Arthur C. Clarke

I was lucky enough to attend a lecture by Arthur C. Clarke when I was an undergraduate at Clarion State College (now Clarion University) in northwest Pennsylvania. It was the early 1970's and Clarion was developing a reputation for the science fiction writer's workshop held each summer.

As I recall, Clarke's lecture wasn't about science fiction. Instead, he talked about our own future. He told us of the exciting possibilities that would grow out of our existing technology. Remember, communications satellites were a relatively new innovation at that time. Clarke said that even the most remote village in Asia and Africa would be capable of receiving television via satellite in a few years, and those transmissions would deliver education and entertainment to people who were otherwise unreachable. He was right.

The other thing I remember from that lecture was Clarke's dedication to improving life in developing countries.