Air Date: Week of June 26, 1998

This week, facts about... Buckminister Fuller who has been called the 20th century's Leonardo DaVinci. A self-trained architect, engineer, mathematician, and poet; he's best known for inventing the Geodesic Dome.

Transcript

KNOY: Buckminster Fuller died on July first, just fifteen years ago. Mister Fuller, or just plain Bucky, to his friends, has been called the 20th century's Leonardo DaVinci. A self-trained architect, engineer, mathematician, and poet, he's best known for inventing the Geodesic Dome, one of the cheapest, but strongest structures in existence. He also designed underwater cities, composting toilets, greywater-recycling basins, and an aerodynamic, fuel-efficient, three-wheeled car, called the Dymaxion. Fuller published 28 books, including, the classic Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth. But, before fame, there was misfortune. After the death of an infant daughter and a failed business venture, Mr. Fuller considered ending his own life by jumping into Lake Michigan. Instead, on what he called "a blind date with principle," he unexpectedly and unexplainably stopped talking for two years, and pledged to commit his life to designing machines and structures for the social good. Buckminster Fuller was expelled from Harvard twice, but went on to earn 47 honorary degrees. And for this week, that's the Living On Earth Almanac.