From <@UBVM.CC.BUFFALO.EDU:owner-LISTSERV@UBVM.CC.BUFFALO.EDU> Mon Feb 6 17:18:07 1995 Received: from netaxs.com (root@netaxs.com [198.69.186.1]) by access.netaxs.com (8.6.9/8.6.9) with ESMTP id RAA29917 for ; Mon, 6 Feb 1995 17:18:07 -0500 Received: from UBVM.cc.buffalo.edu (ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu [128.205.2.1]) by netaxs.com (8.6.9/8.6.9) with SMTP id RAA04988 for ; Mon, 6 Feb 1995 17:17:37 -0500 Message-Id: <199502062217.RAA04988@netaxs.com> Received: from UBVM.CC.BUFFALO.EDU by UBVM.cc.buffalo.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 4660; Mon, 06 Feb 95 17:17:02 EST Received: from UBVM.CC.BUFFALO.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@UBVM) by UBVM.CC.BUFFALO.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 9066; Mon, 6 Feb 1995 12:39:48 -0500 Date: Mon, 6 Feb 1995 12:39:35 -0500 From: "L-Soft list server at UBVM (1.8a)" Subject: File: "GEODESIC LOG9406" To: "Christopher J. Fearnley" Status: RO ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Jun 1994 09:30:00 GMT Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: Paul Newland Subject: Ref for the Verb Book My colleague is about to present a paper in Finland and needs a reference to a Bucky Book - I think it's - I Think I'm a Verb. Can anyone help Thanks Paul Paul Newland Centre for New Media Research, University of Portsmouth, UK. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Jun 1994 09:33:00 -0400 Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: "H. Jeffrey Rosen" Subject: Re: Ref for the Verb Book It's "I Seem To Be A Verb", co-authored by Fuller and Quentin Fiore. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Jun 1994 13:12:43 EDT Reply-To: dkap@vax.ftp.com Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Comments: Warning -- original Sender: tag was dkap@MAILSERV-C.FTP.COM From: "A Page in the Life of ..." Subject: WWW_Geodesics In-Reply-To: Rodrigo de Almeida Siqueira's message of Tue, 31 May 1994 15:39:23 -0400 <199405312027.QAA21631@cs.brandeis.edu> I have collected all the referents so far to WWW pages and will continue to do so. I have also run the FAQ through a perl html-ize script, so if people want to take a look and make suggestions .... Thanks, Dave K. -- I suppose that Cat fancier's magazine also causes men to treat cats as sex objects? Why is it that when men look at women, it must be assumed that it has some negative effect. Men and women are of a separate sex and were designed to be attractive to each other. Before we had enough intellect to create love, there was natural, healthy lust. Now, this natural healthy drive is looked at as bad. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Jun 1994 10:00:36 MST Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Comments: Warning -- original Sender: tag was NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU From: "John.Reed Maffeo" Organization: Motorola Subject: play domes I hope this is not to trivial for this group. My kids have enjoyed playing on the geodome at the local park. Now they want me to build one for them in our backyard. I have looked in my local library and have not found any instructions or designs for building one. If any one has (scalable) plans for a play dome I would like a copy. An FTP reference would be helpful if one is available. Thanks, John-Reed ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Jun 1994 21:42:35 GMT Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Comments: Warning -- original Sender: tag was NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU From: scimatec5@UOFT02.UTOLEDO.EDU Organization: University of Toledo Subject: Re: WWW_URL In article , crywalt@vaxc.stevens-tech.edu (Christopher Rywalt) writes: > In article <9405310338.AA08052@brucutu> Rodrigo Siqueira writes: >>Date: Mon, 30 May 1994 23:34:37 -0400 >>From: Rodrigo Siqueira >>Subject: WWW_URL >>Yes ! There is a color 3d Buckyball to those who use the World Wide Web: >>URL: >>http://www.sgi.com/free/bucky.html > ... >>----------------------------------------------------------------------------- - >> Rodrigo Siqueira | I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge >> e-mail to: | That myth is more potent than history. >>delirium@ime.usp.br | I believe that dreams are more powerful than facts- >> | That hope always triumphs over experience- >> :-) ;-> :-/ ;-) | That laughter is the only cure for grief, >> | And I believe that love is stronger than death. > > Thanks for the pointer to the Bucky ball. However, this "picture" only > confuses an issue I've been wrangling with since I attended Science > Kick '94. > At Science Kick, a lot of discussion was about Bucky balls, and during these > talks people kept holding up and pointing to a wireframe model of a > Bucky ball -- basically, it looked like the JPEG at that site. And the > question that kept going through my mind -- though I didn't ask it -- > was, "How is a Bucky ball stable? It's not triangulated." > And it isn't triangulated at all, but apparently it IS stable. So I figure > that something is missing from the model, or maybe there's something > missing from my conception of a bond. I had wondered where they came > up with the "structure" of a Bucky ball, and that JPEG clears that up, > somewhat -- the rods of the model (what Bucky would've called the > vectors of the shape) are approximate electron densities. > Now, why would electrons be in those locations? How does a Bucky ball > stand up? > The Buckyball is triangulated by the electron's "want" to be as far away from each other as possible. The triangulation is along force lines between the three electron clouds (they are center bodied "planar" triangles ) with the tensile parts as the force lines and the clouds as the compression members. _ A | \ | \ > | \ | | Force line (on all | | thr ee sides) | | | / \ | | / \ / | / \ / | / \ | ----------- | \ / ^\ | |\ | |________________-| I had the same trouble at first, too. Steve Mather ? ? / / ? ainglessulationeia > Chris > > %SYSTEM-F-ACCVIO, access violation, reason mask=00, virtual address=00000000, PC > =0000BFEF, PSL=03C00009 > %TRACE-F-TRACEBACK, symbolic stack dump follows > module name routine name line rel PC abs PC > > SIGNTAURE crywalt@vaxc.stevens-tech.edu 2010 00001010 DEADBEEF > SIGNATURE main 2226 00000107 0000BFEF ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Jun 1994 15:47:43 -0700 Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: Kirby Urner Subject: Re: WWW_Geodesics >Wow! The "Dome Project page" is better now ! >For those who are using WWW, I'm doing a page dedicated to Buckminster Fuller. >URL: >http://www.futuro.usp.br/rod/text/buckminster_fuller.html > >There are some local Bucky interesting text files, few images and some >links to people who are working with Buckyballs or Geodesic Domes (including >a link to the Dome Project page, with color images of a Dome - inside >and outside). > >I'm looking for more pictures and images of Domes to put in the Web. > >Rodrigo Siqueira. Thanks Rodrigo. I screen captured and sent a copy of your page to Ed Applewhite, collaborator with Bucky on the Synergetics volumes, author of the Synergetics Dictionary, and Cosmic Fishing, about the experience of writing with Bucky. Ed lives in DC and is a friend of Blaine's. Blaine, Ed said he's got an America Online account now and I told him about GEODESIC. He sounded interested and would probably appreciate if you showed him how to subscribe, next time you drop in. -- Kirby ------------------------------------------------ Kirby T. Urner pdx4d@teleport.com 4D Solutions pdx4d@igc.apc.org Portland, Oregon ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Jun 1994 16:24:47 -0700 Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: Kirby Urner Subject: WWW_Geodesics >I have collected all the referents so far to WWW pages and will continue to >do so. I have also run the FAQ through a perl html-ize script, so if >people want to take a look and make suggestions .... > >Thanks, > >Dave K. Dave -- I forwarded screen captures of your HTML pages in my communication to Ed as well. Ed is on the board of BFI and I would hope that copies of the HTML BF-related screens will excite the Institute about the possibilities, and perhaps make a new supply of GIFs available in future. Thanks for your excellent work. I look forward to intensely networked (highly interweaving) collections of HTML screens. These "globs" could be implemented entirely locally, 50 or 60 screens, say, where "isotropic vector matrix" is used in passing in one paragraph, but patched to definitional and pictorial sections elsewhere. Fuller is best accessed via hypertext and HTML is an excellent tool for providing such access. ------------------------------------------------ Kirby T. Urner pdx4d@teleport.com 4D Solutions pdx4d@igc.apc.org Portland, Oregon ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Jun 1994 18:37:02 EST/EDT Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: DAMICO@GELMAN.CIRC.GWU.EDU Subject: Re: world game I last attended a world game session two years ago here at the George Washington University. Quite an experience. We even had two guys who manipulated the game in order to stockpile arms and destroy the world. Not the goal of course, but an interesting window into the war makers mind set. I will check on the current contact info for the world game institute. I know they came out with a hypercard reference stack of world resources a couple years back. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Jun 1994 18:38:52 EST/EDT Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: DAMICO@GELMAN.CIRC.GWU.EDU Subject: Re: world game I see that Kiby already provided all the info needed. Boy keeping up with the volume of netmail I get everyday is daunting. Where the heck is that "intelligent Agent technology" that I keep getting promised? ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 1 Jun 1994 18:07:33 -0700 Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: Kirby Urner Subject: Re: world game >I see that Kiby already provided all the info needed. Boy keeping up >with the volume of netmail I get everyday is daunting. Where the >heck is that "intelligent Agent technology" that I keep getting >promised? > > Kiby is me, right? What all info did I provide already, just curious? Trust you caught my note about helping Ed connect to this list. I just sent him a portfolio of HTML pages, perhaps to share with BFI with an eye towards growing the internet Design Science inventory of metaphysical assets. -- Kirby Dream dome fantasy follows... Another Entry in the Dream Dome Series My dome is made like a Saturn (car): order up all the options and configurations from a catalog, with a computer display to show what it'll look like. The order goes to the factory and a customized model comes down the line. Options have much to do with how one wants it equipped for one's line of work. I need computer networking sockets and recess moldings in the curved walls for large and small screens. In the media room, reclining swivel chairs let our family face the screen and do interactive internet surfing. Good audio. We're not talking super-expensive here, since these are all mass-produced options are built as standard accessories. The village where I hope to base this unit has utility hookups, similar to RV hookups, with CATV, into which we can plug our cable modems. Although this all sounds high tech, a lot of the programming we access will be about living on the land, with the seasons. Our village grows a lot of its own food and we share power generation facilities (a windmill farm) with other nearby villages. The units sit on tri-pods with ramp access (like UFOs), so we don't rip up the land with concrete foundations. Fuller's aerospace aesthetic: building human communities aboard spaceship earth "as if" we were colonizing from outer space. Not to make us feel more alientated from our mother planet, but to reconnect us to the feeling that nature herself is the ultra-high tech master, and using our best technologies to house and clothe ourselves is to closer approximate the models and methods nature uses -- most economical, most appropriate. ------------------------------------------------ Kirby T. Urner pdx4d@teleport.com 4D Solutions pdx4d@igc.apc.org Portland, Oregon ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 2 Jun 1994 05:28:08 GMT Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Comments: Warning -- original Sender: tag was NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU From: Chris Fearnley Organization: Critical Path Project Subject: Re: East St. Louis In article <1994May30.234116.1@uoft02.utoledo.edu> scimatec5@uoft02.utoledo.edu writes: > >The FAQ mentioned (oh, and thanks Chris) a structure >being built, or suggested to be built, or whatever >in East St. Louis. I didn't understand the description >of it, or what it was all about. Can someone help me >out? The East St. Louis project finally died. I'm not sure of the details. I think we discussed it a year or so ago - but I still haven't finished going through the '92 - present logs yet. I will try to include more details in the next version of the FAQ (I plan to send it to news.answers by July 12 - I thought it would be nice to release the FAQ each month on the 12th - guess why!?). Basically the East St. Louis project was a futuristic design for a city that would meet its occupants needs better than our haphazard cities. > > Steve Mather -- Christopher J. Fearnley UNIX SIG Leader at PACS cfearnl@cpp.pha.pa.us (Philadelphia Area Computer Society) cfearnl@pacs.pha.pa.us Design Science Revolutionary fearnlcj@duvm.ocs.drexel.edu Explorer in Universe ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 2 Jun 1994 12:39:01 EST/EDT Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: DAMICO@GELMAN.CIRC.GWU.EDU Subject: Re: world game In response to my message > >I see that Kiby already provided all the info needed. Boy keeping up > >with the volume of netmail I get everyday is daunting. Where the > >heck is that "intelligent Agent technology" that I keep getting > >promised? > > > > Kirby writes > Kiby is me, right? What all info did I provide already, just curious? Just the current contact information and a couple of other tidbits. I thought it was from you. I could have misreade the address header. > Trust you caught my note about helping Ed connect to this list. > I just sent him a portfolio of HTML pages, perhaps to share with > BFI with an eye towards growing the internet Design Science inventory > of metaphysical assets. > > -- Kirby > This is precisely my plan. I have been very energized by the conversations and offers of assistance that are coming forth from this group. My goal is to bring Ed on-line to orchestrate this into an effective tool. For a good intro into Ed Applewhite and whoat he meant to the production of Synergetics read "Cosmic Fishing" by EJ Applewhite. It is an account of the collaboration that lead to Synergetics being published. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 2 Jun 1994 16:20:00 -0400 Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: "H. Jeffrey Rosen" Subject: Re: world game A couple of weeks ago, someone was helping Ed Applewhite connect to the Net... Did it ever happen? ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 2 Jun 1994 19:38:09 -0600 Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: Kurt Bendl Subject: Looking for dome designs, kits, (clues) In ref to John-Reed's previous post: I, too, am looking for more info om dome construction (at any level). Is there an architectural FAQ on Mr. Fuller's designs? I've been searching the net and can't find anything along these lines yet. My thanks to the GEODESIC gods, and you, Kurt (:7, ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 2 Jun 1994 18:57:53 -0700 Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: Kirby Urner Subject: Re: Looking for dome designs, kits, (clues) >In ref to John-Reed's previous post: > >I, too, am looking for more info om dome construction (at any level). >Is there an architectural FAQ on Mr. Fuller's designs? I've been >searching the net and can't find anything along these lines yet. > >My thanks to the GEODESIC gods, and you, > >Kurt (:7, > Syllabus would include The Dome Book and The Dome Book 2. Magazine called Dome. Journal of Space Structures (spendy subscriptions for the hard core). Home Fried Domes another resource. Ikosa Kit in museum gift shops, and Tensegritoy, same shops, are good modeling kits. Who makes all those dome jungle gyms for elementary school campuses around the country I wonder? Online resources I'm less versed in. If you've got World Wide Web, then check out http://www.futuro.usp.br/rod/text/buckminster_fuller.html -- Kirby ------------------------------------------------ Kirby T. Urner pdx4d@teleport.com 4D Solutions pdx4d@igc.apc.org Portland, Oregon ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Jun 1994 10:31:26 -0400 Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: "James E. Hoburg" Subject: RBF Centennial I just realized that next year (12 July 1995?) will be the centennial of Bucky's birth. What plans are afoot to commemorate the event? Cheers, JimH O----------------------------------------------------------------------O Components elitism: optimized neural Angeline-Granada vision blocks. O----------------------------------------------------------------------O ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Jun 1994 09:34:12 -0700 Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: Kirby Urner Subject: Re: RBF Centennial > I just realized that next year (12 July 1995?) will be the centennial >of Bucky's birth. What plans are afoot to commemorate the event? > >Cheers, >JimH BFI has been trying like heck to get the US post office to do a stamp. There's an address at the post office that citizens can write to with their stamp wishes. Back issues of TrimTab mention it. Or call the Buckminster Fuller Institute at (805) 962-0022. ------------------------------------------------ Kirby T. Urner pdx4d@teleport.com 4D Solutions pdx4d@igc.apc.org Portland, Oregon ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Jun 1994 16:05:09 EST/EDT Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: DAMICO@GELMAN.CIRC.GWU.EDU Subject: WWW access to home page I got a cello client running on my station. I am webbing all over the world. I can't seem to connect to http://www.futuro.usp.br Any ideas why? ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Jun 1994 19:13:07 -0500 Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: mwitten@CHPC.UTEXAS.EDU Subject: SIGN ME OFF THIS LIST PLEASE With all my experience, I cannot seem to get myself off this list. Please sign me off. And yes, no flames, I did all of the correct things. Matthew -- _____________________________________________________________________ Matthew Witten UT System Center For High Performance Computing Balcones Research Center, 1.154 CMS 10100 Burnet Road, Austin, TX 78758-4497 USA Phone: (512) 471-2472 FAX: (512) 471-2445 E-MAIL MWITTEN@CHPC.UTEXAS.EDU _____________________________________________________________________ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 3 Jun 1994 20:03:06 -0400 Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Comments: Warning -- original Sender: tag was NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU From: Kenne22 Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Subject: Re: Dome houses In article <2oljsq$acp@status.gen.nz>, icosa@iconz.co.nz (Ross Keatinge) writes: I am also planning to build a dome soon. I'm designing and building a 35' 3/8 dome on 5' riser walls. I'm interested in using spray on polyurethane foam over a wooden frame . Has anyone had an experience with polyurethane foam , good or bad? I'm in Austin Texas but ended up buying land for my dome in the country because i didnt want to deal with convincing the local building regulators that domes are better than square houses and i also wanted to experience using as many natural materials from the land as possible in the construction (decrative not structoral). I found that here, no morgage companies will deal with domes until there is an established market (catch 22 #!@), so I am planning some very creative ways to finance. generally I wanted to preserve the experience described in 'Dome book' as much as possible and the only way to do that here is in a rural community, where the local government doesn't care to interfere with the right of a man to build a home as he sees fit. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 4 Jun 1994 14:13:52 -0400 Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: Rodrigo de Almeida Siqueira Subject: World_Wide_Web Hello Bucky-Fans, I have an idea of why the http://www.futuro.usp.br/rod/text/buckminster_fuller.h tml is not working (in this present moment! but WILL work from monday on!!) In the room where "www.futuro.usp.br" is, there is no one to press that little RED button that could start all over working again... I'll be including more Fuller related material there. But I don't have much. I'm looking people to provide more texts, photos, pictures, projects and more. I think it would be great if people with more sources of Fuller information could set up a WWW page with a full database and recieve help from this list. One thing I would reallly like to see is photos from the DOME-Houses of the users (living in domes) from this listserv. Scanned images from catalogs of dome houses would also be interesting to be put in the Web. Rodrigo Siqueira. Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 5 Jun 1994 01:09:51 GMT Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Comments: Warning -- original Sender: tag was NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU From: Chris Fearnley Organization: Critical Path Project Subject: Re: Looking for dome designs, kits, (clues) In article Kurt Bendl writes: >In ref to John-Reed's previous post: > >I, too, am looking for more info om dome construction (at any level). >Is there an architectural FAQ on Mr. Fuller's designs? I've been >searching the net and can't find anything along these lines yet. The next version of the FAQ on Bucky will cover the basic Dome theory [thanks to one of Kirby's old posts], but I won't have time to cover chord factors and other key concepts for several months (??). [I gotta find those notes :)] If anyone has these handy, I'd like to include it in the next version. Next version will be about double the size of the last one and will be released approximately June 12 (Bucky's 98 and 11/12ths Birthday celebration). I will probably make the next version available onnly to the list and bit.listserv.geodesic. The July 12th version will be distributed to news.answers as well, which should bring a lot of newbies to our discussion here. > >My thanks to the GEODESIC gods, and you, > >Kurt (:7, -- Christopher J. Fearnley UNIX SIG Leader at PACS cfearnl@cpp.pha.pa.us (Philadelphia Area Computer Society) cfearnl@pacs.pha.pa.us Design Science Revolutionary fearnlcj@duvm.ocs.drexel.edu Explorer in Universe ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 5 Jun 1994 15:22:59 EST/EDT Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: DAMICO@GELMAN.CIRC.GWU.EDU Subject: Ed Applewhite on the net Ed Applewhite will be subscribing to the geodesic list this week. In the interim, if you want to send copies of your post to him directly, his address is EdApple@AOL.COM. This is Ed's first week on the NET. Let's try not to overload him right away. Ed is very generous with his time and knowledge. He will provide an invaluable resource and guidance in our collaborations and conversations. Anyone read cosmic fishing, yet? ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Jun 1994 09:43:25 -0400 Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: "James E. Hoburg" Subject: Ed Applewhite on the net In-Reply-To: <199406052032.QAA18741@ns.oar.net> DAMICO@GELMAN.CIRC.GWU.EDU writes: > [ Ed Applewhite announcement ellided ] > Anyone read cosmic fishing, yet? Just finished it yesterday, 05 June 1994. Great read. Ciao, JimH O------------------------------------------O Intelligent Village: The Cultural Target O------------------------------------------O ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 6 Jun 1994 15:04:59 EST/EDT Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: DAMICO@GELMAN.CIRC.GWU.EDU Subject: Tetra grid for sat sensing Ed sent this message today. It seems to point to the potential of synergetics as a modelling system. Does anyone know more about this project --- - - - - Forwarded Message Follows - - - - - - - From: EdApple@aol.com X-Mailer: America Online Mailer Sender: "EdApple" Message-Id: <9406061425.tn884109@aol.com> Date: Mon, 06 Jun 94 14:25:26 EDT Subject: Tetra grid for sat sensing Satellite sensing data displayed for first time on geodesic triangular-tetrahedral grid "Scientific American." (January 1991) reported that researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory turned a technique for modeling explosions into one that simulates climatic change. It relies on meshes made of half a million tetrahedrons. . . .Every tetrahedron covers an area no wider than 30 kilometers. . . . In the event of a disturbance such as ahurricane, these meshes would twist. Conventional models which use rigid meshes of rectangular bricks, typically lack the resolution to portray such comparatively local phenomena. (The graphics accompanying this article demonstrate the kind of applied geodesics that Buckminster Fuller had in mind.) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Jun 1994 09:43:42 EDT Reply-To: dkap@vax.ftp.com Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Comments: Warning -- original Sender: tag was dkap@MAILSERV-C.FTP.COM From: "A Page in the Life of ..." Subject: WWW access to home page In-Reply-To: DAMICO@GELMAN.CIRC.GWU.EDU's message of Fri, 3 Jun 1994 16:05:09 EST/EDT <199406032339.TAA19179@cs.brandeis.edu> Distance? It seems to be a really slow link, and a really slow name-serve as well. Dave K. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Jun 1994 13:52:07 -0500 Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Comments: Warning -- original Sender: tag was NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU From: Helen Horton Peterson Organization: Bryn Mawr College Subject: Job at World Game Institute The following Help Wanted ad was in the _Philadelphia City Paper_ 6/10/94, if anyone would like to apply: PART-TIME FACILTATORS The World Game Institute, a non-profit, global research/educational organization, has several openings for part-time facilitators to lead interactive workshops aimed at increasing global awareness. Facilitators will travel locally, nationally, and internationally, working with educational institutions, community groups and corporations. Candidates will have at least 3 years of experience in training, teaching, performing or any combination thereof and will have a keen interest in global, environmental and cultural diversity issues. All facilitators must attend the week-long training the first week of august and be availabe to conduct workshops throughout '94-'95. Please submit your cover letter/resume to the Program Delivery/Training Department, World Game Institute, 3215 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 by June 15. Good luck to any of you looking for a new job. -- Helen Horton Peterson (610)526-7435 Associate Director, Academic Computing FAX(610)526-7432 Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Jun 1994 16:27:16 EST/EDT Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: DAMICO@GELMAN.CIRC.GWU.EDU Subject: Ed Applewhite on NET (update) I spent today's lunch hour over at Ed's home. I assisted him in exploring the capabilities of AOL. I attempted to subscribe him the geodesic listserv but I'm not sure that I succeeded. If I haven't succeeded I will assist him in retrying until we get it right. (Would someone please remind me where the geodesic listserv server is? I seem to remember that it was a UB address but not UBVM.BITNET.) Ed has Gopher and WAIS access. I didn't see any option for WWW access but I was only there for an hour. We did search the ACS Gopher for fullerene references and found a couple of resources. Assuming that I did not succeed in getting Ed subscribed to the list I am repeating his E-mail address EdApple@AOL.COM ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Jun 1994 09:47:09 CST Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: Tom Dosemagen Subject: Re: Looking for dome designs, kits, (clues) Try calling Natural Spaces at (800) 733-7107 and ask for their book called All About Domes. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Jun 1994 10:40:52 -0600 Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: Randy Cox Subject: FWD>FW: virus alert FYI _______________________________________________________________________________ From: U28550%UICVM.bitnet@URIACC.URI.EDU on Wed, Jun 8, 1994 9:42 PM Subject: virus alert To: Multiple recipients of list FACSEN-L For your information. ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- This is forwarded FYI. From: ssubbian at NOTE Date: 6/8/94 3:18PM To: ckruytbo at nsf15 *To: srs-all at NOTE Subject: FYI: Virus Alert ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTERNET VIRUS ALERT A virus has been discovered on the Internet that is disguised as CD-ROM shareware. Unknown hackers have illegally put the Chinon name on the destructive shareware file and released it on the Internet. This catastrophic virus is named "CD-IT" -- DO NO DOWNLOAD. IT WILL CORRPUPT YOUR HARD DRIVE. The program allegedly a shareware PC utility that will convert an ordinary CD-ROM drive in to a CD-Recordable (CD-R) device, which is technically impossible, instead destroys critical system files on a user's hard drive. The program also immediately crashes the CPU, forces the user to reboot and stays in memory. Widest dissemination is requested. #255##255# FW: virus alert ===== The SMTP Mail Header Follows Received: from UGA.CC.UGA.EDU by uga.cc.uga.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 2017; Thu, 09 Jun 94 08:24:38 EDT Received: from UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@UGA) by UGA.CC.UGA.EDU ( LMail V1.1d/1.7f) with BSMTP id 1009; Thu, 9 Jun 1994 08:24:37 -0400 Date: Thu, 9 Jun 1994 08:24:18 U Reply-To: Fish and Aquaria Sender: Fish and Aquaria From: AnthonyVerrill Subject: FW: virus alert X-To: Advance Natural Group List , FishandAquaria , Fundlist To: Multiple recipients of list AQUARIUM ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Jun 1994 13:23:00 -0400 Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: "H. Jeffrey Rosen" Subject: Fullerenes from Space? Those of us interested in Fullerenes will be thrilled by the publication of a letter to NATURE, the weekly international science journal, in that periodical's May 5 issue. It seems that NASA's Long Duration Exposure experiment, which orbited for nearly six years and was recovered for analysis four years ago, showed traces of carbonaceous matter in a cratered aluminum panel - matter which has been found to contain traces of Carbon 60 and other Fullerenes. This news provides direct evidence that Fullerenes either exist spontaneously in Universe, or can be formed in space. Whether they can be formed in commercial quantities is a question for future Shuttle mission research. I recommend that the letter to Nature be added to the BFI archives (if it isn't already). HJ.ROSEN@SRS.GOV ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Jun 1994 17:50:28 GMT Reply-To: bcarroll@junkyard2.East.Sun.COM Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Comments: Warning -- original Sender: tag was NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU From: Bruce Carroll - Sun BOS Systems Product Assurance CONTRACTOR Organization: Sun Microsystems Inc. - BDC Subject: Re: Looking for dome designs, kits, (clues) If your looking just for plans/blueprints, try Key Domes, in Miama, FL (305)-665-3541. They have 3 different types of plans (foam/concrete, plywood on 2X4/6, and plywood panels). I'm planning on building one later this fall. Bruce Carroll ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 9 Jun 1994 20:54:55 -0700 Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: Kirby Urner Subject: Re: Fullerenes from Space? > > This news provides direct evidence that Fullerenes either exist >spontaneously in Universe, or can be formed in space. Excellent news. Thanks for the posting. We shouldn't forget though, that natural C60 has been found in Russia, in a rare kind of rock formation. Young person to Bucky "Do you think people will ever go into outer space?" Bucky replied "We are already in space, deary." I.E. if earth has naturally occurring C60, then C60 does naturally occur in space. ------------------------------------------------ Kirby T. Urner pdx4d@teleport.com 4D Solutions (teleport.com is a public access node) Portland, Oregon ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Jun 1994 13:38:54 GMT Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Comments: Warning -- original Sender: tag was NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU From: Christopher Rywalt Organization: Stevens Institute of Technology Subject: Re: Fullerenes from Space? In article <199406100355.UAA03249@teleport.com> Kirby Urner writes: >Date: Thu, 9 Jun 1994 20:54:55 -0700 >From: Kirby Urner >Subject: Re: Fullerenes from Space? >> >> This news provides direct evidence that Fullerenes either exist >>spontaneously in Universe, or can be formed in space. >Excellent news. Thanks for the posting. >We shouldn't forget though, that natural C60 has been found in Russia, >in a rare kind of rock formation. Young person to Bucky "Do you think >people will ever go into outer space?" Bucky replied "We are already >in space, deary." I.E. if earth has naturally occurring C60, then >C60 does naturally occur in space. According to Richard Smalley -- this is one thing he told us at Science Kick -- C60 has been found in the layer of earth that marks the boundary between the Cretaceous and the Triassic periods. This layer is very dark and is rich in carbon and is what leads current science to believe the last of the dinosaurs were wiped out in massive fires. This is not really a rare kind of rock formation; it's just not that easy to stumble on. Also, Smalley told us that C60 -- as well as other fullerenes -- are formed from something as simple as a candle. The explanation was that what's glowing in a candle is actually soot -- carbon -- which, as it reaches the "edge" of the candle's "flame", cools so that it no longer glows. If you wave your hand at the air over a candle flame, you're waving away airborne carbon atoms, and among them, fullerenes. I find this interesting, in a Cliff Claven-factlet sort of way. Chris %SYSTEM-F-ACCVIO, access violation, reason mask=00, virtual address=00000000, PC =0000BFEF, PSL=03C00009 %TRACE-F-TRACEBACK, symbolic stack dump follows module name routine name line rel PC abs PC SIGNTAURE crywalt@vaxc.stevens-tech.edu 2010 00001010 DEADBEEF SIGNATURE main 2226 00000107 0000BFEF ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Jun 1994 10:15:06 -0400 Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: Jan Shepherd Subject: MOCHIN LIST and PROJECT MIND I have been quietly listening to your list for a while. I thought that some of you might be interested in the following list. If not, perhaps you know others who would be. MOCHIN - MIND, MATTER & MASHIACH: A forum for discussing ultimate reality and the nature and role of intelligence, especially as concerns the integration of higher and lower in the context of Jewish and metaphysical thought. While the Jewish context is formally required by Nysernet, we are open to insights from all traditions. You are cordially invited to exchange thoughts on the role of intelligence in world transformation. Suggested foci include: intuition, creativity, vision, genius, breakthrough, conscience, mission, obsession, destiny, desire, will, altruism, essence, being, consciousness, faith, certainty, science and religion, objectivity, immortality, etc. The command to subscribe is "subscribe MOCHIN your name" and should be sent as a message to "listserv@israel.nysernet.org" and not to the list address. MOCHIN is sponsored by the Project Mind Foundation. Inquiries: marshlu@vms.huji.ac.il We look forward to your input. David S. Devor Project Mind Foundation marshlu@vms.huji.ac.il (list moderator) ________________________________________ >Many scientists who, by the strictures of our >profession, are trained and required to be >cautious and critical to a T in our thinking, find >no satisfying forum to discuss, in a free and >unfettered way, notions and feelings about things >spiritual. It seems to me that many scientists >feel intimidated, or in the least embarrassed, to >discuss such matters for (apparent) fear of >being ridiculed by other members of their >profession. The mind/matter list, MOCHIN, I moderate on Nysernet was created for just such people. Interested parties may subscribe by sending a message to: listserv@israel.nysernet.org saying, "SUBSCRIBE MOCHIN yourname" >My questions to all concerned are: >Why should this HAVE to be justified? Why >can't such discussion be a safe environment for >us to let down our guard and freely discuss >our thoughts and feelings, without having to >substantiate and justify everything we say or >think before we even express it? Within the reigning materialist paradigm in science, those who believe matter is a limited aspect of reality are very much in the minority and suffer from many of the same problems of minorities in general. The emotionality to which you refer may very well be a sign that the defenders of the reigning paradigm are beginning to feel challenged. Still, we have a very long way to go. The "free flow of new ideas" will continue to require specialist forums for some time to come. The more radically innovative the vision, the more protected the environment must be. Project Mind is an environment we plan to create for scientists that will accommodate radically creative, breakthrough vision of an unprecedented kind. We are seeking scientists of vision. David S. Devor Project Mind Foundation Man's mind, stretched to a new idea, never goes back to its original dimensions. Oliver Wendell Holmes ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Jun 1994 13:04:00 -0400 Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works From: "H. Jeffrey Rosen" Subject: Re: Dome houses In article <2oljsq$acp@status.gen.nz>, icosa@iconz.co.nz (Ross Keatinge) writes: ..I am also planning to build a dome soon. I'm designing and building ..a 35' 3/8 dome on 5' riser walls. I'm interested in using spray on ..polyurethane foam over a wooden frame . Has anyone had an experience ..with polyurethane foam , good or bad? Didn't the U.S. military experiment years ago with urethane foam applications to geodesic frames? I think it was around the era when the domes for DEW line radar enclosures were fabricated. Try a .gov gopher(?), or maybe the Library of Congress ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 10 Jun 1994 14:53:14 PST Reply-To: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Comments: SR CEGRAVE 06/10/94 14:53:46 PB1 From: Charlie Graves Subject: ok ok *************************************************************** Charles Graves, Project Manager, Pacific Bell 2600 Camino Ramon, 3W850H, San Ramon, CA 94583 (510)823-0345 cegrave@pb1.pacbell.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 12 Jun 1994 03:08:32 GMT Reply-To: "Christopher J. Fearnley" Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Comments: Warning -- original Sender: tag was NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU From: "Christopher J. Fearnley" Organization: Critical Path Project Subject: R. Buckminster Fuller Frequently asked Questions and Answers (Part 3 of 5) Posted-By: auto-faq 2.4 Archive-name: bucky-fuller-faq/part3 Version 0.95 Happy 98 and 11/12 birth anniversary, Bucky! This is the Frequently Asked Questions and Answers (FAQ) Resource on R. Buckminster Fuller. It is based primarily on the history of the discussions, interests, and needs of the readers of the BITNET list GEODESIC and it's USENET gateway bit.listserv.geodesic. So some of the information could be in error (especially addresses and phone numbers). The FAQ is maintained by Chris Fearnley (cfearnl@cpp.pha.pa.us). Please send all errors and suggestions to me. The FAQ is released (usually with modifications) on the 12th of each month (to celebrate Bucky's monthly birth anniversary - He was born 12 July 1895). This document still has a lot of fluff in it. But rather than risk losing the wisdom of the net, I have included most everyone's answers to just about everything. In time I hope to distill the net wisdom further with careful editing. Also, I still l haven't gone through the '94 logs from GEODESIC nor the material on the FIX BBS. So the next version will undoubtedly be larger still. Also, the list of Fuller-related companies and manufacturers is incomplete and probably fairly inaccurate. Please send me corrections. I don't even have the BFI in here. They never told me they moved and I don't know the current address. Anyone know when they will get out of the "dark ages" and join us here on the net? Or at least share with their members their new address. BTW, I won't be sending this document to them for inclusion in the archives. If someone in Santa Barbara can slip them a disk, I'm sure they'd be gratified. Finally, if you see that one of your quotes is unclear, please send me clarifications. Bracketed citations refer to the material that follows. Some citations are quoted directly from the logs and follow the material. Beware of outdated information: this information is culled from old log files and is not necessarily up-to-date. Please follow-up with discussion and questions to bit.listserv.geodesic or to the mailing list geodesic@ubvm (see 6.2 for details). Contents: 1.0 Introductory 2.0 Fuller's Ideas about Human Society: Critical Path 2.1.0 What is the Design Science Revolution? 2.1.1 When will the Design Science Revolution begin? 2.2 What is the "cosmic accounting system"? Fuller's Economics. 2.3.0 What is the World Game? 2.3.1 What is the World Game Institute? 2.3.2 What are the World Game Institutes "games" like? 2.3.3 What is Global Data Manager (GDM)? 2.3.4 Does the World Game offer any solutions to the World Hunger Problem? 2.4.0 What were Fuller's views on religion/God? 2.4.1 How did Bucky's "Ever Rethinking the Lord's Prayer" go? 2.5 What is the Global Energy Grid idea? 2.6 What is a "trimtab"? 2.7 Was Bucky a socialist? 2.8 What were Fuller's views on Education? 2.9 What is the difference between "Class I" and "Class II" evolution? 2.10 How to house humanity? And other reflections on Making the World work. 3.0 Synergetics 3.1 What is "synergy"? 3.2 What is Fuller's definition of "Universe"? 3.3.0 What is the "isotropic vector matrix" [IVM]? 3.3.1 I wondered if hexagonal closest packing forms an IVM? Also, is a diamond cubic structure the same as an IVM? 3.4 What is the "vector equilibrium"? 3.5 What is the jitterbug? 3.6 What is Fuller's concept of "space"? 3.7 What is a "system"? 3.8 What is the "minimal system"? 3.9 What is the "omnidirectional halo"? 3.10 Does synergetics provide an extension or modification of the 'scientific method?' 3.11 Are there connections between synergetics and fullerenes (besides the name, of course? 3.12 Why use synergetics conversion factors and other irrationals? 3.13 What is Precession? 3.14 What is the equation for finding the volume of a pyramid? 4.0 Geodesic Domes and Other Inventions 4.1.0 What is a geodesic dome? 4.1.1 Does a dome really weigh less than its component materials? 4.1.2 What are some features of underground, concrete domes? 4.1.3 What are geotangent domes? 4.1.4 What are the advangates (and disadvantages) of Dome Life? 4.1.5 How to use solar panels in domes? 4.1.6 Dome References [Oldest material first] 4.2.0 Dome Math: What you've all been waiting for!!! 4.2.1 Dome Theory 4.2.2 What are the basics of Spherical Trigonometry? 4.2.3 How to tesselate a sphere? 4.2.4 Chord Factors - the nitty gritty. 4.3.0 What is a tensegrity model? 4.3.1 How to Build Tensegraties? 4.3.2 Who was Kenneth Snelson and what was his role in the invention of tensegrities? 4.4 What are "cloud nines"? 4.5 What is "dymaxion"? 4.6 What is the Dymaxion Car? 4.7 What is a "fog gun"? 4.8 What was Fuller's Floating City design? 4.9 What was the Old Man's River City Project (circular cities)? 4.10 What was the Dymaxion Deployment Unit? 4.11.0 What is the Dymaxion Map? 4.11.1 Other stuff about the Dymaxion Map. 4.12 What was the Dymaxion House? 5.0 Miscellany 5.1.0 What are "fullerenes" and "buckyballs"? 5.1.1 What are some of the properties of the fullerenes? 5.1.2 What are buckytubes? 5.1.3 What are "endohedral fullerenes"? 5.2 What is Biosphere II? 5.3 Was Fuller formally educated? 5.4 Will there be a 1995 commemorative stamp marking Bucky's 100th? 5.5 Bibliography: Culled from several postings 5.6 Organizations and Corporations mentioned on GEODESIC (incomplete and dated) [Mostly dome-type manufacturers.] 5.7 Computer tools (may or may not be useful to dome design or synergetics). 5.8 Fuller's "failures." 5.9 Where would you encourage your best friend to start in the Fuller literature? (For maximum ease of mastery) 5.10 Quotes and Coinages. 5.11 Evaluating the value of the Man, Bucky: humanitarian or cold-hearted technocrat? 5.12 What was the nature of Fuller's involvement with Werner Erhardt, EST and the World Hunger Project? 5.13 What were relations between Fuller and his Students? 5.14 What is GENESIS II? 5.15 Could Fuller's proposed Very Large Structures work? 6.0 Net Resources 6.1 Buckminsterfullerenes Update Service and Fullerene Bibliography 6.2 List GEODESIC: GEODESIC@UBVM.BITNET 6.3 FIX (Fuller Information eXchange) BBS 6.4 WWW (World Wide Web) sources 4.2.0 Dome Math: What you've all been waiting for!!! [Unfortunately this is incomplete :( Contributions greatly needed.] 4.2.1 Dome Theory [From Kirby Urner.] The edges of a geodesic dome are *not* all the same length. The angstrom measurements between neighboring carbon atoms in a fullerene are likewise not equal. Domes come in three Classes (I, II and III). The classification system has to do with laying an equilateral triangle down on a grid of smaller equilateral triangles, lining up corners with corners -- either aligning the triangle with the grid (I), turning it 90 degrees to bisect grid triangles (II), or rotating it discretely to have it cut skewly across the grid (III). 20 of these triangles make an icosahedron which is then placed within a circumscribing sphere. The vertexes of the triangles' internal points, defined by the grid pattern, define radii with the circumscribing sphere's center. By pushing each vertex further out along the segments so defined, until each is made equidistant from the center, an omnitriangulated geodesic sphere is formed (orthonormal projection I think cartographers call this). Again, resulting surface edge lengths are not all the same length. The resulting mesh will always contain 12 sets of 5 triangles organized into pentagons, the rest into hexagons. The Class I version of the algorithm above always creates 20F^2 surface facets where F=1 gives the icosahedron itself. The external point population will be 10F^2+2. Since points plus facets = edges plus 2 (Euler), you will get 30F^2 edges. F is what Fuller called the Frequency of the geodesic sphere and, in the Class I case, corresponds to the number of grid intervals along any one of the 20 triangle edges. Note: "buckyballs" in the sense of "fullerenes" are not omni- triangulated (the edges internal to the 12 pentagons and n hexagons have been removed) and come in infinitely more varieties than the above algorithm allows. The above algorithm is limited to generating point groups with icosahedral symmetry -- a minority of the fullerenes are symmetrical in this way, although C60, the most prevalent, is a derivative of the Class I structure. [From Ben Williams] Andrew Norris writes: >1/ Given a dodecahedron with the edges of length unity, what is > the radius of the sphere that would enlose this body? > >2/ For the above case, construct each pentagon out of triangles. > What are the angles required so that new center-node of the > pentagon just touches the enclosing sphere? This is just a 2 frequency (what-is-referred-to-in-Domebook II-as) triacon geodesic sphere. Funny you should mention that: Back in June when I first discovered this newsgroup, I got reinterested in my old hobby of building mathmatical models (and R B Fuller as well). So I went through the laborious process of calculating the strut lengths to build a 2v triacon sphere (what you just described above) out of toothpicks. I have it hanging up over my monitor right now. I wish I could show how I used geometry and such to figure all the necessary lengths out. What I do is start out with a drawing of a dodecahedron projected onto a plane -- if it is oriented correctly, you will get a 2-d figure that you can use to deduce the information you want from it. (To get this figure, think of a dodecahedron made out of struts (such as toothpicks) standing on one of its edges on a sheet of paper out in the sun with the sun directly overhead. The shadow on the paper will be this figure.) These are the lengths I derived E = length of edge of dodecahedron Distance of edge of dodecahedron from center: Er = ( (3 + sqrt(5))/4 ) * E 1/2 distance between non-adjacent vertices of face of dodecahedron: b = ( (sqrt(5)+1)/4 ) * E given a face of dodecahdron, distance between vertex and opposite edge: h = ( ( sqrt(5 + 2*sqrt(5)) ) / 2 ) * E distance from center of dodecahedron to one of its vertices (your question 1): R = sqrt((9 + 3*sqrt(5))/8) * E given a face of dodecahdron, distance from its center to an edge: l = b/h * Er distance from center of face of dodecahedron to center of dodecahedron: m = Er/h * Er given face of dodecahedron, distance from center to vertex: t = h-l length of one of those struts going from a vertex of dodecahedron up to point above center of face but on the enclosing sphere: S = sqrt(t^2 + (R-m)^2) Now, to derive the angles of one of those triangles whose side lengths I have just determined, you would need to do this: A1 = 2 * arcsin ((E/2)/S) This is the angle of the top corners of the 5 triangles which are arched above one of the faces of the dodecahedron. My calculator gives me this angle in degrees: 67.66866319 Notice it is slightly less than the 72 degrees it would be if they were flat on the face of the dodecahedron. Now the other two angles of each of the triangles are simply derived via: A2 and A3 = (180 - A1) / 2 I get a value of 56.1656684 degrees for these two angles. 4.2.2 What are the basics of Spherical Trigonometry? On Sat, 18 Dec 1993 03:11:53 GMT said: >Hey all, > A while back I asked about calculating chord factors. I found the >equation that without which I don't think I could have done it (by the way I >was successful)-- it's a formula for calculating w/any spherical right >triangle. The formula is sin a = sin A * sin c. > A > / | > c / |b > / | > / | > B--a--C >I'm sure you're all familiar w/it, but is there any other equation that would >be just as helpful. This is by Napier's rules. Here is Napier's circle: c-c A-c B-c b a where -c means the complement (or 90 degrees - (minus) the arclength measure). A, B are angles, C is the right angle and a, b, c are the sides opposite A, B, and C, respectively. There are two rules: Rule 1: The sine of any unknown part is equal to the product of the cosines of the two known opposite parts. Or sin = cos * cos of the OPPOSITE parts. Rule 2: The sine of any unknown part is equal to the product of the tangents of its two known adjacent parts. Or sin = tan * tan of the ADJACENT parts. Your formula is the same because "c-c"=90-c and sin(90-c)=cos(c). Examples: sin(b)=tan(A-c)tan(a) or sin(b)=cos(c-c)cos(B-c). > > Steve Mather Chris Fearnley 4.2.3 How to tesselate a sphere? [From an old Comp.graphics FAQ, posted by Christopher McRae 14 Apr 1993.] One simple way is to do recursive subdivision into triangles. The base of the recursion is an octahedron, and then each level divides each triangle into four smaller ones. Jon Leech has posted a nice routine called sphere.c that generates the coordinates. It's available for FTP on ftp.ee.lbl.gov and weedeater.math.yale.edu. 4.2.4 Chord Factors - the nitty gritty. First choose a tesselation of the sphere (icosa, octa, tetra, elliptical or really just about anything. Second use geometry and spherical trig to determine the surface arclenths for the specific tesselation. Third observe that in any circle a central angle cuts off an arc with the same exact measure. Next, calculate the chord factors: cf = 2sin(theta/2), where theta is the central angle. Finally, multiply each chord factor by the radius of your dome. Several dome books use the term "alternate" to refer to Class I domes (actually it seems Joe Clinton in his paper on domes has determined several methods for class I subdivisions - his method I is the "alternate" form). The other popular subdivisioning scheme is based on the rhombic triacontrahedron and is called "triacon". [From Steve Mather] Hey all, I have some questions to ask about the triginometry behind geodesic domes. Remarkably, I've understood what I've encountered so far, and am well on my way to calculating the the chord factors for a 5v icosa alternate (Why? when I can look it up in a book? Well, I figured I'd prove to myself I can.) I've been able to find those along the direct projection from the icosohedron (are 0.198147431 w/central angle of 11.3716678 degrees, 0.231597598 w/central angle of 13.29940137, and 0.245346417 w/central angle of 14.09281254 acurate beginnings for the outside? [A big thanks to Steve for calculating and typing all this for us!!! Although I'm not sure which geometry he is referring to. I hope to include this in the next version of the FAQ. I haven't checked these, though I'm sure someone will will. Please let me know of any problems.] The letters begin at the bottom of the horizontal edges to the triangle, from "a" to whatever letter (depending upon the frequency --"a" is the very bottom, as well as the sides.) The numbers are the chord factors. 2v icosa: b= 0.6257378602 a= 0.5465330581 3v: c= 0.4240625600 b= 0.4038282455 a= 0.3669588162 4v: d= 0.3212440714 c= 0.3128689301 b= 0.2980880630 a= 0.2759044843 5v: e= 0.2581842991 d= 0.2539357295 c= 0.2465769121 b= 0.2357285878 a= 0.2209776479 6v: f= 0.2156929803 e= 0.2132468999 d= 0.2090569265 c= 0.2029619174 b= 0.1947619676 a= 0.1842631079 7v: g= 0.1851588097 f= 0.1836232302 e= 0.1810112024 d= 0.1772461840 c= 0.1722282186 b= 0.1658460763 a= 0.1579992952 8v: h= 0.1621725970 g= 0.1611459677 f= 0.1594077788 e= 0.1569181915 d= 0.1536238835 c= 0.1494619675 b= 0.1443671359 a= 0.1382831736 9v: i= 0.1442501297 h= 0.1435301153 g= 0.1423149814 f= 0.1405824320 e= 0.1383022055 d= 0.1354375402 c= 0.1319478012 b= 0.1277927679 a= 0.1229389715 10v: j= 0.1298874025 i= 0.1293630412 h= 0.1284801673 g= 0.1272255402 f= 0.1255810391 e= 0.1235242767 d= 0.1210296754 c= 0.1180702193 b= 0.1146200925 a= 0.1106583339 11v: k= 0.1181213623 j= 0.1177276963 i= 0.1170660293 h= 0.1161281074 g= 0.1149025743 f= 0.1133752524 e= 0.1115296266 d= 0.1093476232 c= 0.1068107860 b= 0.1039019434 a= 0.1006074045 12v l= 0.1083071374 k= 0.1080040870 j= 0.1074954030 i= 0.1067757281 h= 0.1058376643 g= 0.1046719125 f= 0.1032675068 e= 0.1016121871 d= 0.09969296006 c= 0.09749689909 b= 0.09501222476 a= 0.09222967293 13v m= 0.09999681431 l= 0.09975856278 k= 0.09935906240 j= 0.09879471539 i= 0.09806054042 h= 0.09715024635 g= 0.09605635362 f= 0.09477038423 e= 0.09328314541 d= 0.09158513461 c= 0.08966709201 b= 0.08752071743 a= 0.08513955025 14v n= 0.09286965560 m= 0.09267896531 l= 0.09235948034 k= 0.09190871293 j= 0.09132321201 i= 0.09059860431 h= 0.08972966070 g= 0.08871039868 f= 0.08753423341 e= 0.08619419334 d= 0.08468321460 c= 0.08299452818 b= 0.08112214654 a= 0.07906144555 15v o= 0.08668999531 n= 0.08653500116 m= 0.08627549580 l= 0.08590971508 k= 0.08543520816 j= 0.08484886148 i= 0.08414693683 h= 0.08332512917 g= 0.08237865120 f= 0.08130235310 e= 0.07955142649 d= 0.07873891823 c= 0.07724141051 b= 0.07559395328 a= 0.07379316114 Octahedron geodesics: alternate only 2v: b= 1.0000000000 (exact) a= 0.7653668647 3v: c= 0.7071067812 b= 0.6471948470 a= 0.5176380902 4v: d= 0.5411961001 c= 0.5176380902 b= 0.4701651493 a= 0.3901806440 5v: e= 0.4370160244 d= 0.4253582426 c= 0.4032283118 b= 0.3667034258 a= 0.3128689301 6v: f= 0.3360254038 e= 0.3594040993 d= 0.3472963553 c= 0.3280400675 b= 0.2996195680 a= 0.2610523844 7v: g= 0.3146921227 f= 0.3105694162 e= 0.3032077023 d= 0.2918376001 c= 0.2754043542 b= 0.2528648441 a= 0.2239289522 I hope I typed those all in right. 4.3.0 What is a tensegrity model? "The word 'tensegrity' is an invention: a contraction of 'tensional integrity.' [From _Synergetics_, [700.011]] "Tensegrity describes a structural-relationship principle in which structural shape is guaranteed by the finitely closed, comprehensively continuous, tensional behaviors of the system and not by the discontinuous and exclusively local compressional member behaviors. Tensegrity provides the ability to yield increasingly without ultimately breaking or coming asunder." [From Kirby Urner] Tensegrity structures employ tension primarily and compression secondarily. In pure tensegrity, compression members (i.e. metal rods) do not touch one another but provide rigidity within a network of tensed cables. Not only domes, but towers (and many sculptures) have successfully employed tensegrity principles. For Fuller, tensegrities manifested his philosophy: that nature uses tension primarily and compression secondarily (whereas humans often misguidedly do the reverse). Although he developed geodesic structures for the Marine Corps and Strategic Air Command, none of these were "tensegrities" exactly. Tensegritoy, available from most museum giftshops and teacher supply catalogs, admirably teaches about tensegrity. 4.3.1 How to Build Tensegrities? [From Daryl Bunce] To me, one of the best tools for help with building Tensegrity systems was/is _An Introduction to Tensegrity_ by Anthony Pugh, LOC: TA658.2 P85x, copyright 1976, University of California Press, ISDN: 0-520-02996-8 (cloth/hard) or 0-520-03055-9 (paper), 121pp. I suggest reading the first few pages of Appendix A then running out and purchasing some .75" dowel (see below) _then_ start on page 1. For struts: dowel (wooden rods) 3 feet long (standard US size), with a diameter = .75 inches. Cut with a fine-toothed saw into 9 inch lengths. Repeat until happy with amount (you'll need more, eventually). Take some 18-gauge wire brads (those nails with virtually no head), about an inch to 1.5 inches long and blunt the points. Warning: Use of steel nails, pins, etc. can be dangerous. Pound two nails into each strut end, with a wide gap between them and at least .5 inches protruding from the wood: _________________________________ // / -------o STRUT (yeah, right) / -------o two brads, repeat for other end // _______________________________// Repeat procedure for all ends of struts. Using rubber bands (#14, 2 inches, or #12,1.5 inches) hung over one brad/strut, you should be able to model some Tensegrities. BTW: If there were only one brad at each end, the rubber bands have more of a tendency to slip off. If your rubber bands are still slipping off, stretch one from one end to the other of the same strut before modeling. When you are ready to incorporate this strut, unhook this band, slide a band from the other strut onto a brad on this strut, and hook the original band back on over the new one. (Follow that?) >>> Most of the above was summarized from Mr. Pugh's book in one way or another <<< [From chris@COGNET.UCLA.EDU] There is a company called Plastruct which makes little plastic components for building various sorts of models. They are located in the City of Industry (I think (greater L.A. area)), California. Any good hobby or architectural supply shop in your area should have a catalog. I warn you, however, that their models are somewhat limited and the plastic tubes used for struts tend to split. There is also a company in England somewhere which actually owns the design upon which the Plastruct models are based. The components they make are somewhat larger, I believe, and perhaps of higher quality. If anyone is really interested in more details, I can dig up the names and numbers for you. In general, a good resource for this kind of information is the "Thomas Register of American Manufacturers", which can be found in many large libraries. [From Michael Justice, 23 Mar 1992] Real Goods sells something called a "tensegritoy", which looks kinda cute. To quote from their latest micro-catalog: EXPLORE ARCHITECTURE BUCKY FULLER STYLE Tensegritoy is an ingenious new construction puzzle that provides fun and intellectual challenge for children over ten. Based on R. Buckminster Fuller's ideas of tensegrity (tension and integrity) over 100 intriguing shapes can be built. The structures can boucne, roll, or seemingly float in the air. With the colorful components you can construct a basic four-sided figure, a helix or a geodesic dome, or explore architecture and the arrangement of DNA! The 32-page illustrated instruction booklet provides lots of how-to ideas. This is truly an affordable learning experience. 90-412 TENSEGRITOY . . . . $29 Real Goods is a yuppie "alternative energy / environmental / whatever-we- can-make-a-buck-on" :-) mail-order house. 1-800-762-7325 for orders. [From Patrick G. Salsbury] Well, Tensegrity Systems, Inc., manufactures the Tensegritoy (tm) and I've seen models built from combined sets that are a meter or more in diameter. [From Jim Flanagan] I have found that the cheapest/easiest method for making tensegrity struts is to buy thousands of bamboo skewers, chop off the pointy bits, and bind two (or more, depending on the tension in the model) together with rubber bands thus: ==x=============================x== then take another rubber band insert it between the two sticks at one end, then with half a turn drag it down to the other end and hook it in there. One completed strut. With practice one person can make a good deal of these in an evening. A hint for keeping the structure together while building is to use another band to keep a connection firm (somtimes a connection will slip. Spectacular explosions attest to the amount of tension is held in one of these structures...). ~~ // ==x=============================x=x= // // // ~~ If you use tan colored bands and tan sticks the aesthetic is better in my opinion. If you twist the bands more than once (but an odd number) you get more tension (which is necesary for higher freq. structures). [From Mitch Amiano] Resources: Check out a good boating supply shop. They make use of a number of tensile materials and fasteners. Tension members: Boating supply shops carry in bulk what might cost you $$$ to get pre-cut: rope, cables, and that elastic cloth cordage (like the kind used in the Tensegritoy). The elastic cord cost about $13 for a 50 foot roll. Tough Tension members: Nylon coated steel cable, 3/32 inch, with crimpable aluminum cable sleeves. Use the sleeves to make loops in the cable ends. Cable can be accurately measured by looping around two nails set in a block of wood and pulled tight. Sleeves can be crimped on one at a time. The nylon coating makes it less likely to have wire splinters, and makes for a neater finish. Taking up slack: Tiny turnbuckles. expensive at >50 cents a pop. Jim Flanagan's idea to increase the tension of the rubber bands by twisting them will work here, too. You just won't be able to twist up very much. Many forms of strain relief hardware can also be used to give springiness to inflexible cables. Compression members: Aluminum or brass tubing, 3/8 inch diameter. Aluminum costs about $1 a foot, while brass is about twice as expensive. Neither is hard to cut, given a midget pipe cutter, about $5. Fastening members together: A hollow tube may be plugged with a variety of screw anchors, both metal and plastic. Then a small bolt or screw stock can be securely mounted. Some washers are all thats needed to complete the connection if you chose to use bolts. For screw stock, you also need nuts, and can use round-ended cromed nuts for a finer finishing. For both, cable or rope loops can simply be looped on. Make sure the loop is smaller than the washer, or it might slip. 4.2.2 Who was Kenneth Snelson and what was his role in the invention of tensegrities? 4.3.2 Who was Kenneth Snelson and what was his role in the invention of tensegrities? Fuller began writing, speaking and thinking about coexistent tension and compression in the 1920's - see his first book _4D Time Lock_. He complained of having no good model to explain these principles. Then Snelson attended several of Fuller's lectures at Black Mountain College in the summer of 1948. In the winter of 1948 Snelson built the first tensegrity structure consisting of two "X"-shaped figures one suspended above the other in a sea of tension. He showed Fuller this model in the summer of 1949. After this inital contact both men developed the concept of tensegrity in unique and independent ways. Snelson designed large magnificent tensegrity sculptures while Fuller built large tensegrity spheres to demonstrate his synergetics (at that time he called it Energetic Geometry). Both Fuller and Snelson patented their structures. I think the quote below shows that both Fuller and Snelson acknowledged each other's contribution. Probably given Fuller's disdain for footnotes and other forms of formal citations, he occassionally impiled more credit than is his due. However, it seems to me that he documented Snelson's contribution sufficiently. Claims that Fuller stole Snelson's work are unsubstantiated. Also, claims by some of Fuller's admirer's that Snelson stole from Fuller, ignore the breakthrough in design that Snelson contributed. [From _Kenneth Snelson, an Exhibition_ orgainzed by Douglas G. Schultz; essay by H.N. Fox, p.23] "In a letter from Fuller to Snelson dated December 22, 1949, Fuller states, 'In all my public lectures I tell of your original demonstration of discontinuous-pressure- (com-pressure) and continuous tension structural advantage; - in which right makes light [?] in a prototype structure, - the ready reproduction of which properly incorportated in fundamental structues, may advance the spontaneous good will and understanding of mankind by many centuries. The event was one of those 'it happens' events, but demonstrates how the important events happen where the atmosphere is most favorable. If you had demonstrated this structure to an art audience it would not have rung the bell it rang in me, who had been seeking this structure in Energetic Geometry. That you were excited by the later E.G. [Energetic Geometry], into spontanous articulation of the solution, also demonstrates the importance of good faith of collegues of this frontier. The name Kenneth Snelson will come to be known as a true pioneer of the realized good life and good will...'" 4.4 What are "cloud nines"? ["Cloud nines" are floating geodesic spheres. The following extract from a paper posted to GEODESIC by Robert T. Bowers explains the idea.] "When considering a geodesic sphere, the weight of the sphere is a function of the surface of the sphere. The amount the sphere is lifted by warm air is a function of the volume of the sphere. In mathematical terms, weight is a function of the radius squared, while volume is a function of the radius cubed. This is very significant. Even as the radius of a sphere increases, thus increasing the sphere's weight, the lift of the sphere increases more. If you image a sphere that could grow larger, as the sphere gained a little weight, it would gain much lift. "Buckminster Fuller proposed that as spheres of great size are considered, the amount of air enclosed grows huge compared to the weight of the sphere. Of a sphere with a radius of 1320 feet, the weight of the enclosed air is 1000 times greater than the weight of the sphere's structure. If that volume of air was heated only one degree, the sphere would begin to float! "Of course, domes of even greater sizes would be required if that sphere were to carry any additional weight. But it is not inconceivable that floating geodesic spheres could carry aloft entire communities. Perhaps the concept of a floating dome of one half a mile diameter is too much for most people to seriously consider. Regardless, it does demonstrate the scope of projects that are made possible with geodesic domes." -Robert T. Bowers Fuller quote from _I_Seem_To_Be_A_Verb_ Came across this small description which I thought might interest some people who haven't seen it before ... Geodesic spheres larger than half-a-mile in diameter can be floated in the air, like clouds. Draped with polyethylene curtains -- to retard night-time air intake -- the spheres would be light enough to remain aloft, at preferred altitudes. "Cloud nines" one mile in diameter could house thousands of people, whose weight would be negligible. Passengers could pass from "cloud" to "cloud", or from "cloud" to ground, as the "clouds" float around the Earth or are anchored to mountain tops. The "clouds" could become food factories by impounding sunlight." -- David Paschall-Zimbel 4.5 What is "dymaxion"? "Dymaxion" is a name coined by a friend [Ed. an advertising man actually] of Bucky's which is a contraction of the words "DYnamic (or DYnamism, depending on your sources), MAXimum, and ION; three words that he noticed Bucky used often in his speech when describing things. Dymaxion, and also 4-D (4th Dimension) became trademarks of Bucky's and were frequently used on his products: -The Dymaxion 4-D House -The Dymaxion Car -The Dymaxion Deployment Unit (war-relief housing) -The Dymaxion Dwelling Machine (An improvement on the Dymaxion 4-D House) - Patrick G. Salsbury 4.6 What is the Dymaxion Car? "The Dymaxion Car was a teardrop-shaped (least air resistance), 3-wheeled, rear-wheel (single) steering, 21 foot long, Aluminum bodied auto, designed by Bucky to achieve maximum output and service with minimum material input. It was about 6 feet tall (Kinda like a big van), seated the driver and 10 passengers, weighed less than 1000 lbs., went 120 miles/hr on a 90 horsepower engine, and got between 30-50 miles to the gallon of gas! (Depending on your sources, again.) "It was eventually supposed to be developed into a flying vehicle, held aloft on "jet-stilts" (downward facing thrusters of some sort) so as to make all of "Spaceship Earth" accessible to humans and make it so they could have a house ANYWHERE (on top of a mountain, in a desert, etc. [his Dymaxion Houses were self-sustaining, and didn't need to be tied into power/sewer/water lines]) and still get around to go to work or whatnot. But only the car portion of the "Dymaxion Omnidirectional Human Transport" (Flying car) was developed, because at the time of development (1933-4), Jet technology was either non-existent, or not capable of the task." - Patrick G. Salsbury There is a Dymaxion car in the William F. Harrah Automobile Museum in Reno, NV. Very strange-looking vehicle indeed, and I was surprised to find out that it was from the 1930's. -Dan Howell 4.7 What is a "fog gun"? The "fog gun" was an invention Bucky developed as a water saving alternative to the wastefulness of showers. While Bucky was in the navy, he noted that, while standing on the deck of a ship, in the spray and mist of the sea, nothing seems to stay on your skin for very long. Not even grease. He reasoned that it must have something to do with the abrasive action of the tiny water droplets, so he developed a device that atomized the water (like a perfume bottle with the little bulb that you sqeeze to get perfume mist) and ejected it at high speed. He dubbed this the "fog gun" and found that it worked very well for cleaning a person off without soap (I'm not sure how he did hair, though) and without wasting a lot of water. (The "gun" could clean a family of four with *1 PINT* of water!) -Pat Salsbury 4.8 What was Fuller's Floating City design? Around 1967, Bucky Fuller was put in charge of the Triton project for the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) [You know, one of the current gov't departments under investigation for all sorts of scandals! ;^) ] Triton was a concept for an anchored floating city that would be located just offshore and connected with bridges and such to the mainland. It was a collection of tetrahedronal structures with apartments and such. The model looked very interesting! You can see some photos of the model in "The Artifacts of Buckminster Fuller", along with technical drawings of just about everything else he ever designed! :) -Pat Salsbury [Typed in by Charles Nicoll] Reprinted from "Critical Path," (1981, St Martin's Press) by Buckminster Fuller, p. 332. "In the early 1960s I was comissioned by a Japanese patron to design one of my tetrahedronal floating cities for Tokyo Bay. "Three-quarters of our planet Earth is covered with water, most of which may float organic cities. "Floating cities pay no rent to landlords. They are situated on the water, which they desalinate and recirculate in many useful and nonpolluting ways. They are ships with all an ocean ship's technical autonomy, but they are also ships that will always be anchored. They don't have to go anywhere. Their shape and its human-life accomodations are not compromised, as must be the shape of the living quarters of ships whose hull shapes are constructed so that they may slip, fishlike, at high speed through the water and high seas with maximum economy. "Floating cities are designed with the most buoyantly stable conformation of deep-sea bell-bouys. Their omni-surface-terraced, slop-faced, tetrahedronal structuring is employed to avoid the lethal threat of precipitous falls by humans from vertically sheer high-rising buildings. "The tetrahedron has the most surface with the least volume of all polyhedra. As such, it provides the most possible 'outside' living. Its sloping external surface is adequate for all its occupants to enjoy their own private, outside, tiered-terracing, garden homes. These are most economically serviced from the common, omni-nearest-possible center of volume of all polyhedra. "All the mechanical organics of a floating city are situated low in its hull for maximum stability. All the shopping centers and other communal service facilities are inside the structure; tennis courts and other athletic facilities ar on the top deck. When suitable, the floating cities are equipped with 'alongside' or interiorly lagooned marinas for the safe mooring of the sail- and powerboats of the floating-city occupants. When moored in protected waters, the floating cities may be connected to the land by bridgeways. "In 1966 my Japanese patron died, and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development commissioned me to carry out full design and economic analysis of the floating tetrahedronal city for potential U.S.A use. With my associates I completed the design and study as well as a scaled-down model. The studies showed that the fabricating and operating costs were such that a floating city could sustain a high standard of living, yet be economically occupiable at a rental so low as to be just above that rated as the 'poverty' level by HUD authorities. The secretary of HUD sent the drawings, engineering studies, and economic analysis to the Secretary of the Navy, who ordered the Navy's Bureau of Ships to analyze the project for its 'water-worthiness,' stability, and organic capability. The Bureau of Ships verified all our calculations and found the design to be practical and 'water-worthy.' The Secretary of the Navy then sent the project to the US Navy's Bureau of Yards and Docks, where its fabrication and assembly procedures and cost were analyzed on a basis of the 'floating city' being built in a shipyard as are aircraft carriers and other vessels. The cost analysis of the Navy Department came out within 10 percent of our cost - which bore out its occupiability at rental just above the poverty class. "At this point the city of Baltimore became interested in acquiring the first such floating city for anchorage just offshore in Chesapeake Bay, adjacent to Baltimore's waterfront. At this time President Lyndon Johnson's Democratic party went out of power. President Johnson took the model with him and installed it in his LBJ Texas library. The city of Baltimore's politicians went out of favor with the Nixon administration, and the whole project languished. The city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and other cities of the U.S.A are interested in the possibility of acquiring such floating cities. Chances of one being inaugurated are now improving. "In relation to such floating cities it is to be noted that they are completely designed under one authority, and when they become obsolete, they are scrapped and melted and the materials go into subsequent production of a greatly advanced model whose improvements are based on earlier experiences as well as the general interim advances of all technology. "There are three types of floating cities: There is one for protected harbor waters, one for semiprotected waters, and one for unprotected deep-sea installations. The deep-sea type is supported by submarine pontoons positioned under the turbulence, with their centers of buoyancy 100 feet below the ocean's surface. Structural columns rise from the submarine pontoons outwardly through the water to support the floating city high above the crests of the greatest waves, which thus pass innocuously below the city's lowest flooring, as rivers flow under great bridges. The deap-sea, deeply pontooned floating cities will be as motionless in respect to our planet as are islanded or land-based cities. "There are also deep-sea spherical and cylindrical geodesic floating cities whose hulls are positioned entirely below the ocean surface turbulence. Only their vertical entrance towers penetrate outwardly through the disturbed surface waters. The occupants of submarine cities with their vertical towers penetrating outwardly above water can be serviced by helicopters landing on the tower-top platforms. Such pontooned or hulled submarine cities also can provide safe mid-ocean docking for atomic-powered cargo- and passenger-carrying submarine transports. With their submarine hulls locked together below the turbulence, a safe passageway can be opened between them. "Even in mild weather docking cannot be done on the open water surface of the ocean. Even the mildest 'old-sea' or ground swells would roll any two ocean ships' great tonnages into disastrous hull-smashing clashes. Relative mass attraction is proportional to the product of the masses of the interchanges. When any two oceangoing steel vessels come within 'critical proximity,' their interattraction is fourfolded every time the distance between them is halved. This chain-attraction- increasing force pulls them sideways toward one another, ultimately to touch and chew up one another's skins - that is, unless one is maneuvered in time backward or forward away from the other. Land harbors are essential for surface docking or inter-tie-up of ships of any size. There are relatively few big-ship harbors in the world. This fact, and the world-around scarcity of such good harbors as Athens' Piraeus, France's Cherbourg, Italy's Venice, the U.S.A's New York, or Tokyo's Yokohama, have greatly affected the geographical patterning of world history. The new ability to transfer cargoes at sea could completely alter world economic balances and could bring ships once more into economic competition with airplanes. The recent decades' development of seventy-knot submerged speed of the great atomic submarines, complemented by floating cities, could herald the beginning of a new era of subsurface oceanic traffic. "In due time small cruising yachts also will be able to sail or power around the world in safe, one-day runs from one protected floating city's harbor to the next." [From Jim Fiegenschue, 12 Oct 1993] If you are interested in studying and solving some of the practical problems of floating habitations (such as anchoring, survival of storms, etc.) you might contact Sten Sjostrand, the architect who designed The Saigon Floating Hotel. The first and to my knowledge still the only floating resort hotel in the world, it was built in Singapore for about $22 million in 1987-8 US dollars. Another $5.5 million of furniture and accessories were added, plus a $2.5 million special anchor system, so this is a serious professional project. The 7-story hotel has 200 guest rooms, a lavish lobby, a swimming pool(!), a tennis court, a night club, a sauna, a gymnasium, small shops, several restaurants, two cocktail bars, a library, fully equipped conference rooms, post office, sewage treatment plants, facilities for mooring sail boats and yachts, an underwater observatory, and a marine laboratory. Originally opened for business as the Four Seasons Barrier Reef Resort in 1988 over the Australian Great Barrier Reef, it was a big draw for scuba divers. All waste- disposal machinery is sealed off completely to protect the environment. It is currently owned by the Japanese company EIE, who operate it offshore Saigon. You can possibly reach Sten Sjostrand through the Atlantis Project, which is currently raising funds to build a floating city/nation to be called Oceania. Their newsletter, called Chain Breaker, is located at 4132 S. Rainbow Blvd, Suite 387; Las Vegas, Nevada 89103. Phone: 702 897-8418. [From Bill Kovarik] There's a book called "Engineers Dreams" which depicts a floating city as a mid-Atlantic airport plan from the 1940s. Sometime in the 1970s the University of Hawaii designed a floating city, and you can get the book on interlibrary loan. I know the Virginia Tech architecture school library has it, if you can't find it anywhere else. Both the airport and the Hawaii ideas dealt with structural engineering problems primarily. There are important reasons to consider floating cities as resources for the not too distant future, I believe. A very important need is for factories for processing renewable energy resources which would be too expensive or too ecologically disruptive to collect on land. Of course, the most problematic aspect of renewable energy is its dispersed nature. It must be collected and concentrated, and the process of doing that can raise costs to a non-competitive level with fossil energy. For many decades, biochemical engineers have looked to marine biomass resources as being possible to cultivate in enormous quantities without creating ecological disruptions. As early as 1918 the Pasteur Institute was engaged in the study of renewable liquid fuels like methyl and ethyl alcohol from kelp. They were able to produce about 10 gallons of fuel alcohol per ton using an acid hydrolysis method. This is very old technology; better methods are available today. In the late 1970s and early 80s tremendous new attention focused on renewable resources, and marine biomass was the subject of a good deal of study. One of the most important was the Marine Biomass Energy Conversion Technology Research Committee of the Japan Ocean Industries Association. In one study they found that a 50 kg / m2 per year was the average productivity of both Sargassum and Laminaria type kelp. I don't know if they investigated the various energy production scenarios or what their final figures are, but you could probably find out pretty quickly. If we converted kelp to renewable liquid energy at the rate of 10 gallons per ton, what do we get? Lets assume one ton (1,000 kg) is grown on 20 square meters and produces 10 gallons. To make a million gallons we need an area of 200 square kilometers. To make a billion gallons would take a 2,000 square mile area, and to replace just the gasoline used in the U.S. (100 billion gallons a year) with alcohol from marine biomass would take a 40,000 square kilometer area -- around the size of Ireland and Cuba. Of course, more efficient processes and enhanced production could decrease the necessary size, but there would be little problem finding space in the ocean for an extra 40,000 kilometers somewhere. You would hope that the final cost of this liquid fuel was within a tolerable range, lets say $1.20 (US prices) to $5.00 per gallon (European fuel prices). OK, what about the waste products. When the kelp is hydrolized we get this goopy green leftover glop -- some of it could go to other chemical processes and some could be returned to the sea, along with treated sewage from the city, to fertilize the kelp beds for future harvests. How do you support the rest of the city? Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) for electricity and fish farming and hydroponics for food, other light manufacturing, some mining of deep sea minerals -- those are possibilities. What is impossible to make at sea? Probably heavy industrial processes, such as steel mills, aluminum refining, textiles, etc. Who would live there? Given the need for dignified employment in many developing nations, I would think that you could find millions of people willing to become "kelpers." If developing nations would divert financial resources out of the petroleum sector and into sustainable development, it could vastly raise the standard of living of some of the poorest people on earth and solve a large portion of the environmental crisis at the same time. You can see (squint hard, now) some of the visions of Huxley or Fuller or even Dwayne Andreas in play here, and we can see the outline of a real solution to the world energy / environmental crisis in the development of floating cities that produce renewable energy and food. [From Steve Mather] One possiblity in "floating cities" that I recently came across is the "Mining" Magnesium. Allegedly it can be obtained from sea water. Volvo developed a car back in the eightees (unfortunately they only developed it, it never went into production) that was made of a significant amounts of magnesium for its weight and because it avoided damaging mining practices. It's called the Volvo LCP 2000. Allegedly it gets anywhere from 56 to 81 (tops, 100) mpg, and, being a diesel, will run on nearly anything. For more info write Bob Austin of Volvo of America Corporation, Rockleigh, New Jersey, 07647; or call (201) 768-7300. 4.9 What was the Old Man's River City Project (circular cities)? This was Fuller's design science approach to solving the housing crisis in East St. Louis. Here are some excerpts from BF's CRITICAL PATH: "For eminently mobile man, cities have become obsolete in terms of yesterday's functions - warehousing both new and formerly manufactured goods and housing immigrant factory workers... "Old Man's River City, undertaken for East St. Louis, Illinois takes its name from the song first sung by Paul Robeson fifty years ago, which dramatized the life of Afro-American blacks who lived along the south-of-St. louis banks of the Mississippi River... "I originally came to East St. Louis to discuss the design and possible realization of the Old Man River's City, having been asked to do so by East St. Louis community leaders themselves... It is moon-crater-shaped: the crater's truncated cone top opening is a half-mile in diameter, rim-to-rim, while the truncated mountain itself is a mile in diameter at its base ring. The city has a one-mile-diameter geodesic, quarter-sphere transparent umbrella mounted high above it to permit full, all-around viewing below the umbrella's bottom perimeter. The top of the dome roof is 1000 feet high. The bottom rim of the umbrella dome is 500 feet above the surrounding terrain, while the crater-top esplanade, looks 250 feet radially inward from the unbrella's bottom, is at the same 500-foot height. From the esplanade the truncated mountain cone slopes downwardly, inward and outward, to ground level 500 feet below. "The moon crater's inward and outward, exterior-surface slopes each consist of fifty terraces - the terrace floors are tiered vertically ten feet above or below one another. All the inwardly, downwardly sloping sides of the moon crater's terraced cone are used for communal life; its outward-sloping, tree-planted terraces are entirely for private life dwelling." If you want all the details see CRITICAL PATH pages 315-323. - C. Fearnley [From Alex Soojung-Kim Pang.] The Old Man River project never got off the drawing boards. It was mainly the work of Washington University architecture prof James Fitzgibbon. He had a long relationship with Fuller, extending back to the early 1950s. Fitzgibbon had designed a domed city to be built on Frobisher Bay in Canada in 1956, and Old Man River was an extension and expansion of that earlier plan. It was also designed to address problems that architects, planners, and policy-makers considered central in the late 1960s and early 1970s, viz. racial segregation, urban decay, and economic growth in the inner cities. Old Man River would have provided housing and services for several thousand families in the most depressed section of St. Louis. It would have been built and managed by a non-profit corporation, and taken something like 20 years to complete; in Fitzgibbon's evocative phrase, it would have been not only good housing, but a "job machine," a huge project creating new industries in the area by virtue of its immensity. Fuller claimed that it would be the incubator of a new classless, raceless society. However, it never got anything close to the $1 billion required to build it, and the St. Louis municipal government never seemed to have taken it seriously. [See 5.8 Fuller's "failures." for more.] 4.10 What was the Dymaxion Deployment Unit? [From Jay Rozen.] Alden Hatch, in his "At Home in the Universe," describes BF's "Dymaxion Deployment Unit" (DDU), a circular structure which BF intended as cheap civilian housing. From 1940 to Pearl Harbor, they were manufactured for Allied troops and sent all over the world. [From Pat Salsbury] For more pictures of the D.D.U., or the other stuff Bucky worked on, check "The Dymaxion World of Buckminster Fuller." For blueprints & such, (not necessarily in a size that is legible all the time! ;) ) try "The Artifacts of Buckminster Fuller" ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 12 Jun 1994 03:08:25 GMT Reply-To: "Christopher J. Fearnley" Sender: List for the discussion of Buckminster Fuller's works Comments: Warning -- original Sender: tag was NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU From: "Christopher J. Fearnley" Organization: Critical Path Project Subject: R. Buckminster Fuller Frequently asked Questions and Answers (Part 1 of 5) Posted-By: auto-faq 2.4 Archive-name: bucky-fuller-faq/part1 Version 0.95 Happy 98 and 11/12 birth anniversary, Bucky! This is the Frequently Asked Questions and Answers (FAQ) Resource on R. Buckminster Fuller. It is based primarily on the history of the discussions, interests, and needs of the readers of the BITNET list GEODESIC and it's USENET gateway bit.listserv.geodesic. So some of the information could be in error (especially addresses and phone numbers). The FAQ is maintained by Chris Fearnley (cfearnl@cpp.pha.pa.us). Please send all errors and suggestions to me. The FAQ is released (usually with modifications) on the 12th of each month (to celebrate Bucky's monthly birth anniversary - He was born 12 July 1895). This document still has a lot of fluff in it. But rather than risk losing the wisdom of the net, I have included most everyone's answers to just about everything. In time I hope to distill the net wisdom further with careful editing. Also, I still l haven't gone through the '94 logs from GEODESIC nor the material on the FIX BBS. So the next version will undoubtedly be larger still. Also, the list of Fuller-related companies and manufacturers is incomplete and probably fairly inaccurate. Please send me corrections. I don't even have the BFI in here. They never told me they moved and I don't know the current address. Anyone know when they will get out of the "dark ages" and join us here on the net? Or at least share with their members their new address. BTW, I won't be sending this document to them for inclusion in the archives. If someone in Santa Barbara can slip them a disk, I'm sure they'd be gratified. Finally, if you see that one of your quotes is unclear, please send me clarifications. Bracketed citations refer to the material that follows. Some citations are quoted directly from the logs and follow the material. Beware of outdated information: this information is culled from old log files and is not necessarily up-to-date. Please follow-up with discussion and questions to bit.listserv.geodesic or to the mailing list geodesic@ubvm (see 6.2 for details). Contents: 1.0 Introductory 2.0 Fuller's Ideas about Human Society: Critical Path 2.1.0 What is the Design Science Revolution? 2.1.1 When will the Design Science Revolution begin? 2.2 What is the "cosmic accounting system"? Fuller's Economics. 2.3.0 What is the World Game? 2.3.1 What is the World Game Institute? 2.3.2 What are the World Game Institutes "games" like? 2.3.3 What is Global Data Manager (GDM)? 2.3.4 Does the World Game offer any solutions to the World Hunger Problem? 2.4.0 What were Fuller's views on religion/God? 2.4.1 How did Bucky's "Ever Rethinking the Lord's Prayer" go? 2.5 What is the Global Energy Grid idea? 2.6 What is a "trimtab"? 2.7 Was Bucky a socialist? 2.8 What were Fuller's views on Education? 2.9 What is the difference between "Class I" and "Class II" evolution? 2.10 How to house humanity? And other reflections on Making the World work. 3.0 Synergetics 3.1 What is "synergy"? 3.2 What is Fuller's definition of "Universe"? 3.3.0 What is the "isotropic vector matrix" [IVM]? 3.3.1 I wondered if hexagonal closest packing forms an IVM? Also, is a diamond cubic structure the same as an IVM? 3.4 What is the "vector equilibrium"? 3.5 What is the jitterbug? 3.6 What is Fuller's concept of "space"? 3.7 What is a "system"? 3.8 What is the "minimal system"? 3.9 What is the "omnidirectional halo"? 3.10 Does synergetics provide an extension or modification of the 'scientific method?' 3.11 Are there connections between synergetics and fullerenes (besides the name, of course? 3.12 Why use synergetics conversion factors and other irrationals? 3.13 What is Precession? 3.14 What is the equation for finding the volume of a pyramid? 4.0 Geodesic Domes and Other Inventions 4.1.0 What is a geodesic dome? 4.1.1 Does a dome really weigh less than its component materials? 4.1.2 What are some features of underground, concrete domes? 4.1.3 What are geotangent domes? 4.1.4 What are the advangates (and disadvantages) of Dome Life? 4.1.5 How to use solar panels in domes? 4.1.6 Dome References [Oldest material first] 4.2.0 Dome Math: What you've all been waiting for!!! 4.2.1 Dome Theory 4.2.2 What are the basics of Spherical Trigonometry? 4.2.3 How to tesselate a sphere? 4.2.4 Chord Factors - the nitty gritty. 4.3.0 What is a tensegrity model? 4.3.1 How to Build Tensegraties? 4.3.2 Who was Kenneth Snelson and what was his role in the invention of tensegrities? 4.4 What are "cloud nines"? 4.5 What is "dymaxion"? 4.6 What is the Dymaxion Car? 4.7 What is a "fog gun"? 4.8 What was Fuller's Floating City design? 4.9 What was the Old Man's River City Project (circular cities)? 4.10 What was the Dymaxion Deployment Unit? 4.11.0 What is the Dymaxion Map? 4.11.1 Other stuff about the Dymaxion Map. 4.12 What was the Dymaxion House? 5.0 Miscellany 5.1.0 What are "fullerenes" and "buckyballs"? 5.1.1 What are some of the properties of the fullerenes? 5.1.2 What are buckytubes? 5.1.3 What are "endohedral fullerenes"? 5.2 What is Biosphere II? 5.3 Was Fuller formally educated? 5.4 Will there be a 1995 commemorative stamp marking Bucky's 100th? 5.5 Bibliography: Culled from several postings 5.6 Organizations and Corporations mentioned on GEODESIC (incomplete and dated) [Mostly dome-type manufacturers.] 5.7 Computer tools (may or may not be useful to dome design or synergetics). 5.8 Fuller's "failures." 5.9 Where would you encourage your best friend to start in the Fuller literature? (For maximum ease of mastery) 5.10 Quotes and Coinages. 5.11 Evaluating the value of the Man, Bucky: humanitarian or cold-hearted technocrat? 5.12 What was the nature of Fuller's involvement with Werner Erhardt, EST and the World Hunger Project? 5.13 What were relations between Fuller and his Students? 5.14 What is GENESIS II? 5.15 Could Fuller's proposed Very Large Structures work? 6.0 Net Resources 6.1 Buckminsterfullerenes Update Service and Fullerene Bibliography 6.2 List GEODESIC: GEODESIC@UBVM.BITNET 6.3 FIX (Fuller Information eXchange) BBS 6.4 WWW (World Wide Web) sources 1.0 Introductory Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983) is the renowned inventor of the geodesic dome, the world game, and a new system of mathematics called synergetics. He was a polymath whose writings and lectures touched upon every aspect of the human condition. His greatest writings were _Critical Path_, _Synergetics_ (2 volumes), and posthumously _Cosmography_. Since his death a recently discovered allotrope of carbon, the fullerenes, have been named in his honor. 2.0 Fuller's Ideas about Human Society: Critical Path Fuller was interested in all branches of the so-called "social sciences" and he made contributions to several. Much of this work was in Economics. He published several studies of industrial trends (including a famous 1940 issue of Fortune magazine which he inspired). He advocated the principle of "ephemeralization" or doing "more with less". He also advocated a design science revolution whereby designers use the principles of science in a well thought out way to accomplish greater and greater functionality with fewer and fewer energy resource investments for the benefit of 100% of humanity. This, in contradistinction to his "archenemy" Obnoxico Inc., which trys to make money out of thin air (or rocks) with little or no appreciable benefit to humankind. He founded the world game which explores the task of making the world work for 100% of all humanity. His major works in this area are _Critical Path_ and _Grunch of Giants_ wherein he also gives a unique perspective of the history of humans on Earth. 2.1.0 What is the Design Science Revolution? As I understand it this is basically Fuller's program for applying the principles of science to solving the problems of humanity in an aggressive, anticipatory and comprehensive way. Because the principle of ephemeralization shows that we can accomplish more and more functionality with less and less energy, material and time investment, "we are now able to do so much with so little that we can provide for the basic needs of 100% of humanity without disadvantaging anyone". Fuller suggests that by taking the design principles of Universe (as described in _Synergetics_ and elsewhere) and our consciously developed values, we can emerge from the present-day "dark ages" and prosper like never before in history. 2.1.1 When will the Design Science Revolution begin? [From Chris Fearnley] The Design Science Revolution has ALREADY begun During the 1980s, under the smoke screen of republican conservatism conveniently provided by the mass media, large numbers of individuals and groups have begun to organize the resources available to them to understand the world and begin the process of working for 100% of humanity. Here are some events that suggest that Earth may be entering the design science revolution as predicted by Buckminster Fuller: World Game grew to be an Institute, World Resources Institute was formed (c. 1982), The World Watch Institute began publishing a yearly State of the World Report, home computing explodes in numbers and quality and became ubiquitous, BBSing becomes an institution for intercommunication, [From Unknown] Some of my colleagues have been doing realtime strategizing where NEWIDEA="global design science revolution". Fuller's hypothesis was that lag times in social acceptance of new artifacts is a function of a natural gestation rate associated with different technological arenas e.g. novelty electronics proceed from drawing boards to end-users in a matter of years, whereas adoption of fundamental changes in household architecture is measured in decades. Obviously changes occur along different scales (geologic thru atomic). Some NEWIDEAs come with glacial-paced agendas that no amount of cleverness in strategy will accelerate beyond a top limit. 2.2 What is the "cosmic accounting system"? Fuller's Economics. [I think Fuller's example below is the best description. Typed in by Pat Salsbury.] The following is an excerpt from "Critical Path" by R. Buckminster ("Bucky") Fuller. (Copyright 1981, St. Martin's Press, NY - pp. 262-263) "...We have pointed out that the geologist Francois de Chardenedes wrote for me a scenario of the technology of nature's producing petroleum which disclosed that the amount of energy employed by nature as heat and pressure for the amount of time required to produce each gallon of petroleum, if paid for at the rate at which the public utilities now charge retail customers for electricity, must cost over a million dollars a gallon. Combine that information with the discovery that approximately 60 percent of the employed in U.S. America are working at tasks that are not producing any life support. Jobs of inspectors-of-inspectors; jobs with insurance companies that induce people to bet that their house is going to be destroyed by fire while the insurance company bets that it isn't. All these are negative preoccupations...jobs with the underwriting of insurance underwriters by other insurance underwriters -- people checking up on one another in all the different departments of the Treasury, the Internal Revenue, FBI, CIA, and in counterespionage. About 60 percent of all human activity in America is not producing any physical life protection, life support, or development accommodation, which physical life support alone constitutes real wealth. "The majority of Americans reach their jobs by automobile, probably averaging four gallons a day -- thereby, each is spending four million real cosmic-physical-Universe dollars a day without producing any physical Universe life-support wealth accredited in the energy-time -- metabolic -- accounting system eternally governing regenerative Universe. Humans are designed to learn how to survive only through trial-and-error-won knowledge. Long-known errors are, however, no longer cosmically tolerated. The 350 trillion cosmic dollars a day wasted by the 60 percent of no-wealth-producing human job-holders in the U.S.A., together with the $19 quadrillion a day wasted by the no-wealth-producing human job-holders in all other automobiles-to-work countries, also can no longer be cosmically tolerated. "Today we have computers that enable us to answer some very big questions if all the relevant data is fed into the computer and all the questions are properly asked. As for instance, "Which would cost society the least: to carry on as at present, trying politically to create more no-wealth-producing jobs, or paying everybody handsome fellowships to stay at home and save all those million-dollar-each gallons of petroleum?" Stated evermore succinctly, the big question will be: "Which costs more -- paying all present job-holders a billionaire's lifelong $400,000-a-day fellowship to stay at home, or having them each spend $4 million a day to commute to work?" Every computer will declare it to be much less expensive to pay people not to go to work. The same computers will also quickly reveal that there is no way in which each and every human could each day spend $400,000 staying at the most expensive hotels and doing equally expensive things; they could rarely spend 4000 of the 1980-deflated dollars a day, which is only 1 percent of a billionaire's daily income." [From Ross Keatinge] The most fundamental message I have got from his writings is about wealth. I cringe when I hear or read about a 'worldwide recession' and a 'depressed economy'. I know it sounds like common sense but I find it difficult to get people to realise that it is all our own doing. I work for a company which among other things does foreign exchange dealing. I'm not directly involved in but I always find it amusing when they talk about 'The Market' as if it is some alien entity which we have no control over. There has been some currency crises in recent times and I hear phases like "Everybody is watching the market very closly today", or "I hope the dollar doesn't drop any further today". I tend to see the population of the Earth as similar to a group of people living on an island with plenty of natural resources but some are starving because the people can't get their act together even though they have the technology to transport resources around the island. The latest 'Time' has a bit about the huge stockpiles of food in Europe they don't quite know what to do with. 2.3.0 What is the World Game? [keyed in by Patrick G. Salsbury.] This is an excerpt from "The Essential Whole Earth Catalog" (Doubleday & Company, Inc., Garden City, NY) p. 89 " THE WORLD GAME "To make the World work / for 100% of Humanity / In the shortest possible time / Through spontaneous cooperation / Without ecological offense / Or the disadvantage of anyone." Buckminster fuller initiated the World Game in 1969 as one means of accomplishing this worthy goal. The idea is that with enough data on world resources and their distribution (including accumulated technology and problem-solving skills), the world's citizens will do what's best for all. Fuller assumed that once it was obvious that there was enough of everything to go around, people would stop fighting wars and get to work making the world work -- if not as a utopia at least not continuing the current suicidal path. World Game is still developing. Recent sessions use an enormous basketball-court-size map in order to more easily visualize various strategies as they are suggested by participants. A formidable software database called Global Data Manager allows individuals to play with the numbers on their PCs. 2.3.1 What is the World Game Institute? [Dane Winberg of the World Game Institute sent me this contribution.] World Game Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan, global education and research organization dedicated to developing and disseminating problem solving and educational tools. World Game was conceived by world renowned architect, philosopher and visionary, R. Buckminster Fuller as a creative problem solving tool whose goal is to "make the world work for 100% of humanity in the shortest possible time, through spontaneous cooperation and without ecological offense or the disadvantage of anyone." Global Recall 2.0 - A computer atlas featuring 300 world, regional and country maps and 600 data indicators for all countries; 18 essays on current global problems; a Solutions Lab section where you can describe your ideas for global solutions and compare them to real-world data. Comprised of several linked HyperCard stacks, available for Macintosh computers. Regular data updates. Global Data Manager - Available for DOS or Macintosh (currently only for system 6), GDM displays data on population, food, energy, education, natural resources, economics, etc. for the world, all continents and all countries. Separately sold disks of data from World Bank, World Resources Institute, UN. World Game Workshops - Interactive global simulations conducted for elementary and high schools, community groups, universities and corporations; adapted with an emphasis on world geography, history, current events, global issues, patterns of development, strategic options and sustainable solutions to local and global problems. World View Map for the Playground - A basketball court-sized world map is painted on elementary school playgrounds; includes an activities manual for several subject areas. World View Map for the Classroom - A smaller roll-out version of the playground map for indoor use. World Game Institute 3215 Race Street Philadelphia, PA 19104-2597 Phone: (215)387-0220 Fax: (215)387-3009 E-mail: XTM00002@DUVM.OCS.DREXEL.EDU [Posted by Ian Wells] INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD GAME INSTITUTE The World Game Institute is a non-profit research and education organization dedicated to developing technological and interactive tools for global problem solving. Among our many products and programs are: - Computer software products for researchers, primary and secondary schools, policy makers and others who need global information at their fingertips to help them create problem solving strategies that work; - Participatory workshops conducted for corporations, national governments, universities high schools and world organizations that demonstrate in real terms the distribution of resources around the world, and methods of using those resources to provide a quality standard of life for all humans without destroying the planet; - Museum exhibits which display the status of resource distribution around the world, and which demonstrate the impact of environmental, military and agricultural policy; - Publications which disseminate research methods and solutions for global problems, and demonstrating creative uses for the tools developed by the World Game Institute; - Playground maps of the world, supplied with teacher's training manuals and activities to make global education fun. The World Game was created by R. Buckminster Fuller, the eminent geometer, architect and thinker, as a creative alternative to war games. Participants in World Game workshops learn to see the world in terms of one population sharing the wealth of one planet, and "win" the Game when they meet the basic health, education, welfare and survival needs of the world's population. In its more sophisticated versions, the World Game also acts as a simulation and laboratory, used by policy makers, corporations and diplomats and world leaders to devise efficient problem solving strategies. ******The preceding was uploaded to CompuServe several months ago. The World Game Workshop, while conceived by Fuller, does not resemble the original Workshops closely at all. Neither is the World Game Institute actively involved in disseminating information about Fuller or pursuing his "synergetics" theory, per se. His theories are a jumping off point for the Institute, but we are not solely involved in propagating his teachings alone. Susan Caskey 2.3.2 What are the World Game Institutes "games" like? Did you know that some scientists have determined that the air could cleanse itself of all pollutants in TWO WEEKS if polluting stopped for that period of time? Did you know that all nuclear warheads would be non-explosive in 18-22 years if no tritium (sp?) was replaced in them? Briefly, The World Game is a three hour experience including a 1 1/2 hour trading simulation game played on a dymaxion projection of the Earth. Lots of slides and music is used to make it entertaining as well as educational. Fuller's intent was to design a game that would be an alternative to war games. Although the game content deals with many issues besides the environment such as hunger, nuclear proliferation, and education, the ideas of cooperation and coordination are pervasive and based on up-to-the-moment data on all of the issues. Costs are dependent on number of workshops to be held, distance travelled, etc. Figure around $3500 and up. But it is worth it! Often our district will spend anywhere from $5000-$10,000 for a speaker for an evening seminar. So don't flinch at the money yet. Janet Whitaker Rio Salado Community College Phoenix, Arizona 2.3.3 What is Global Data Manager (GDM)? To quote from the GDM manual: "If information is power, Global Data Manager is a powerful tool. Its intended purpose is to make accessible the vast amounts of statistical data upon which all fundamental resource allocation decisions in the world are made... Global Data Manager makes available for the first time, in an easy to use personal data computer format, the vital statistics of the world. Its purpose is to integrate into one system the world's most complete inventory of global data into an easy to use, personal computer based, problem analysis and solving system that is accessible to the researcher, policy maker, social activist, student, teacher, media and general public" Ian Wells Director, Social Impact Group Boston Computer Society 2.3.4 Does the World Game offer any solutions to the World Hunger Problem? I just latched onto a copy of "Ho-Ping: Food for Everyone," by Medard Gabel [CF: Medard Gabel is the executive director of the World Game Institute.] and the World Game Laboratory. It is INCREDIBLE! It addresses the World's Food supply/distribution problems from a holistic, comprehensive, design science approach. That is, by considering the ENTIRE planet, and 100% of humanity in all its study. -Patrick Salsbury 2.4.0 What were Fuller's views on religion/God? The following is a quote from pages 116 & 117 of "Ideas and Integrities"by R. Buckminster Fuller. (c) 1963 This actual passage is taken from something he wrote on Sunday, Nov. 7th, 1942, It is interesting to note how accurate the statements seem to be in our present time, despite their age. I got a kick out of them in light of the recent scandals in religious circles and all the other goings on. The statements come from Chapter Six of the Book. It is entitled "I Figure" and these two words are meant to proceed each of the ideas presented in the chapter. -Patrick Salsbury 1-11-90 "...that the people are now more deeply conscious than ever before in history of the existence and functioning principles of universal, inexorable physical laws; of the pervading, quietly counseling truth within each and every one of us; of the power of love; and--each man by himself--of his own developing, dynamic relationship with his own conception of the Almightiness of the All-Knowing. ...that our contemporaries just don't wear their faith on their sleeves anymore. ...that people have removed faith from their sleeves because they found out for themselves that faith is much too imp