Video: Alvin Toffler, Larry Smarr on Legacy of Arthur C. Clarke
April 03 2008 / by Marisa Vitols
Category: Culture Year: General Rating: 2
“Sometimes I feel like the late Dr Frankenstein,” once said celebrated science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke. Although he was not being entirely serious, Clarke’s powerful predictions did release a sort of monster – one whose powerful memes penetrated many aspects of society and will continue to spiral out of control far into the future.
In the wake of his passing, Clarke’s predictions have been highlighted for their genius and accuracy. The following video, created for Ovation TV, is a great overview of some of his most exalted predictions, which include inventions like the videophone, email, space shuttles, laptop computers and cloning, and explains how he is “responsible for revolutionizing modern communications.” What follows this overview is commentary by renowned experts informing the weight of Clarke’s predictions.
Alvin Toffler, acclaimed futurist and author of Future Shock, said, “The future is not inevitable, it is made, to a considerable degree by human beings, and chance plays a role. Nevertheless, it is possible to see patterns that others haven’t seen. And I think that is certainly something that Arthur Clarke has done.”
Larry Smarr, Director of the National Centre for Super Computing, remarked the rarity and utility of Clarke’s work by saying, “We have incredible numbers of specialists, but how many people do we have that are synthesizing this knowledge and visioning the future?”
“Clark will emerge as one of the greatest visionaries of the 20th century,” added Jeff Greenwald of Wired Magazine – I think it’s safe to say that even among the moderately informed, few would disagree with this statement about Clarke’s legacy.
