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Arthur Clarke’s Three Laws

Arthur Clarke’s death at the age of 9o prompts the opportunity to re-post his three laws, evolved between 1962 and 1973. They seem to have some relevance for futures:

  1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
  2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.
  3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
Explore posts in the same categories: future

This entry was posted on 20 March, 2008 at 11:22 pm and is filed under future. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.

2 Comments on “Arthur Clarke’s Three Laws”

  1. Arthur C Clarke and our ‘future in space’ « thenextwave Says:
    6 April, 2008 at 12:04 am

    [...] posts: Arthur Clarke’s Three Laws Explore posts in the same categories: books, future, space, [...]

  2. Jean Vidler Says:
    12 April, 2008 at 3:42 pm

    Hi Andrew
    I looked at your blog because of the transition town book review. Great to see one of my other heroes mentioned here, Arthur C Clarke. The “indistinguishable from magic” is a quote I use myself. In 300 years time will people believe what we in this century are capable of? Or will they think we exaggerated. (compare - people who think the Apollo Moon landings were faked).
    Jean

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