May 2008 Mechanical Engineering: Editorial

editorial

sky's the limit

By
John G. Falcioni,
Editor-in-Chief

We've got a group of curious writers and editors at Mechanical Engineering—none more so than Alan Brown. Last month, Brown said, "We've got to write something on Clarke!" He was referring to the passing of Arthur C. Clarke, the British science fiction novelist who died in March at the age of 90.

If you're a fan of science fiction, as Brown is, you know that Clarke, best known for co-writing with director Stanley Kubrick the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, wrote some 100 other books as well. In doing so, Clarke inspired legions of curious engineers, scientists, and writers to their careers. And Brown, a member of the National Association of Science Writers, is one of them.

In the late 1960s, Clarke stirred the imagination of those who wondered if life outside our planet existed and who were eager to find out. It was a golden age for engineering then, when curriculums flourished, fueled in part by the writings of Clarke and also by the growth of the Apollo program, which turned the fantasies of science fiction into reality.

Decades before reality caught up to his writing, in 1945, Clarke was credited with the concept of communications satellites. He became known as the godfather of the satellite revolution. In fact, geosynchronous orbits, which keep satellites in a fixed position relative to the ground, are called Clarke orbits.

Today, there's a very fine line between what science fiction is and what reality is. The boundaries blur as developments often surpass even what some of our own imaginations can conjure.

This month's cover story by frequent contributor Lee Langston is a good example. Langston tells us about a new geared turbofan that promises to cut fuel consumption, reduce jet engine noise, and curb NO_x emissions. This may not seem as exciting to the uninitiated as setting foot on the moon, but it is quite significant by today's turbine reality. Langston reviews recent advances in gas turbine technology and previews the future in his article, "Changing the Game," included in this issue.

Langston's is one of several articles this month that share our Power and Energy focus. Others are an article on wind energy by Bridget Mintz Testa, and one on the design of offshore drilling equipment by Associate Editor Jean Thilmany. Associate Editor Jeff Winters, himself a science fiction fan and science writer, developed the lineup of articles and served as editor of the Power and Energy section. Also in this issue is a special supplement provided by ASME's International Gas Turbine Institute, which is based in Atlanta. IGTI, as it is known, runs ASME's Turbo Expo (www.turboexpo.org), recognized as a premier technical congress and exposition for gas turbine professionals.

As a youngster, Arthur Clarke enjoyed reading American pulp fiction magazines, which kept his imagination fertile.

He was knighted in 1998, and though he suffered from post-polio syndrome, he has been quoted as saying: "Being completely wheel-chaired doesn't stop my mind from roaming the universe."

Those of us who continue reaching for the stars, literally and figuratively, understand that it is through new ideas and fresh initiatives that we can see tomorrow's opportunities and turn them into reality. Today we remember Clarke as one of the ambassadors who bridged dreams and reality.