Sir Arthur C. Clark Message from Sri Lanka

[Cannikin]

12.29.04
From Sir Arthur:

Thank you for your concern about my safety in the wake of last Sunday’s devastating tidal wave.

I am enormously relieved that my family and household have escaped the ravages of the sea that suddenly invaded most parts of coastal Sri Lanka, leaving a trail of destruction.

But many others were not so fortunate. My heart-felt sympathy goes out to all those who lost family members or friends.

Our staff members are all safe, even though some are badly shaken and relate harrowing first hand accounts of what happened. Most of our diving equipment and boats at Hikkaduwa were washed away. We still don't know the full extent of damage -- it will take a while for us to take stock as accessing these areas is still difficult.

We are encouraging concerned friends to contribute to the relief efforts launched by various national and international organisations. If you wish to join these efforts, I can recommend two options:

- Contribute to a Sri Lanka disaster relief fund launched by an internationally operating humanitarian charity, such as Care* or Oxfam*

- Alternatively, considering supporting Sarvodaya, the largest development charity in Sri Lanka, which has a 45-year track record in reaching out and helping the poorest of the poor. Sarvodaya has mounted a well organised, countrywide relief effort using their countrywide network of offices and volunteers who work in all parts of the country, well above ethnic and other divisions. Their website,

http://www.sarvodaya.lk/

provides bank account details for financial donations. They also welcome contributions in kind -- a list of urgently needed items is found at:

http://www.sarvodaya.lk/Inside_Page/urgently%20needed.htm

There is much to be done in both short and long terms for Sri Lanka to raise its head from this blow from the seas. Among other things, the country needs to improve its technical and communications facilities so that effective early warnings can help minimise losses in future disasters.


Arthur Clarke
29 December 2004

http://www.clarkefoundation.org/

[Renew Deal]

1. Here is a bio.

I answered my own question. http://www.clarkefoundation.org/arthurclarke/biography.html

[eShirl]

4. ok nevermind :)

-

[Cannikin]

5. Author, inventor....awesome guy.

[diddlysquat]

6. He's a famous author

[Khephra]

7. The man who helped invent satellites and wrote 2001

Amung other things....

Arthur C. Clarke Biography

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arthur C. Clarke was born in the seaside town of Minehead, Somerset, England on December 16, 1917. In 1936 he moved to London, where he joined the British Interplanetary Society. There he started to experiment with astronautic material in the BIS, write the BIS Bulletin and science fiction.

During World War II, as a RAF officer, he was in charge of the first radar talk-down equipment, the Ground Controlled Approach, during its experimental trials. His only non-science-fiction novel, Glide Path, is based on this work.

After the war, he returned to London and to the BIS, which he presided in 46-47 and 50-53.

In 1945 he published the technical paper "Extra-terrestrial Relays" laying down the principles of the satellite communication with satellites in geostationary orbits - a speculation realized 25 years later. His invention has brought him numerous honors, such as the 1982 Marconi International Fellowship, a gold medal of the Franklin Institute, the Vikram Sarabhai Professorship of the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, the Lindbergh Award and a Fellowship of King's College, London. Today, the geostationary orbit at 42,000 kilometers is named The Clarke Orbit by the International Astronomical Union.

The first story Clarke sold professionally was "Rescue Party", written in March 1945 and appearing in Astounding Science in May 1946.

He obtained first class honors in Physics and Mathematics at the King's College, London, in 1948.

He married Marilyn Mayfield, an american, on June 15, 1953. They split in December 1953. As Clarke says, "The marriage was incompatibe from the beginning. It was sufficient proof that I wasn't the marrying type, although I think everybody should marry once".

In 1954 Clarke wrote to Dr Harry Wexler, then chief of the Scientific Services Division, U.S. Weather Bureau, about satellite applications for weather forecasting. Of these communications, a new branch of meteorology was born, and Dr. Wexler became the driving force in using rockets and satellites for meteorological research and operations.

Clarke first visited Colombo, Sri Lanka (at the time called Ceylon) in December 1954.

MORE...............

http://www.lsi.usp.br/~rbianchi/clarke/ACC.Biography.html

[deutsey]

8. Author...he wrote "2001: A Space Odyssey"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_C._Clarke

[mark0rama]

9. One of the true giants of sci-fi lit.

Among his numerous achievements, wrote a story called "The Sentinel," which he and Stanley Kubrick adapted into "2001: A Space Odyssey."

[HuskiesHowls]

10. Arthur C Clarke is a writer of Science Fiction

Worked with Stanley Kubrick to write the screenplay and book "2001: A Space Odyssey"
Rendevous with Rama
Childhood's End
Alnog with a lot of other good books that I can't recall right now

[Cuban_Liberal]

2. A donation is on its way, Sir Arthur.

Thank you for posting this, Cannikin!

:hi:

[HuskiesHowls]

3. This is good news

Lets just hope that this isn't like the Ramans!!!

[saltpoint]

11. Went ahead and sent in a donation.

As for Clarke himself, it doesn't surprise me that he's responding to this in such a vastly superior way than a certain U.S. president.

Clarke is one of the evolved beings on the planet.

[Cannikin]

12. I've also emailed it to everyone on my list. Maybe if we all did...

[Cannikin]

13. kick

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

14. One of the Clarke foundation's projects...

PROJECT WARN in Partnership with the Japan US Science Technology and Space Applications Program (JUSTSAP)

The purpose of Project Warn is combine enhanced communications and IT systems to provide warning of impending natural or man-made disasters and to provide on-going communications and remote sensing and GIS support during disaster relief operations. The Clarke Foundation is working with the Pacific Disaster Center, the Asian Disaster Mitigation Organization, the United Nations, and the US and Japanese Governments as coordinated through the JUSTSAP organization to carry out a suitable test and demonstration in this area. In particular a simulation and test is being planned in the Pacific Region in 2005 to determine to how to use the latest information and sensing technology more effectively in the advent of that a major Tsunami might impact an Asian country or island. Clarke Foundation personnel are providing technical advice and support on a volunteer basis to this project.

http://www.clarkefoundation.org/projects