美国名人 建筑设计师 工程师 发明家 巴克敏斯特.docx

美国名人建筑设计师工程师发明家巴克敏斯特富勒R.BuckminsterFuller,1895-1983:BuildingDesigner,Engineer,InventorandPoetplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-18:05repeatByMarilynRiceChristiano2010-5-29Photo:bfi.orgR.BuckminsterFullerwithDomeModelsPHOEBEZIMMERMANN:I'mPhoebeZimmermann.STEVEEMBER:AndI'mSteveEmberwiththeVOASpecialEnglishprogramPEOP1.EINAMERICA.Todaywetellaboutanunusualmanwhohadmanyabilities,RichardBuckminsterFuller.(MUSIC)PHOEBEZIMMERMANN:Buildingdesigner.Engineer.Inventor.Thinker.Poet.Notfivepeople.Justone:RichardBuckminsterFuller."Bucky"Fuller,ashewasknown,wasoneofthemostunusualthinkersofthetwentiethcentury.Hisaiminlifewastomakethehumanraceasuccessintheuniverse.BuckyFullerspentmostofhislifesearchingfornewideas.Healsosearchedforunusualconnectionsbetweenexistingideas.Hedescribedhimselfinthesewords:"Acomplete,future-thinkingdesign-scienceexplorer."Fullerbelieveddeeplyintechnology.Throughtechnology,hesaid,peoplecandoanythingtheyneedtodo.STEVEEMBER:R.BuckminsterFullerdiedinnineteeneighty-threeattheageofeighty-seven.Duringhislonglife,hediscussedhisideaabouttechnologyandhumansurvival.Hecalledhisidea"dymaxion,"Itcamefromthreewords.Dynamic,meaningaforce.Maximum,meaningthemost.Andionzwhichisanatomorgroupofatomswithanelectricalcharge.Fullerexplainedtheworddymaxionasamethodofdoingmorewithless.Everythinghedidwasguidedbythisidea.Hedesignedadymaxioncar;adymaxionhouse,andadymaxionmapoftheworld.Butheprobablyisknownbestforanotherinvention-thegeodesicdome.Ageodesicdomeisaroundbuildingmadeofmanystraight-sidedpieces.TalkingaboutR.BuckminsterFullermeansusingstrangewords.ThisisbecauseFullerhimselfinventedwordstodescribehisideasanddesigns.Hisdesignswerewayaheadofhistime.Theystillare.(MUSIC)USPostageStampofR.BuckminsterFullerPHOEBEZIMMERMANN:R.BuckminsterFullerwasborninMilton,Massachusetts,ineighteenninety-five.Buckycouldnotseeclearly,becausehiseyesdidnotpointstraightahead.So,hisworldwasfilledwithmassesofcolorwithoutclearshapes.Whenhewasfouryearsold,hegoteyeglassestocorrecttheproblem.Suddenly,hecouldseetheshapesofpeople'sfaces.Hecouldseestarsintheskyandleavesonthetrees.Heneverlosthisjoyatthebeautyhediscoveredintheworld.Asachild,BuckyFullerquestionedeverything.Hewasaveryindependentthinkeratanearlyage.Hisrefusaltoacceptotherpeople'sideasandrulescontinuedashegrewolder.Oneresultwasthathenevercompletedhisuniversitystudies.HewasexpelledtwotimesfromHarvardUniversityinCambridge,Massachusetts.Hethoughthistimewasbetterspenthavingfunthanstudying.YetBuckyFullerwasveryseriousaboutlearning.HeprovedthiswhenhejoinedtheAmericannavyduringWorldWarOne.STEVEEMBER:Inthenavyzhelearnedallaboutnavigation,mathematics,mechanics,communicationsandelectronicsengineering.Helovedthisworldofmoderntechnology.Soonafterhejoinedthenavy,hedesignednewrescueequipment.Ithelpedsavethelivesofsomepilotsduringtraining.Fuller'sgoodnavyrecordwonhimashort-termappointmenttotheUnitedStatesNavalAcademyinAnnapoliszMaryland.Itwastherehefirstdevelopedtwoideasthatwereimportantfortherestofhislife.Whilestudyingwarships,Fullerrealizedthattheyweighedmuchlessthanbuildings,yetwereabletodomuchmore.Hedecidedbetterdesignscouldalsohelphumansdomore,usingfewermaterials.PHOEBEZIMMERMANN:Innineteenseventeen,BuckyFullermarriedAnneHewlett.Theirdaughter,Alexandra,wasbornaboutayearlater.Buckywasaveryemotionalman,aswellasanintellectualone.Helovedhislittledaughter.Shewasthewonderofhisworld.ThenAlexandrabecameverysick.Themedicinetocureherhadnotbeeninventedyet.Shediedattheageoffour.BuckyFullerblamedhimsetalthoughhehaddoneeverythinghecouldtosaveher.Hissorrowovercamehim.Hebegantodrinktoomuchalcohol.Yethecontinuedtoworkhard.Fullerwasheadofacompanythatmadealight-weightbuildingmaterial.Hewasnotasuccessfulbusinessman,however.Andthecompanybegantofail.Hewasdismissedbytheowners.Itwasnineteentwenty-seven.Hiswifehadjustgivenbirthtoanotherbabygirl.TheywerelivinginChicago,Illinois.Hehadnojobandnomoney.Hefelthewasacompletefailure.bfi.orgR.BuckminsterFullerwithaFly'sEyeDomeSTEVEEMBER:BuckyFullerwalkedthroughthestreetsofChicagoalong1.akeMichigan.Hestoodsilentlyontheshore.Heconsideredkillinghimself.Then,asheexplainedlater;herealizedhedidnothavetherighttokillhimself.Hesaidhehadfeltsomethinginsidehimthatday.HecalledittheGreaterIntelligenceorGod.Ittoldhimhebelongedtotheuniverse.SoBuckyFullerdecidedtolive.Andhewouldlivethewayhethoughtbest.HepromisedtospendhisremainingyearsinsearchofdesignsthatcouldmakehumanexistenceonEartheasier.Thisbeganhisgreatcreativeperiod.(MUSIC)PHOEBEZIMMERMANN:Fuller'sfirstdesignwasthedymaxionhouse.Itwasnotbuiltattheplaceitwouldstand.Itwasbuiltinafactory,thenmoved.Itdidnotcostmuchtobuild.AnditdidnotlooklikeatraditionalhouseinAmerica.Itsroofhungfromahugestickinthecenter.Itswallsweremadeofglass.Itcontainedeverythingneededforpeopletolive.Powercamefromthesun.Waterwascleanedandre-used.Fullerthendesignedandbuiltthedymaxioncar.Itlookedalittlelikethebodyofanairplane.Ithadthreewheelsinsteadoffour.Itcouldgoasfastasonehundredeightykilometersanhour.Itcarrieduptotwelvepassengers.SeveralcompanieswereinterestedinbuildingandsellingFuller'shouseandcar.Buthisdesignsweresodifferent,soextreme,thatbankswerenotwillingtolendmoneyfortheprojects.Sothedymaxionhouse-whichcouldhaveprovidedlow-costhousingforeveryone-wasneverbuilt.Andthedymaxioncar-whichcouldhaveprovidedsafe,pollution-freetransportationusinglittlegasoline-wasneverproduced.STEVEEMBER:BuckyFullerdidnotgiveuphisideaofdoingmorewithless.Hehadanideaforanotherbuildingdesign.Itwouldprovidethemoststrengthwiththeleastamountofmaterial.Hebeganlookingfortheperfectshape.Fullerfounditinnature.Itappearedintheshapesoforganiccompoundsandmetals.Themainpartofhisdesignisafour-sidedpyramid.Tocreateabuilding,manypyramidsareconnectedtoeachother.Theconnectingpiecehaseightsides."Together,thesetwoshapescreateaverystrong,light-weightroundedstructure.Thestructurecanbecoveredwithanykindofmaterial.Anditcanstandwithoutanysupportsinside.Fullernamedthisstructurethegeodesicdome.Itcoversmorespacewithlessmaterialthananyotherbuildingeverdesigned.PHOEBEZIMMERMANN:Afteranumberofexperimentalgeodesicdomeswerebuiltzindustrybegantounderstandthevalueofthedesign.Today,thereareaboutonehundredthousanddifferentlargeandsmallgeodesicdomesinusearoundtheworld.However;nooneyethasactedononeofFuller'sideasforthegeodesicdome.Therearenolimitstothesizeofageodesicdome.SoFullerproposedusingthemovercitiesoroverareasthathadsevereweather.Ageodesicdomethatsizewouldmakeitpossibletohavecompletecontrolovertheenvironmentinsideit.(MUSIC)STEVEEMBER:MostofBuckyFuller'sinventionsdidnotearnhimmuchmoney.Alotofwhathedidearnhespenttravellingaroundtheworld.Hetoldanyonewhowouldlistenabouthisideasforhumanlifeonthisplanet.Hecalledtheplanet"SpaceshipEarth,"Humanszhesaid,areastronautsonSpaceshipEarth.Theyaretravellingonehundredthousandkilometersanhouraroundthesun.HesaidtheEarthislikealargemechanicaldevicethatwillsurviveonlyifpeoplelivingonitknowhowtooperateitcorrectly.PeoplemustliveonEarthjustasastronautsliveinaspaceship.Theymustusetheirsupplieswisely,andre-usethem.BuckminsterFullersaidhumansareable,throughplanningandwiseuseofnaturalsupplies,tofeedandhousethemselvesforever.(MUSIC)PHOEBEZIMMERMANNiThisVOASpecialEnglishprogram,PEOP1.EINAMERICA,waswrittenbyMarilynRiceChristiano.Itwasproducedby1.awanDavis.OurengineerwasSulaimanTarawaley.mPhoebeZimmerman.STEVEEMBER:AndmSteveEmber.JoinusagainnextweekforanotherPEOP1.EINAMERICAprogramontheVoiceofAmerica.