“Some dangers are so spectacular and so much beyond normal experience that the mind refuses to accept them as real, and watches the approach of doom without any sense of apprehension. The man who looks at the onrushing tidal wave, the descending avalanche, or the spinning funnel of the tornado, yet makes no attempt to flee, is not necessarily paralyzed with fright or resigned to an unavoidable fate. He may simply be unable to believe that the message of his eyes concerns him personally. It is all happening to somebody else.”

English science fiction writer, inventor, undersea explorer and TV series host

Arthur C. Clarke was an English science fiction writer, inventor, undersea explorer, and television series host. He became especially well known for writing fiction that imagined the future with unusual clarity and for taking part in popular science broadcasting. Clarke’s work brought together science, technology, and speculation about what humans might build and discover. Beyond his writing, he was also active as an inventor and explored the sea, interests that fit the practical curiosity that runs through his public life and work.