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See Discussion Topics For This Summer’s First Dymaxion Reading Group!




Operating Manual Discussion Topics

“Now there is one outstandingly important fact regarding Spaceship Earth, and that is that no instruction book came with it. I think it’s very significant that there is no instruction book for successfully operating our ship. In view of the infinite attention to all other details displayed by our ship, it must be taken as deliberate and purposeful that an instruction book was omitted. Lack of instruction has forced us to find that there are two kinds of berries-red berries that will kill us and red berries that will nourish us. And we had to find out ways of telling which-was- which red berry before we ate it or otherwise we would die. So we were forced, because of a lack of an instruction book, to use our intellect, which is our supreme faculty, to devise scientific experimental procedures and to interpret effectively the significance of the experimental findings. Thus, because the instruction manual was missing we are learning how we safely can anticipate the consequences of an increasing number of alternative ways of extending our satisfactory survival and growth-both physical and metaphysical.”

Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth, Chapter 1

OPERATING MANUAL: READING GROUP DISCUSSION TOPICS

In this above paragraph from chapter one, Buckminster Fuller beautifully captures the central hypothesis of Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth – humans are unique in their capability of learning about how the universe works and using gained knowledge to change the world. Rather than use that knowledge, we have imposed educational, social and political designs on ourselves that stop us from fully utilizing what we now know for the sustainable presence of life on earth.

We hope you will join us for BFI’s first ever online Dymaxion Reading Group discussions on Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth where we will explore this hypothesis and other discussion topics below.

SESSION ONE: COMPREHENSIVE PROPENSITITES
TUESDAY JULY 7TH, 6:00 – 7:30 PM EDT

    Discussion Topics will include:

  • What does design mean in terms of current technological and scientific awareness and human capacity that exists?
  • What are the nuanced distinctions between individual initiative and the cumulative effect of those individual initiatives?

SESSION TWO: SPACESHIP EARTH
TUESDAY JULY 21ST, 6:00 – 7:30 PM EDT

    Discussion Topics will include:

  • Between human potential, the generosity of our vessel “Spaceship Earth” and the comprehensive anticipatory approach Fuller outlines, does humanity have the option to still make it?
  • How do we view what we have vs what we need?
  • The Darwinian/Malthusian paradigm

SESSION THREE: INTEGRAL FUNCTION IN UNIVERSE
TUESDAY AUGUST 4TH, 6:00 – 7:30 PM EDT

    Discussion Topics will include:

  • How did we get to this point in human history?
  • What does it mean to be an integral evolutionary function of the universe?
  • What are our responsibilities and roles?

** Topics are subject to modification in response to previous session.