Larry Kilham Blog |
In the beginning we came from Africa, dreaming, traversing the savanna and desert, imagining the bright light on the hill. We migrated through the heartlands of Europe, traversing the mountains and plains. We settled down, tending our animals and crops, and our learned men invented science ignited by the bright light on the hill. They gave us energy and machines, and the gods and kings were pleased. We’ve walked on the powdery moon and cured almost every ill as we followed the bright light on the hill. DNA and AI both threaten and glitter as the populations roil and simmer. and the gods and scientists began to slumber. Ever more me-people buzz in their urban hives, and curiosity and hope and imagination are dwindling. Oh! The light is wavering! The dreams are fading! And the rich become the refugees escaping to another land, and Nature will regain the upper hand. (c) 2018 Larry Kilham See all of Larry Kilham's poems on this site here. President George Washington knew that invention and innovation were key to American growth. He urged Congress to pass a patent statute where "there is nothing which can better deserve your patronage than the promotion of science." In 1790 the first patent statute was passed and the United States leadership in industrial innovation began. Almost two centuries later, President John F. Kennedy said in an address to the Irish Parliament in 1963 "The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were." See more about vision and invention here. |