Who was R. Buckminster Fuller? by Dr. Graeme Edwards Early in his career, R. Buckminster Fuller, fondly known as "Bucky," was kicked out of Harvard University. Not once, but twice! Amazingly, by the end of his career - when he died in 1983 at the age of 88 - he had received 48 honorary degrees and doctorates. Although he had not "worked for a living" for 56 years, he was incredibly productive. He designed his life by living by a set of principles and self-discipline. Those principles can be summarized as " to recognize the value of each and every individual, and recognize the value of individuals who choose to work together." Bucky saw power in this because "together, we can be of greater service to our community." He observed that the greater number of people he chose to serve, the more effective he became. During his career, he wrote 22 books, many of which are still in print and available at libraries and bookstores. He was an adviser to a variety of governments, including the U.S., France, Brazil, China, India and Russia. More than that, Bucky was a friend to many: Mahatma Gandhi, John Denver (who wrote a song about Bucky called "What one man can do"), Albert Einstein and notable aviators Amelia Earhart and Sir Charles Kingsford Smith. Einstein felt that Bucky had a "true and intuitive understanding of his work." He marveled at Bucky's ability to turn this theory into practice. He once said, "Young man, you amaze me. I cannot conceive of anything I have ever done, having the slightest practical application." Bucky, while being a great thinker, was also a very practical man. As an architect, R. Buckminster Fuller designed and created the "Geodesic Dome," known as the most efficient structure to enclose space ever created. The uniqueness of Bucky's geodesic architecture is that you can enclose more space with less structure. Two prime examples are Epcot Center at Walt Disney World, and his most spectacular - the U.S. Pavilion at the 1967 World Expo in Montreal, Canada. In addition to being a prolific writer and brilliant teacher, R. Buckminster Fuller was many things: architect, philosopher, builder, pilot, adviser, engineer, sailor, inventor, visionary and futurist. As many a genius, he was ahead of his time and for much of his life, he was often considered somewhat of a crackpot. What Bucky did was to explore his experiences, just like you and I might do. When he looked around, he saw "not just trees and roads and butterflies, but a miraculous web of interacting patterns." His work describes these patterns, and in so doing, Bucky describes what has become known as "Design Science," the generalized principles that govern the functions of the universe and reveal a role for every individual and humanity. For example, Bucky observed that - we are each unique individuals. We each see things differently, we each have our own set of experiences. Nobody has exactly the same set of experiences, even identical twins. Why? Because we each have our own set of filters through which we see, feel and experience the world around us. Bucky wrote: "At the outset (of a life-long experiment that Bucky committed to in 1927) of my resolve not only to do my own thinking but to keep that thinking concerned only with directly experienced evidence, I resolved to abandon completely all that I have been taught to believe." "My definition of the word believe means to accept an explanation of physical phenomena without any experiential evidence." Based upon his experiences, Bucky stated: "I resolved never to accept or oppose undesirable socioeconomic phenomena, but instead committed myself to evolving and cultivating tools that would accomplish humanity's necessitous tasks in so much easier, more pleasant and more efficient ways that, without thinking about it, the undesirable ways would be abandoned by society." Among the results of his commitment to evolve and cultivate tools, Bucky described Synergetic Geometry, the geodesic dome, the Dymaxion Map, Car, and House, the Geoscope, and the World Game. Fuller received numerous awards in addition to his 48 honorary degrees and doctorates including the Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects and the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award that can be given by the government of the United States of America. For me, and possibly for you, Bucky's understanding of what works is extremely valid - right now. But don't believe what I say: explore the work of Buckminster Fuller and judge for yourself. July 12, 1995 marks the 100th year since Fuller's birth, and an International Symposium is being held in San Diego July 14-16 to mark the occasion. In typical Fuller style, rather than a purely commemorative event, the organizers have developed the program to look forward to see how the understanding that Fuller developed can assist us today, 12 years after his death, to progress to a world that works for everyone. I'll be there - will you? Dr. Graeme M. Edwards, M.B., B.S., B. Med. Sci. is a graduate of the University of Queensland, Australia, trained in emergency medicine and intensive care. He has also been involved with executive administration since 1978. He has diverse management experience with numerous professional, educational and volunteer organizations internationally. It was from this perspective that he developed his understanding of human performance, health and behavior and how it can relate to the workplace. Combined with his understanding of the philosophy of R. Buckminster Fuller - about which he is an international presenter - Dr. Edwards consults to companies to optimize productivity by recognizing the "people" in business. "..humanity has developed a comprehensive, mutual self-deception and has made the total mistake of not perceiving that realistic thinking accrues only after mistake making, which is the cosmic wisdom's most cogent way of teaching each of us how to carry on." – R. Buckminster Fuller Table of Contents | 1995 Issues | Subscribe Truth Seeker | Feedback | Freethought.com Webmaster Credit card Orders call: 800-321-9054 or fax: (619)676-0433 Or send check or money order to: Truth Seeker / 16935 W. Bernardo Drive, Suite 103 / San Diego, CA 92127 $20.00 annual U.S. subscription ($35.00 international). 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