Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee Online Chat
November 1, 1996
SciFi.com

Moderator: ok here's how it works

Moderator: you send private messages to me

Moderator: I'll pass them along to Arthur and Gentry at a human pace

Moderator: then they'll respond to the group

Moderator: with more than 30 or 40 people, the flood is unreadable and
there are too many questions for anyone to answer in half an hour

Moderator: that's why we have to do it like this

Moderator: I'll repeat these instructions before we go live for
late-comers

Moderator: Greetings!

Moderator: Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee will be joining us shortly...

Moderator: All questions should be submitted to me via "/msg
Moderator..."

Moderator: ACC is not here yet, folks...FYI.

Moderator: BTW, all...ACC is working-out some last minute software bugs;
Gentry Lee will be joining us momentarily.

ITC: Hello,,everyone. Gentry Lee is here.

Moderator: Greetings, Gentry...would you care to introduce yourself to
the group?

ITC: Hello. This is Gentry Lee, age 54,father of seven sons, sometimes
science fiction writer, NASA engineer, CD-ROM designer, and television
producer.

Moderator: Questions for Gentry, anyone...?

Moderator: <Terminus> to <Moderator>: How did you meet Arthur C Clarke?

ITC: Peter Guber took me to Sri Lanka to try to interest Arthur in a
joint venture. If you would like more details, please see the
Introduction to the novel RAMA II.

Moderator: <JB> to <Moderator>: Will there be a sequel to RAMA?

ITC: There is a planned sequel to the game RAMA. My guess is that the
RAMA universe will show up in a few more manifestations as well.

Moderator: <Barnabas> to <Moderator>: what kind of engineering work does
Gentry do for NASA?

shred: Gentry, were you a writer first or an engineer first?

ITC: I was the director of Science Analysis for Viking, the Chief
Engineer for Galileo, and on the review boards for most of planetary
missions of the last two decades.

Moderator: <Viz> to <Moderator>: Does it ever feel strange to write with
someone so well known and well regarded?

ITC: As an undergraduate I studied languages and literature. In
graduate school at MIT I studied engineering. All my life I have loved
learning. I always expected to write novels when, and if I could find
the time.

Moderator: <Steempee> to <Moderator>: I am curious as to how
Co-authoring a book works out. What roles do you each play?

Arthur: Hello, Arthur is here

Moderator: Greetings, ACC...

ITC: I was flattered when Arthur asked me to collaborate with him. In
the beginning it was very much a mentor student relationship, at least
where the craftsmanship was concerned.

Moderator: Any questions for Arthur?

ITC: Hello, Arthur.

Moderator: <Maagic> to <Moderator>: Do you believe there was or still is
Life on Mars?

ITC: Arthur, do you want me to explain how we work together, or do you
want to do it?

Moderator: <theXphile> to <Moderator>: is Arthur writing from Sri Lanka?

Arthur: yes

ITC: Okay, I'll answer the collaboration question. It's quite simple.
Arthur and I talk about the books, I write all the text, he reads and
makes editing suggestions.

Arthur: ok

Moderator: <JB> to <Moderator>: Arthur: Why do you live in srilanka?

Moderator: <xLessa> to <Moderator>: has the communications satelite
lived up to all of Mr. Clarke's predictions? Or is more in store?

Arthur: why i live here - read THE VIEW FROM SERENDIP!

Moderator: <Ike> to <Moderator>: Arthur, who is your favorite author
right now?

Arthur: Mars - I'll be v surprised if tere isn't some form of life
there..

Moderator: HAL-9000> to <Moderator>: Mr. Clarke, how did you meet S.
Kubrick?

Arthur: see HOW THE WORLD WAS ONE for my comsat views. Over to you
again...

Arthur: A lot of people are asking me questions I've written several
books to answer - no way I can do in a few lines!

Moderator: <Bob> to <Moderator>: <Bob> Mr. Clark: It has been shown that
music and math/science skills complement each other. What kind of music
do you like?

Arthur: Classical - Rachmananoff, Sibelius - but Vangelis, Jarre - and
Mike Oldfield has done a beaut 0 SONGS OF DISTANT EARTH

Moderator: <deanna> to <Moderator>: For Arthur C Clarke: What ever
happened to the movie option of A Fall of Moondust?

Moderator: <theXphile> to <Moderator>: how does Arthur feel about the
internet (hype aside) and things like this very chat?

Arthur: Good question, ask my agent. I think its at Universal Studio,
suggest you picket them. They've also been sitting on CHILDHOOD'S END
for 30 years.

Moderator: <HAL-9000> to <Moderator>: Mr. Clarke, do you still have any
contact with Kubrick? What does he think of 2010, 2061, 3001?

Arthur: We're in constant touch and of course we're sending him 3001 but
he's busy on many other projects. The Turner organization own 3001 movie
rights.

Moderator: <JaWS> to <Moderator>: Mr. Clarke : Will any of your books be
made into movies anytime soon...Rendezvous with Rama? The Deep Range?
2061?

Arthur: Spielberg has HAMMER OF GOD and half a dozen other projects on
discussion.

Moderator: Gentry Lee has stepped away momentarily...he will return.

Moderator: <Italy> to <Moderator>: Locus magazine wrote that you are
committed in multimedia projects including CD-ROMs of Rama and Rama 2.
May you give us more details ?

Arthur: RAMA game is just out-may film RAMA TWO game here in spring if
overwhelming public demand - as we expect and hope!

Moderator: <uncas> to <Moderator>: Mr. Clarke, what about the end of
RAMA Reveald - do U think that we're a part of a greater experiment?

Arthur: Ask Gentry - but see ending of 3001 especially the last
sentence.

Moderator: <Evil1> to <Moderator>: Do you feel that Mr. Kubrick's 2001
was too abstract compared to your 2001?

Arthur: No, it was exactly right.

Moderator: <Shawn> to <Moderator>: Mr. Clarke: How do you plan to
celebrate, or mark the turn of the millenia?

Arthur: By being alive.

Moderator: <JB> to <Moderator>: Mr. Clark What do you think of all this
UFO abduction talk going around the media?

Moderator: <Agamotto> to <Moderator>: Does Clarke still use his Amiga?

Arthur: Utter raving rubbish! I'm afraid there are a lot of madmen and
mad women around - not to mention unscruplous publishers.

Moderator: <Bob> to <Moderator>: <Bob> Mr. Clark: How important is it
that an author be VERY prolific early on in their careers? For example,
Frank Herbert had a tough time selling Dune when he finished writing it.

Gentry: Hello, this is Gentry. Can anyone hear me NOW

Moderator: Yes. Welcome back, Gentry...

Arthur: No general rules - see Kippling "There are six and ninety of
writing tribal lays, And every single one is right.

Moderator: <Agamotto> to <Moderator>: ACC: What new technologies excite
you the most?

Arthur: HI Gentry

Gentry: I haven't been anywhere. I was shuffled into an electronic cul
de sac.

Gentry: Hi Arthur.

Moderator: Yikes.

Moderator: <Ike> to <Moderator>: Mr Clarke, "utter raving rubbish"? Your
work is so hopefull... I take it you believe we are "alone"?

Arthur: The coming cold-fusion revolution. Our world is ending in the
next decade. But nobody realizes it yet.

Moderator: <BrightCoral> to <Moderator>: Mr. Clarke: Are you optimistic
about the way our present day space programs are headed?

Moderator: <deanna> to <Moderator>: For Gentry Lee: Will we be seeing,
or has there been, any novels from your goodself, without a
co-authorship? I enjoy your writing style.

Moderator: <JB> to <Moderator>: Mr. Clark .. How is the world ending?

Arthur: I'm sure the universe is full of intelligent life. It's just
been too intelligent to come here.

shred: We will be running our Howard Gordon chat in #HowardGordon in a
few minutes.

Moderator: <Ike> to <Moderator>: Gentry, do you and Arthur agree in
philosophies?

Moderator: <Italy> to <Moderator>: Clarke: Will you available online in
the future ? Will you attend some newsgroup (i.e rec.arts.sf.written) ?

Gentry: Yes, BRIGHT MESSENGERS came out last year. And if I ever have
time away from designing CDROMS, I will finish the sequel DOUBLE FULL
MOON NIGHT. Actually Im seventy percent finished at present.

Moderator: <Steempee> to <Moderator>: Mr. Lee: Seven sons. How did you
find time or solitude to write?

Arthur: No, this is too time consuming and I'm overwhelmed with other
projects.

Gentry: From my point of view, I have never had a serious philosophical
disagreement with Arthur.

Arthur: ditto

Gentry: When I need to write first drafts, I hide myself away in a
lonely condo on the woods or the beach.

shred: Howard Gordon is now chatting in #HowardGordon.

Moderator: <Daniel> to <Moderator>: Gentry are you a full-time writer
now, or do you still work as a scientist?

Moderator: <Terminus> to <Moderator>: Do either of you intend to write
for television?

Moderator: <JerseyGirl> to <Moderator>: Mr. Clarke: Do you mean the
world ending in a physical sense, a currentt level of technology sense,
or a spiritual sense aka the 2nd coming?

Gentry: I write, I design CD-ROMS, I try to help my wife raise our seven
sons, I work on several different engineering projects, and so forth.
The happy life is the one in which each day you choose among projects
and activities you enjoy.

Arthur: No, but television can write for me. Have a half-dozen projects
in orbit.

Arthur: RE: World ending; I mean a technological revolution compairable
to the steam and electric one.

Moderator: <tim> to <Moderator>: ACC:What is your publishing schedule?

Moderator: And cold fusion is not a pipe dream...?

Arthur: 3001 out in March.

Moderator: <Fountain> to <Moderator>: Arthur: What was your feelings
like when you finished the last keystroke on 3001?

Moderator: <Cveti-> to <Moderator>: What kind of computers are you
using?

Arthur: No, it's for real - but much of it is not fusion at all -
possibly zero-point energy.

Gentry: If I may put in a plug for the RAMA CDROM, most of these
questions are answered by Arthur in the Interviews section that
accompanies the game.

Arthur: Compaq LTE 3500 w/ Windows 95

Moderator: <Badlands> to <Moderator>: Do you either get "writers block"
and what do you do to combat it?

Gentry: There is not sufficient flexibility in my schedule for writer's
block. If I have time scheduled to write, I damn better write.

Arthur: Yes, I had a writers block for twenty minutes on 3 Jan 1942.

Moderator: <Ike> to <Moderator>: "zero point energy"? How close do you
think we are to actual hardware?

Gentry: That was two months and twenty-six days before my birth. Do you
think there is a connection? Some of the pseudo-scientists would.

Arthur: Read Gene Mallove's magazine INFINITE ENERGY.

Moderator: <Evil1> to <Moderator>: do you gentlemen consider yourselves
scientists or fiction authors first?

Arthur: I was never a scientist - but always a writer.

Gentry: We dont categorize ourselves. We leave that to others.

Moderator: <Daniel> to <Moderator>: Arthur, which book are you most
'satisfied' with, most proud of?

Gentry: Arthur, the inventor of satellite communications might be
considered a scientist by some.

Arthur: SONGS OF DISTANT EARTH

Moderator: <ConBoy> to <Moderator>: This is micah. Can you let him know
that Marty Greenberg's (of Gnome Press) grandson wants to tell him that
Marty Says hi...

Arthur: Give my regards to Marty - I still remember him kindly.

Moderator: <Cveti-> to <Moderator>: Lee, are you going to make other
games for SIERRA?

Moderator: <JerseyGirl> to <Moderator>: Mr. Clarke: Is it problematic
for you to do background research for your books in Sri Lanka?

Gentry: Arthur, the visit to Japan has been going very well. I'll give
you a full report after I return home from Europe.

Moderator: <Badlands> to <Moderator>: Are any of your characters a
direct reflection of yourself?

Arthur: No problem at all thanks to modern communications and a
continuous string of visitors.

Gentry: I am planning to make other games for Sierra, assuming that they
decide upon a schedule thats acceptable to me.

Moderator: <Fountain> to <Moderator>: What advice would either of you
give to a person who was thinking about writing a novel?

Arthur: Gentry - glad trip has gone well. Give my regards to Hiroshi.

Arthur: Get a steady job first.

Moderator: <Barnabas> to <Moderator>: Arthur, what was your first job?

Arthur: Government auditor in Whitehall - 1936.

Moderator: <JerseyGirl> to <Moderator>: Lee: What are you doing in
Japan? ...if it's not personal...

Gentry: The probability of earning a decent living writing novels must
be roughly equal to the probability of finding water with a divining
rod.

Moderator: <Ike> to <Moderator>: Arthur what human accomplishment has
amazed you the most?

Gentry: I'm in Japan doing publicity for the SONY Playstation version of
RAMA and a few other business items.

Arthur: I think divining rods sometimes work.

Arthur: The micro chip.

Moderator: <Stephen> to <Moderator>: What was Stanley Kubrick like when
you met him?

Gentry: Good zinger, Arthur

Moderator: <Ike> to <Moderator>: Gentry, what do you hope to see in the
world's development in the next 50 years?

Arthur: Read THE LOST WORLDS OF 2001. Stanley is a genius and I enjoyed
working w/ him.

Moderator: <uncas> to <Moderator>: what do you both think about Isaac
Asimov?

Arthur: He was a dear friend and I miss him badly.

Moderator: <Badlands> to <Moderator>: Considering how difficult it is to
actually make a living from writing, how much
encouragement/discouragment did you receive in your beginning years?

Gentry: The next century will go into the textbooks as the Biological
Revolution. Arthur is concentrating on future energy sources. I am
focused these days on the complete transformation of life and the
species as we untap the biological potential of the genome.

Moderator: <Italy> to <Moderator>: ACC: What's your personal idea of
afterlife after so many years spent writing about science and science
fiction ?

Gentry: I have received discouragement every time I have started
something new. Thats the nature of people.

Moderator: <EarlGrey> to <Moderator>: What does Arthur think of the Star
Trek Universe... does he think there is a Prime Directive out there?

Arthur: School magazine editor Mitford in 1933 - then SF editor Walter
Gillings were my chief encouragers. I was lucky never to have had major
rejections.

Moderator: <Shawn> to <Moderator>: Mr. Lee: How do you stand, morally,
in topics of genetic engineering?

Moderator: <Giskard> to <Moderator>: Arthur: As a "wannabe-SF-writer",
is there any advice you can give me?

Arthur: I don't believe in an after life. H.G. Wells once commented on
the absuridity of people who didn't know what to do on a wet Saturday
afternoon talking about eternal life.i

Moderator: <Pike> to <Moderator>: Have either of you Marshall Savage's
book "The Millenial Project"? Do you think it is a viable way to
colonize space?

Gentry: I always try to distinguish between two separate steps in the
process. Science is about acquiring knowledge for the species. By my
definition, it is always good. Technology then transforms that
knowledge into use in some way. Given the terrible state of scientific
illiteracy in the world, it is likely that most new scientific ideas
will be misused. My moral position on genetic engineering is that
people ignorant of the science should not be able to make a stand.

Moderator: <JaWS> to <Moderator>: Mr. Clarke : What do you feel the most
important work of science fiction ever written is?

Gentry: I have read Marshall Savage's book and found it quite
interesting.

Arthur: RE: Startrek - I helped Gene to save it so perhaps I'm biased
but I greately admired its best episodes though I doubt I've seen 10% of
the series.

Moderator: <JaWS> to <Moderator>: Mr. Clarke Has the Galileo satellite
given you any useful information? Or did you write 3001 without it?

Arthur: Probably H.G. Wells's THE TIME MACHINE.

Moderator: <Viz> to <Moderator>: I recently read parts of a recent book
entitled _The End of Science_ (or close to that.) Are we approaching to
end of our ability to expand science?

Gentry: What a colossal pile of bleep

Moderator: <Ike> to <Moderator>: Do either of you believe we are close
to eliminating aging factors?

Arthur: I couldn't have written 3001 w/o Galileo but I'm worried that
when it gets closer we'll see the YANKEE GO HOME signs.

Gentry: It is hubris for humanity to think that he will ever draw close
to knowing everything about anything. Or vice versa/

Moderator: <Badlands> to <Moderator>: Mr. Clark, could you elaborate
about your relationship with Gene Roddenberry?

Gentry: Arthur, I have seen the planned scans of Europa for December.
They should provide the most interesting pictures from space in the last
two decades.

Gentry: My worry is that if we eliminate aging factors, we may have too
high a moment of inertia in our society. Arthur and I treated this
issue with the background of the octospiders in the RAMAseries of
novels.

Arthur: See recent books on Gene - particularily Yvonne Fern's .

Arthur: See Dean Swift on ageing.

Moderator: <BrightCoral> to <Moderator>: Do either of you think that we
will be forced to colonize space before we are ready?

Gentry: A well-aimed Earth crossing asteroid could push us in that
direction pretty fast, but the probability is very small.

Arthur: I wish we were. Maybe SpaceGuard (see HAMMER OF GOD).

Moderator: <Ike> to <Moderator>: Gentry, any other "worries"?

Moderator: <JerseyGirl> to <Moderator>: Mr. Clarke: Have you ever
wanted to collaborate with Ray Bradbury?

Arthur: Ray is a good friend. But the subject has never come up.

Gentry: My biggest worry is that the planet is placing too low a value
on education. In the future, decisions will need to be made that
require an informed populace. Although Im fundamentally an optimist, I
do worry that we, as a species, might not be up to the coming
challenges.

Moderator: <Bob> to <Moderator>: <Bob> Mr. Clark: When you were working
on early radars and other hard science areas, did you find that reading
SF enhanced the creativity in your technical achievements?

Arthur: I wish people would spell my name correctly.

Moderator: <tim> to <Moderator>: ACC: What is your position on the
"excavation" of Titanic?

Arthur: I've just seen the film of this and have mixed feelings. There
are good arguements on both sides.

Moderator: <Midora> to <Moderator>: Arthur have you ever worked with
Jerry Pournelle?

Moderator: <HAL-9000> to <Moderator>: Mr. Clarke what writers do you
read?

Moderator: <shred> to <Moderator>: Arthur/Gentry: what are you reading
now?

Gentry: Im rereading Abe's Woman of the Dunes

Moderator: <Agamotto> to <Moderator>: ACC&Gentry: Either of you had
time to read Utopia yet? It is the finish to the Allen/Asimov Robot
novels.

Arthur: No, I admire him but we had a bit of a row over the fortunately
defunct Star Wars nonsense (though not all of it was ! ).

Moderator: <grokmrs> to <Moderator>: Has anyone asked Arthur his opinion
on the political unrest in Sri Lanka?

Arthur: I have had time read only 3 novels this year and can't remember
the names of 2.

Gentry: The only UTopia Ihave read was written by Sir Thomas More.

Moderator: <JB> to <Moderator>: Gentry: What postions did you serve onn
the viking mission?

Moderator: <Fountain> to <Moderator>: Gentry: You said that you are
fundamentally an optimist, do you find all of the negativity and
cynicism in out culture disheartening or do you think it will change in
the coming century?

Gentry: I worked on the proposal, was head of navigation for awhile,
then took over the lander software, then mission operations, then Jim
Martin asked me to try to manage all the scientists during operations.

Moderator: <LittleSgt> to <Moderator>: Sir Arthur, what do you do for
personal entertainment?

Moderator: <deanna> to <Moderator>: For Mssrs Clarke and Lee: Harlan
Ellison came out to Australia earlier this year.. Will we see either of
you out here anytime soon?

Arthur: I'm not a sir. Don't have time except an hours table tennis
every afternoon, but I'm now listening to more music again and hope to
view my backlog of video tapes.

Gentry: What I find most disheartening is the focus on the self. Ronald
Reagan's era has not yet completely died, unfortunately. UNless we work
together to make life better for others, I am anxious about the bimodal
world of the future.

Gentry: As for the negativity, that's always been there. Imagine the
14th century, with plague, and two popes, and knights and squires
running amok. Today is much better.

Moderator: <Kiteman> to <Moderator>: Arthur, Childhoods End would
certainly be considered controversial by certain segments of the worlds
population taking into account current fundamentalist leanings. Your
thoughts on this...?

Arthur: Very unlikely I'll visit the U.S. again much as I'd like to. My
China trip was enjoyable but difficult to organize and I'm still coping
with the backlog.

Gentry: Im on a publicity trip now, headed to Europe tomorrow, but I
have no plans to be in Australia in the near future. I was there in
1991 and quite liked it, especially Perth.

Moderator: <Midora> to <Moderator>: ACC & Lee What do you see as the
next revolution in electronics?

Arthur: See 3001 - I expect to be in Salman Rushdi mode when everyone
has read the chapter "The Madness of Mankind".

Gentry: Smaller devices, more capability, concomitant reduction in the
number of jobs that, from a cost^effective standpoint, favor humans over
machines.

Arthur: Ditto

Moderator: <EarlGrey> to <Moderator>: Does Mr. Clark think a world
government is then next natural step for humanity?

Arthur: I refuse to answer any more questions if my name is mispelled
again.

Moderator: Everybody: ARTHUR C. CLARKE!!!

Moderator: <Daniel> to <Moderator>: arthur, i am 22 now, what do you
think my chances of ever going into space are?

Moderator: <Barnabas> to <Moderator>: Lee, How does the NASA budget look
for this fiscal year?

Moderator: <levi> to <Moderator>: I would be very interested to hear
Clarke's view on that world government question.

Gentry: The NASA budget is not the problem, as I see it. The problem is
that so much of the money is spent preserving bureaucratic institutions,
including the manned space infrastructure. The recent discoveries in
the meteorites from Mars have again given me hope that some day we will
indeed capitalize on the success of Viking. But in general, N

Arthur: Have I scared everyone away?

Moderator: Hardly!

Moderator: <Shawn> to <Moderator>: Mr. Clarke: I would simply like to
say that your writings have had a phenomanal impact on me, personally,
and have provided much inspiration. Mr. Lee, I look forward to reading
more of your matererials. Or pehaps, "interacting" with both your
writings would be more appropriate...

Gentry: Not me, Arthur. Incidentally, how have you liked what you,ve
done with the game so far?

Arthur: This is ACC signing off - nice talking to you!

Moderator: Thank you, Arthur...!

Gentry: Was that my cue?

Moderator: Up to you, Gentry...got any energy left?

Moderator: <Ike> to <Moderator>: Gentry, stick around if you can.

Gentry: Always. But I am starting to get hungry.

Moderator: <Songohan> to <Moderator>: goodnight Mr Clarke

Moderator: Any last questions for Gentry?

Gentry: Goodbye Arthur

Moderator: <EnergySrc> to <Moderator>: ACC and Lee: Do you think money
spent on space travel and exploration is money well spent?

Moderator: <Pike> to <Moderator>: Anything we can do (as individuals) to
get an effective space program again?

Gentry: While we,re waiting, I have a question. HOw many people have
participated in this activity?

Moderator: We had approximately 140 participants, Gentry...

Moderator: <Songohan> to <Moderator>: Lee: do you plan on stopping by
the U.S. On your tour?

Moderator: <BrightCoral> to <Moderator>: Gentry, do you see JPL
surviving in the space probe business in the present day budget
environment?

Moderator: <Ike> to <Moderator>: Gentry, lots of folks are looking over
shoulders, triple that attendance #

Gentry: I think money spent in the acquisition of knowledge about space
is very valuable. I do not, however, think that the manned space
program can be justified at current. I have always said, don,t send a
man to do a robot,s job. Pardon me, everybody, but I m having some
trouble working from a Japanese keyboard.

Gentry: Thanks for the numbers

Moderator: That's the most people Sci-Fi Channel has ever had in a chat,
BTW, Gentry...

Gentry: I did a publicity tour in the US-- best output Ive seen was in
Science Fiction Age

Moderator: <JerseyGirl> to <Moderator>: Lee: If we ever got into the
colonization of space, do you think it would turn into another prison
colony like Australia was in the beginning?

Gentry: To survive as an institution, JPL must change the way they do
business. They,re trying, but the jury is still out.

Moderator: <HAL-9000> to <Moderator>: Mr. Lee, what do you feel is a
man's job in space?

Gentry: In the GARDEN OF RAMA, some of the colonists on their way to
Mars were from prisons. Yes, I think the answer is prisoners will be
likely candidates for the first jobs in space.

Moderator: <HuckFinn> to <Moderator>: Mr. Lee, with the convenience of
the Internet available to you, do you anticipate any more long-distance
collaborations in your future?

Gentry: Human beings should go into space to answer questions that
require the unique capabilities of our species. Thus we wait, in my
opinion, until there are questions that cannot be answered by robots.

Moderator: <HAL-9000> to <Moderator>: Mr. Lee do you think a situation
like The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress is possible?

Gentry: Arthur and I enjoy working together. We have spent enough time
now that it,s easy. Ive not thought about collaborating with another
writer.

Moderator: <Shawn> to <Moderator>: Mr. Lee: Do you feel that humanity,
as a collective, has a job to accomplish, or some form of responsibility
in the Universe?

Moderator: <deanna> to <Moderator>: Mr Lee: Do you feel the Life on Mars
'hoax' was a way to get more funding for the Mars missions?

Moderator: <Ian> to <Moderator>: Mr. Lee: What is your personal opinion
on the authenticity and or validity of the much talked about Mars meteor
that is in the news?

Gentry: I believe that we are chemicals, forged in dying stars, risen to
consciousness by an amazing evolutionary process. The miracle is that
we are aware. I think it is hubris (theres that word again) for us to
imagine we have a major purpose.

Moderator: <Pike> to <Moderator>: A few years ago I read a journal
article by a scientist who felt that basically there is a narrow window
of time for any society to achieve space colonization. Wait too long
and the resources will not be available to do it. Would you agree with
this idea?

Gentry: The meteor is definitely from Mars. The gas signature is
unmistakable. All the issues raised HINT (which is different from
proof) that there may be some biologic activity underway. Mars was once
warm and wet. It seems reasonable to me that life could have existed
there.

Gentry: No, I don't agree with the idea of a limited window for space
colonization. But I do believe that there is a limited window for
educational uplift. If we don't manage it soon, the weight of ignorance
will sink the future for the species.

Gentry: Okay, everyone, I'm checking out. I hope everyone had fun.

Moderator: <BrightCoral> to <Moderator>: Gentry, what do you think needs
to be done for educational uplift?

Moderator: Thanks so much, Gentry...

Gentry: Worldwide realization that the number one issue we face as a
species is planning our own survival and then putting the right emphasis
on upgrading our public education.

Moderator: Thanks again to both Arthur and Gentry. Perhaps we'll be
lucky enough to have them back sometime soon...

Gentry: And that was the last question.

Moderator: Thanks again...