2 posts tagged “science fiction”
Arthur C. Clarke, the visionary science fiction writer who won worldwide acclaim with more than 100 books on space, science and the future, has died today in his adopted home of Sri Lanka, an aide has said. He was 90.
Clarke, who had battled debilitating post-polio syndrome since the 1960s, died after suffering breathing problems, his aide Rohan De Silva said.
A great writer dies. His ideas were bigger and expansive than his literary technique. He will be missed. My favourite memory is of laughing out loud when reading his diary of the making of the 2001 movie. Where Stanley Kubrick shows him a part of the set and Authru mentions that it reminds him of a chinese restaurant whioch apprently completely blew it for Stanley. Arthur notes not to stop by the design department for a while."We spend our entire careers living in the future," says author Arlan Andrews, one of a handful of writers the government brought to Washington this month to attend a Homeland Security conference on science and technology.
Those responsible for keeping the nation safe from devastating attacks realize that in addition to border agents, police and airport screeners, they "need people to think of crazy ideas," Andrews says.
The writers make up a group called Sigma, which Andrews put together 15 years ago to advise government officials. The last time the group gathered was in the late 1990s, when members met with government scientists to discuss what a post-nuclear age might look like, says group member Greg Bear. He has written 30 sci-fi books, including the best seller Darwin's Radio.
Now, the Homeland Security Department is calling
on the group to help with the government's latest top mission of
combating terrorism.
from here
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Does this mean that the threat from terrorists is akin to fiction?
