42 Hours of Buckminster Fuller might be just the vision we need | Hacker News Reader

42 Hours of Buckminster Fuller might be just the vision we need

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112 pointsevolve2k16 comments

One of his ideas that i like the most is the cloud nine, mile wide sphere that floats using only a small difference in air temperature. It seems impractical and not very useful until you realize it is a perfect tool for weather manipulation. Floating above clouds and changing its reflexivity a swarm of these can be used to produce clouds and decrease temperature or to remove the clouds.

The tensegrity sphere is definitely an interesting idea for sure. I like the ideas that fuller presented overall because it really shows the essence of innovation - you must first see the vision in your head for it to become a reality. Then you determine if it is realistic to build and so on but it is all the same - you must see the vision.

It also helps that as a famous person one can take credit for other people's vision.

In case of tensegrity in particular: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Snelson

It gets more interesting: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karlis_Johansons

Great, can’t wait for a bunch of corporations to play fast and loose with climate control to boost their short term profitability, while we don’t fully comprehend the magnitude of secondary effect chains we’ve unleashed on the planet until many decades later.

I’m a personal fan of Fullers work and having discovered his expansive worldview during my teens he left a mark on me in terms of having confidence that better solutions can be designed for how our world operates.

I’m sure the 42 hours of screening would be worth my time and that of a number of friends around me.

My problem/challenge though is how to facilitate a structure that would get me through all the footage. I mean I can’t imagine binge watching for 3 days straight or maybe that’s the point, maybe I should just try that. Or maybe is weekly sesssions better like some sort of book club? I Need ideas.

How would you suggest to structure a small group screening?

Assuming you had some profound knowledge recorded from an earlier time that you needed to get a group to get through, how would you do it?

> How would you suggest to structure a small group screening?

The first thing that comes to mind is a viewing/discussion format. It will take longer, but it will go deeper, too.

I powered through reading most of the transcripts[0] a few years ago and watched some. I made notes along the way for the ideas that stuck with me.

[0] https://www.bfi.org/about-fuller/resources/everything-i-know

I wasn't paying attention and followed the link thinking it was to your notes, because I definitely don't have time for the transcripts. Have you considered putting your notes online, or even expanding on them and making a series of blog posts? I imagine a lot of people might be more amenable to shorter form exposure to select ideas that they can them go to the source for if they find it interesting enough. Also, I often find preparing a point of view to be publicly expressed brings me to new understanding of it, so perhaps you would benefit from it as well.

In any case, it's the type of thing I would love to read, so you have at least one reader if you do so. :)

Understanding Bucky is an exercise of making notes of things that apply to me personally or things that stood out that I could apply to my own work/life.

My favourite exercise in applying Bucky’s work was to take his self-disciplines (from Critical Path) and modify them for myself.

The value for me was/is the process of making his work personal to me. What stands out about Bucky’s work is that it’s still (if no more so) relevant today. Maybe it is something I should blog about :)

The other thing is that the Internet Archive footage is quite jarring to watch. Each file is includes about 90s worth of content. The gaps between them were quite jarring when I attempted to watch some of the lectures for an extended period.

It's on YouTube.

Does any of this video show him building a bucky ball out of straws while speaking, and then jumping up and down on it while continuing to speak? A friend told me he saw him do that back then, and I'd like to see it.

Here’s the next best thing:

https://youtu.be/N3QzD8QC4ko?t=14921

I recommend you watch the whole segment.

Anyone who appreciates Buckminster Fuller should have a read of Victor Papanek. His book 'Design For The Real World' is exceptionally good. - http://playpen.icomtek.csir.co.za/~acdc/education/Dr_Anvind_...

The Dymaxion car.[1]

(A working replica. It's miserable on the road. Rear wheel steering was not a good idea. Makes parking easier, and driving much harder.)

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1yxFDvqALI

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