R. Buckminster FullerInventor / Philosopher
Born: 12 July 1895
Died: 1 July 1983
Birthplace: Milton, Massachusetts
Best known as: the inventor of the geodesic dome
R. Buckminster Fuller was a 20th century inventor, mathematician and futurist. Philosophically he was concerned with meeting the needs of a growing global civilization while reducing the use of natural resources; his inventions were meant to achieve those goals by simplifying and improving human housing and the objects of daily life. Never quite a mainstream figure, Fuller was viewed by some as an impractical dreamer but embraced by others as a visionary genius. His most famous invention, the geodesic dome, uses a series of interlocking triangles to create a lightweight, sturdy dome which needs no internal supports.
Extra credit: Fuller coined the phrase "Spaceship Earth."
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