Sir Arthur C Clarke: 90th Birthday Reflections
Summary
TLDRIn this heartfelt transcript, Arthur C. Clarke reflects on reaching his 90th year, expressing a sense of contentment and optimism. Despite acknowledging the passage of time and the loss of friends, he remains hopeful for the future of space exploration and the potential for commercial space travel. Clarke also advocates for clean energy to combat climate change and dreams of peace in Sri Lanka, where he has lived for 50 years. He wishes for evidence of extraterrestrial life and emphasizes the importance of global unity, tolerance, and compassion alongside technological advancements.
Takeaways
- 🎉 Arthur C. Clarke reflects on reaching 90 years old, feeling no older than 89.
- 🌞 He acknowledges the reality of aging, quoting Bob Hope about the cost of candles on a birthday cake.
- 🚀 Clarke is content with witnessing the evolution of technology and space travel from his time as a 'Space Cadet'.
- 🌌 He marvels at the advancements in space exploration, predicting a future where space tourism is common.
- 📱 The rapid growth of mobile phone technology is highlighted, emphasizing its impact on global communication.
- 🌍 Clarke discusses the necessity of communication technology, but also the need for human qualities like tolerance and compassion.
- 🌟 He expresses optimism as a guiding principle, hoping for a future where humanity overcomes tribal divisions and acts as one global family.
- 👽 His first wish is to see evidence of extraterrestrial life, reflecting his belief that humans are not alone in the universe.
- 💡 His second wish is for humanity to transition from fossil fuels to clean energy sources, citing the urgency of addressing climate change.
- 🕊️ Clarke's third wish is for lasting peace in Sri Lanka, his adopted home for 50 years, acknowledging the effort required for peace.
- 📚 As a writer, Clarke wishes to be remembered for entertaining and inspiring readers' imaginations, echoing the sentiments of Rudyard Kipling.
Q & A
How does Arthur Clark feel about reaching his 90th birthday?
-Arthur Clark feels that he doesn't feel a day older than 89 and is content with the passage of time.
What does Arthur Clark mention about the changes in technology since his youth?
-Clark mentions the rapid advancements in technology, particularly the growth of mobile phone coverage from the first cellular network to over 3.3 billion subscriptions.
What role did Arthur Clark play in the British Interplanetary Society?
-Arthur Clark was a Space Cadet in the British Interplanetary Society, where he spent time discussing space travel with others.
What does Clark believe is the beginning of the Golden Age of space?
-Clark believes that the emergence of commercial space flight marks the beginning of the Golden Age of space.
How does Clark envision the future of space travel and tourism?
-Clark envisions that space travel and tourism will become almost as common as flying to exotic destinations on Earth, with thousands of people traveling to earth orbit, the moon, and beyond.
What are the three wishes Arthur Clark expresses in the script?
-Clark's three wishes are to see evidence of extraterrestrial life, to overcome humanity's addiction to oil in favor of clean energy sources, and to see lasting peace established in Sri Lanka.
What does Arthur Clark hope humanity will learn from the 20th century?
-Clark hopes that humanity will learn to overcome tribal divisions and act as one global family, achieving real globalization through greater understanding and compassion.
How does Arthur Clark want to be remembered?
-Clark wants to be remembered primarily as a writer who entertained readers and stretched their imaginations.
What is the significance of the quote by Rudyard Kipling that Clark ends with?
-The quote by Rudyard Kipling signifies Clark's desire to leave a legacy of delight through his work, without needing further recognition beyond the books he has written.
How long has Arthur Clark been living in Sri Lanka?
-Arthur Clark has been living in Sri Lanka for 50 years.
What is Arthur Clark's perspective on the role of communication technologies in human relations?
-Clark believes that while communication technologies are necessary, they are not sufficient for humans to get along with each other, and that qualities like tolerance and compassion are also needed for greater understanding between peoples and nations.
Outlines
🎉 Reflecting on Life and Achievements
Arthur C. Clarke, from his home in Sri Lanka, shares his thoughts as he approaches his 90th birthday. He feels no older than 89 and reflects on the milestones he has witnessed, such as the 50th anniversary of the Space Age. Clarke expresses his contentment in watching the world evolve and his acceptance of being a senior citizen. He also laments the loss of his contemporaries and friends, cherishing the memories they left behind. Despite his wheelchair, Clarke's mind remains active, exploring the universe through his vivid dreams and maintaining an optimistic outlook on life.
🌟 Wishes for the Future and Legacy
Clarke expresses his faith in optimism and hopes humanity learns from the past century's barbarism. He envisions a future where people overcome tribal divisions and act as one global family. Clarke shares his three wishes: discovering extraterrestrial life, transitioning to clean energy sources to combat climate change, and achieving lasting peace in Sri Lanka. He reflects on his career as a writer, explorer, and science popularizer, wishing to be remembered primarily as an entertainer and inspiration to readers' imaginations. Clarke concludes with a quote from Rudyard Kipling, emphasizing the impact of his written works and his peaceful departure from the world.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Orbits
💡Senior Citizen
💡Space Cadets
💡Golden Age of Space
💡Mobile Phone Coverage
💡Optimism
💡Extraterrestrial Life
💡Clean Energy
💡Globalization
💡Sri Lanka
💡Science Popularizer
Highlights
Arthur Clark reflects on approaching his 90th birthday and feeling no older than 89.
Clark humorously acknowledges the reality of aging, referencing Bob Hope's famous quote about the cost of candles.
Despite the sadness of losing contemporaries and friends, Clark cherishes the fond memories they left behind.
Clark spends much of his day dreaming and enjoying vivid dreams, even while being wheelchair-bound.
Clark expresses gratitude for having seen many of his dreams come true, especially in the span of a few decades.
As a member of the British Interplanetary Society, Clark discusses the early days of space travel discussion and its eventual realization.
Clark is optimistic about the Golden Age of space, foreseeing commercial space flight and space tourism becoming commonplace.
The rapid advancement in technology, exemplified by the growth of mobile phone coverage, is highlighted by Clark.
Clark emphasizes the necessity of qualities like tolerance and compassion alongside technology for better global understanding.
Optimism is Clark's guiding principle, offering the opportunity for a self-fulfilling prophecy for humanity.
Clark reflects on the 20th century as the most barbaric and hopes humanity has learned from it.
One of Clark's wishes is to see evidence of extraterrestrial life, as he believes we are not alone in the universe.
Clark wishes for humanity to overcome its dependence on oil and adopt clean energy sources in light of climate change.
Clark expresses a desire for lasting peace in Sri Lanka, his adopted home for 50 years.
Clark discusses the hard work, courage, and persistence required to achieve peace, not just wishing for it.
As a writer, Clark's ambition is to be remembered for entertaining readers and stretching their imaginations.
Clark concludes with a quote from Rudyard Kipling, emphasizing the impact of his written works.
Transcripts
hello this is Arthur Clark speaking to
you from my home in Columbo Sri
Lanka as I approach my 90th
birthday my friends are asking me how it
feels to have completed 90 orbits around
the
Sun
well I actually don't feel a day older
than
89 of course some things remind me that
I have inde needed qualified as a senior
citizen as Bob Hope once said you know
you're getting
old when the candles cost more than the
cake I'm now perfectly happy to step
aside and watch how things
evolve there's also a sad side to living
so
long most of my
contemporaries and old
friends have already
departed who however they've Left Behind
many fond memories
for me to
recall I now spend a good part of my day
dreaming of times past present and
future as I try to survive on 15 hours
sleep a day I have plenty of time to
enjoy vivid
dreams being completely
wheelchair doesn't stop my mind from
roing the Universe on the
contrary in my time I've been very
fortunate to have seen many of my dreams
come
true growing up in the 1920s and 30s I
never expected to see so much happen in
the span of a few decades well we Space
Cadets of the British inter planer
Society spent all our spare time
discussing space
travel but we didn't imagine that lay in
our own near
future I still can't quite believe that
we've just marked the 50th anniversary
of the Space
Age we've accomplished a great deal in
that time but the Golden Age of space is
only only just
beginning after half a century of
government sponsored efforts we are now
witnessing the emergence of commercial
space
flight over the next 50 years thousands
of people will travel to earth orbit and
then to the moon and
beyond space travel and space tourism
will one day become almost as common
place as flying to Exotic destinations
on our own
Planet things are also changing rapidly
in many other areas of Science and
Technology to give just one example the
world's Mobile phone coverage recently
passed
50% or 3.3 billion
subscriptions this was achieved in just
a little over a quarter of a century
since the first cellular network was set
up the mobile phone has
revolutionized human
Communications and is turning Humanity
into an endlessly chattering Global
family what does this mean for us as a
species
Communications Technologies are
necessary but not sufficient for us
humans to get along with each other this
is why we still have many disputes and
conflicts in the
world technology tools help us to gather
and disseminate
information but we also need qualities
like tolerance and compassion to achieve
greater understand standing between
peoples and
Nations I have great faith in optimism
as a guiding
principle if only because it offers us
the opportunity of creating a
self-fulfilling
prophecy so I hope that we've learned
something from the most barbaric Century
in history the
20th I would like to see us overcome our
tribal
divisions and begin to think and act as
if you're one
family that would be real
globalization as I complete 90 orbits I
have no regrets and no more personal
Ambitions but if I maybe allowed just
three
wishes they would be
these
firstly I would like to see some
evidence of extraterrestrial
life I've always believed that we are
not alone in the universe but we are
still waiting for et to call us or give
us some kind of
sign we have no way of guessing when
this might happen I hope sooner rather
than
later secondly I would like to see us
kick our current addiction to oil and
adopt clean energy
sources for over a decade I've been
monitoring various due energy
experiments but they have yet to produce
commercial scale results climate change
is now added a new sense of
urgency our civilization depends on
energy but we can't allow oil and coal
to slowly bake our planet The Third Wish
is one closer to home I've been living
in Sri Lanka from for 50
years and half that time I've been a sad
witness to the bitter conflict that
divides my adopted
country I dearly wish to see lasting
peace established in Sri Lanka as soon
as
possible but I'm aware that peace cannot
just be wished it requires a great deal
of hard work courage and
persistence I'm sometimes asked how I
would like to be
remembered I've had a diverse career as
a writer underwater
Explorer space promoter and the science
popularizer of all these I want to be
remembered most as a writer one who
entertained readers and hopefully
stretch their imaginations as
well I find that another English writer
who coincidentally also spent much of
his life in East Express this very
well so let the end with these words of
Roger Kipling if I have given you
Delight by all that I have
done Let Me Lie quiet in that
night which shall be yours
andon
and for the little little span the dead
are born in
mind seek not to question other than the
books I leave
behind this is Arthur Clark saying thank
you and goodbye from
Columbo
Browse More Related Video
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)