Richard Fuller: A Lifetime Experiment (8 Photos)

It is widely believed that geniuses are born no more than once every 100 years. This genius, who for the first half of his life even did not demonstrate any special talents, was born at the junction centuries. In order, presumably, to stake out both XIX and XX.





Richard Buckminster Fuller is not well known in wide circles. But this engineer and architect managed to receive 25 patents for their inventions, almost fifty prestigious awards in various fields and several scientific degrees.



Richard in his youth

But nothing foretold. More precisely, foreshadowed. After all a graduate of a prestigious school entered Harvard. But it turned out that it was not necessary only to act, but also to study. First time a guy gets expelled for being too emotional revelry, the second with the wording "absence interest in learning. The young man naturally burned life, working as a mechanic, handyman, radio operator. Richie even tried his hand at as an entrepreneur, but the experience was unsuccessful.

Change the world by changing yourself





Fuller's geodesic sphere

As a result, a man at the age of 32 was in a life a dead end: a beggar, unemployed, who has lost a child to an illness. the only the prospect was a bottle and an early death from alcohol. But Fuller could pull yourself together.



Dimaxion - a three-wheeled car, another development of Fuller

I remembered the engineering past and decided to resume activities in this area. Moreover, over projects that are known to were unrealizable, such as renewable energy sources, projects of houses and cars that would be convenient, economical and capable of making life easier for everyone.



Museum in Montreal based on a geodesic sphere

The most striking and went down in history was the experiment above oneself. Between 1920 and 1983, every day he led detailed notes, entering in the diary all the events of the day, filing drawings, pictures, notes, ideas, clippings. In fact, it became the most human life documented in history: a stack of diaries, albums, notebooks has exceeded 80 meters!

About REM sleep and floating cities



Fuller set out to understand how to improve productivity - sleep less and work more. And came up with the idea polyphasic sleep, often referred to as the sleep of geniuses. The principle is based on the alternation of short periods of sleep with wakefulness. In the end for a person sleeps no more than 2 hours a day.

Richard spent two years in this mode. Physicians who looked after health, confirmed that the man is healthy. And there are no deviations in the work of organs and systems. And I would continue to live like this only his colleagues rebelled, who needed a classic common mode of sleep and rest.



One of Fuller's most famous but utopian projects is the "Ninth Heaven" - a sphere created in accordance with the principle geodesic dome. When the air inside it is heated, the design should soar itself and lift a solid load. The engineer thought that Based on such systems, it will be possible to create entire flying cities.



In connection with the development of such bold projects, many consider Fuller is a utopian. And others - a genius who was born too early, before since humanity had the opportunity to put it into practice projects.