on the ground to talk to the pilots so that they can land in the dark. Clarke realized this technology could someday connect the human race. In an impromptu experiment, Clarke tried to bounce the radar signal off the moon hoping it would come back but failed. The moon was too far. It made him think: What if something man made could be sent out into space that was closer to the moon to bounce the signals back? The concept of the communication satellite was born. By 1965, the first communications satellite was launched at a height of 22,000 miles above the equator and the orbit it takes is now called the Clarke Belt.

Clarke has been attributed to the ideas for space colonization, space travel and even the possibilities of alien races contacting us. How is Clarke able to be right on in his predictions? He attributes his success to 3 laws that he abides by:

1. When a distinguished scientist says something is possible then it’s possible. When a distinguished scientist says something is impossible, it’s still possible.

2. In order to make great discoveries you need to go beyond the world of possible into the realm of impossible.

3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

On March 19^th, 2008, Clarke died at the age of 90. He was able to live to see many of his predictions come true and was known to make a list of those that did. 

Through science fiction, he wrote about how humans were in a constant state of evolution and the optimism that it would bring. (From ‘Prophets Of Science Fiction: Arthur C. Clarke’ – Recap by Janice Kay)

This episode of the Prophets of Science Fiction can be purchased from Amazon.com.

Prophets of Science Fiction - Arthur C. Clarke 

Science.Fiction; Arthur.C.Clarke. by fuzz59

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