Arthur C. Clarke: A Life's Odyssey

Arthur C. Clarke, author of more than 100 books and the classic 2001: A Space Odyssey has passed away at the age of 90. His writing is obviously an incredible achievement, but he also did a lot more that I was surprised to learn about with his passing. Clarke had battled debilitating post-polio syndrome since the 1960s and sometimes used a wheelchair. He moved to Sri Lanka in 1956, lured by his interest in marine diving, which he said was as close as he could get to the weightless feeling of space. "I'm perfectly operational underwater," he once said. He was credited with the concept of communications satellites in 1945, decades before they became a reality. Geosynchronous orbits, which keep satellites in a fixed position relative to the ground, are called "Clarke orbits." Pretty amazing, huh? Thought it all worth sharing, as he's clearly a man worth remembering. (Source to the AP for most of this post).