Comments on: Arthur C Clarke and the GRB http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/26/arthur-c-clarke-and-the-grb/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:19:32 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Larry Sessions http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/26/arthur-c-clarke-and-the-grb/comment-page-1/#comment-203066 Larry Sessions Sat, 01 Aug 2009 21:04:29 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/26/arthur-c-clarke-and-the-grb/#comment-203066 I just stumbled across this blog today. The "Clarke Event" suggestion was mine and I have a couple of thoughts. First, I find the other comments -- especially the deviations from the original intent -- to be fascinating. Second, I never intended any "forced" naming and I never led any campaign to that end. I simply suggested a tribute to a great man whom I had the fortune to have known personally. There was no suggestion of an act of God or relation to religion, other than my suggestion that he might have alluded to it with a wink. The suggestion that some have made to "The Star" ignores the fact that ACC would never have suggested that there is any mystical relation or any ability to predict the future or the unknown, aside from the human ability for synthesis and logical projection. "The Star" is fiction and the GRB was real. Suggestions that the GRB might have destroyed civilizations is also fiction -- although perhaps based on some logic and reasonable speculation. But in any event it was speculation based on absolutely no concrete evidence whatsoever. I guess a lot of people feel that it is perfectly right to make a fuss over Michael Jackson, with hours and hours and hours of media coverage, not to mention the forest of trees sacrificed to praise his greatness to the extent that some must have expected him to rise from the dead on the third day. But when a truly great man -- such as Arthur Clarke or Carl Sagan -- ies, the public is satisfied with a brief mention in passing, a footnote in the newspaper, a short soundbyte on TV. That, to me, is sad. It seems that many who heard my suggestion missed the last paragraph in my blog: "...Was it [the GRB] the Universe reacting to the loss of this great man? No, as he himself would have told you, although likely not without prefacing it with a mischievous grin and an allusion to the gods being angry with him. No it wasn’t the Universe mourning Sir Arthur. Instead, at its enormous distance, the light from this event formed and left on its journey long before Earth was born, presumably also making it the oldest event ever directly witnessed by human eyes. But what more fitting an honor for Sir Arthur?" Larry Sessions Denver I just stumbled across this blog today. The “Clarke Event” suggestion was mine and I have a couple of thoughts.

First, I find the other comments — especially the deviations from the original intent — to be fascinating.

Second, I never intended any “forced” naming and I never led any campaign to that end. I simply suggested a tribute to a great man whom I had the fortune to have known personally. There was no suggestion of an act of God or relation to religion, other than my suggestion that he might have alluded to it with a wink. The suggestion that some have made to “The Star” ignores the fact that ACC would never have suggested that there is any mystical relation or any ability to predict the future or the unknown, aside from the human ability for synthesis and logical projection. “The Star” is fiction and the GRB was real. Suggestions that the GRB might have destroyed civilizations is also fiction — although perhaps based on some logic and reasonable speculation. But in any event it was speculation based on absolutely no concrete evidence whatsoever.

I guess a lot of people feel that it is perfectly right to make a fuss over Michael Jackson, with hours and hours and hours of media coverage, not to mention the forest of trees sacrificed to praise his greatness to the extent that some must have expected him to rise from the dead on the third day. But when a truly great man — such as Arthur Clarke or Carl Sagan — ies, the public is satisfied with a brief mention in passing, a footnote in the newspaper, a short soundbyte on TV. That, to me, is sad.

It seems that many who heard my suggestion missed the last paragraph in my blog:

“…Was it [the GRB] the Universe reacting to the loss of this great man? No, as he himself would have told you, although likely not without prefacing it with a mischievous grin and an allusion to the gods being angry with him. No it wasn’t the Universe mourning Sir Arthur. Instead, at its enormous distance, the light from this event formed and left on its journey long before Earth was born, presumably also making it the oldest event ever directly witnessed by human eyes. But what more fitting an honor for Sir Arthur?”

Larry Sessions
Denver

]]> By: Almir Germano http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/26/arthur-c-clarke-and-the-grb/comment-page-1/#comment-114640 Almir Germano Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:53:39 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/26/arthur-c-clarke-and-the-grb/#comment-114640 Guys, you don´t get it?! The GRB are the byproduct of the Quantum Propulsion used by all those alien starships cruising throught the galaxy!!!! ACC predicted it in "Songs from a Distant Earth" novel!!! The guy deserves the nomination!!! BTW: I´m kidding... but for woowoo factor it is a winner, isn´t it? ;)) Guys, you don´t get it?! The GRB are the byproduct of the Quantum Propulsion used by all those alien starships
cruising throught the galaxy!!!! ACC predicted it in “Songs from a Distant Earth” novel!!! The guy deserves the nomination!!!
BTW: I´m kidding… but for woowoo factor it is a winner, isn´t it? ;) )

]]> By: Daniel Fischer http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/26/arthur-c-clarke-and-the-grb/comment-page-1/#comment-79525 Daniel Fischer Sat, 29 Mar 2008 20:59:18 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/26/arthur-c-clarke-and-the-grb/#comment-79525 For the record: <a href="http://cosmos4u.blogspot.com/2008/03/so-who-did-mention-geostationary.html" rel="nofollow">ACC did <i>not</i> 'invent' the geostationary orbit</a> or comsats - but tried in vain to stop people from believing that. Now he's having an even harder time doing so ... perhaps the GRB was a warning shot to all those who got in wrong again in their obituaries? :-) For the record: ACC did not ‘invent’ the geostationary orbit or comsats – but tried in vain to stop people from believing that. Now he’s having an even harder time doing so … perhaps the GRB was a warning shot to all those who got in wrong again in their obituaries? :-)

]]> By: StevoR http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/26/arthur-c-clarke-and-the-grb/comment-page-1/#comment-79524 StevoR Sat, 29 Mar 2008 14:46:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/26/arthur-c-clarke-and-the-grb/#comment-79524 I'll second that proposal for "Clarke Orbits" above - may even use it in my SF stories ... As for the GRB I agre with the BA there ... Yeah, I'm in an agreeable mood at present! ;-) Wonder what's happened regarding this since? ------------------ hello is there anybody out there? Does anybody [else!] ever read this far & late at all ... ? I’ll second that proposal for “Clarke Orbits” above – may even use it in my SF stories …

As for the GRB I agre with the BA there …
Yeah, I’m in an agreeable mood at present! ;-)

Wonder what’s happened regarding this since?
——————
hello is there anybody out there? Does anybody [else!] ever read this far & late at all … ?

]]> By: SkepticTim http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/26/arthur-c-clarke-and-the-grb/comment-page-1/#comment-79522 SkepticTim Fri, 28 Mar 2008 01:50:42 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/26/arthur-c-clarke-and-the-grb/#comment-79522 May I suggest that, perhaps, we honor ACC by simply referring to 'geosynchronous' orbits as 'Clark' orbits acknowledging his communication satellite contribution. May I suggest that, perhaps, we honor ACC by simply referring to ‘geosynchronous’ orbits as ‘Clark’ orbits acknowledging his communication satellite contribution.

]]> By: Harold http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/26/arthur-c-clarke-and-the-grb/comment-page-1/#comment-79523 Harold Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:19:29 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/26/arthur-c-clarke-and-the-grb/#comment-79523 Having read "The Star", I'm not sure that Arthur C. Clarke would appreciated having his passing announced by such a cataclysmic event. How many billions - or several factors of ten more - of <strike>living</strike> sentient beings died as a consequence of this GRB? Having read “The Star”, I’m not sure that Arthur C. Clarke would appreciated having his passing announced by such a cataclysmic event. How many billions – or several factors of ten more – of living sentient beings died as a consequence of this GRB?

]]> By: TierOneGirl http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/26/arthur-c-clarke-and-the-grb/comment-page-1/#comment-79521 TierOneGirl Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:08:13 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/26/arthur-c-clarke-and-the-grb/#comment-79521 I think it's a nice idea to call it the Clarke Event. I think it’s a nice idea to call it the Clarke Event.

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