THIRD WORLD TRIES LEAP FROG TECHNIQUE 

(Editor's note: In the beginning computers could only communicate in capital letters. This is one of 20 columns from Dr. Tomorrow's original series, included here to indicate change as well as describe it. Those columns also hold another story, that change is swift and offers both disaster and opportunity.)

"2000 YEARS AGO SRI LANKA WAS ONE OF THE MOST TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD" SAYS THE SIGN BEARING THIS QUOTE OF BRITISH-BORN AURTHUR C. CLARKE, THE 20TH CENTURY'S LEADING LIVING VISIONARY AND A LONG-TIME RESIDENT OF THAT COUNTRY, FORMERLY KNOWN AS CEYLON.

TODAY THIS THIRD WORLD COUNTRY WITH 15 MILLION CITIZENS IS MAKING SOME BOLD ATTEMPTS TO LEAP-FROG INDUSTRIAL AGE MENTALITY.

SCIENCE FICTION AFFECTIONADOES CAN GET A CHANCE TO SEE AND HEAR HOW THIS IS BEING ATTEMPTED BY WATCHING SOME HITERTO UNSEEN (LOCALLY) VIDEOS FEATURING DR. CLARKE NOW SHOWING AT THE SRI LANKAN PAVILLION AT EXPO (IT IS LOCATED FACING THE AVIATION PLAZA).

CLARKE, AUTHOR OF 2001, A SPACE ODESSEY, 2010 AND THE JUST-RELEASED "SONGS OF DISTANT EARTH" (DUTHIE BOOKS OF VANCOUVER WILL CARRY LOCALLY) AND OVER 40 OTHER PUBLICATIONS IS HELPING IN THIS RENAISSANCE ON THIS TINY INDIAN OCEAN ISLAND.

JUST OUTSIDE OF COLUMBO, THE CAPITOL, CLARKE SPEAR-HEADED THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ARTHUR C. CLARKE INSTITUTE FOR MODERN TECHNOLOGIES BY DONATING THE PRIZE MONEY FROM HIS PRESTIGIOUS MARCONI AWARD TO THE SCHOOL. WITH THE GOVERNMENTS HELP AND THE CLARKE GENIUS IT IS HOPED THAT THIS INSTITUTION WILL GROW INTO A LEADING CENTER FOR THIRD WORLD DEVELOPMENT OF CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGIES.

THE ACTUAL LACK OF MANY OF WHAT WERE PREVIOUSLY CALLED INDUSTRIAL AGE ADVANTAGES APPEARS TO NOW BE A BENEFIT TO SUCH COUNTRIES. WHY THAT IS, YOU ASK? WELL BY NOT HAVING A BIG FINANCIAL INVESTMENT IN THOSE OLD WORLD TECHNOLOGIES; BY NOT HAVING A STATUS QUO EDUCATIONAL BUREAUCRACY TRYING TO RETAIN THEIR STATUS AND POSITION, CHANGE CAN MOVE MORE RAPIDLY.

EXAMPLE: HERE IN B.C. WE SPEND BETWEEN $3500 AND $4000 PER ELEMENTARY OR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT PER YEAR TO GIVE THEM THEIR LEARNING. THEY STILL ARE NOT EQUIPPED TO CREATE THE INNOVATIVE INDUSTRIES REQUIRED FOR THE NEW AGE (NEVER MIND GETING A JOB IN THE AGE JUST PASSED). THAT COST WORKS OUT TO $1.25 PER HOUR PER STUDENT! SESAME STREET, ONE OF THE MORE EXPENSIVE TV EDUCATIONAL SHOWS, NOW PRETTY WELL COVERS THE GLOBE. IT COSTS JUST ONE CENT PER STUDENT PER HOUR!

COUNTRIES LIKE SRI LANKA, NOT BLINDED BY THE DEFECTIVE VISION OF THE STATUS QUO, SAY THIS MAY BE THE BETTER WAY TO GO.

INDIA WITH OVER 800 MILLION POPULATION AND A THIRD WORLD ECONOMY WILL NEVER HAVE THE FUNDS TO PROVIDE THE BOOKS. NEVER MIND THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND STAFF TO GIVE THEIR BURGEONING POPULATION A SURVIVAL LEARNING SYSTEM USING INDUSTRIAL AGE TECHNIQUES. LIKE SRI LANKA THEY TOO ARE NOW THINKING SMARTER. INDIA IS NOW SENDING OUT TV SETS TO THEIR 750,000 VILLAGES. THERE THE "HEAD MAN" SETS UP A OPEN AIR SHELTER FOR THE TV SET. BUT IN MOST CASES THEY DON'T HAVE THE ELECTRICITY TO POWER THE SET. SO A BICYLE WITH A GENERATOR ACCOMPANIES EACH TV. THE LOCAL STATUS SYMBOL IS TO SEE WHICH KID CAN PEDDLE THE LONGEST BEFORE THE SCREEN STARTS TO FLICKER. A SMALL LOW-COST SATELLITE DISH BRINGS IN THE SIGNAL. OVERNIGHT PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER SEEN A MOVIE (AND INDIA HAS THE WORLD'S LARGEST MOVIE INDUSTRY) GET THEIR EDUCATION AND ENTERTAINMENT FROM THE HEAVENS. HIGHLY ACCEPTABLE TO A HINDU AND MOSLEM POPULATION.

WATCH FOR NEW AND STARTLING DEVELOPMENTS FROM THIS SECTION OF THE WORLD.

DR. CLARKE DEMONSTRATED SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY BY ADDRESSING THE CONFERENCE OF COMMUNICATIONS MINISTERS IN VANCOUVER AND THE OPENING OF THE INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONIC ENGINEER'S WORLD CONFERENCE IN TORONTO. NATURALLY, BY SATELLITE FROM SRI LANKA.

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