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The Man Who Ploughed the Sea
Audible Audio
Published August 16, 2016
About the author
Arthur C. Clarke
1,567 books12.1k followersStories, works of noted British writer, scientist, and underwater explorer Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, include
2001: A Space Odyssey
(1968).
This most important and influential figure in 20th century fiction spent the first half of his life in England and served in World War II as a radar operator before migrating to Ceylon in 1956. He co-created his best known novel and movie with the assistance of Stanley Kubrick.
Clarke, a graduate of King's College, London, obtained first class honours in physics and mathematics. He served as past chairman of the interplanetary society and as a member of the academy of astronautics, the royal astronomical society, and many other organizations.
He authored more than fifty books and won his numerous awards: the Kalinga prize of 1961, the American association for the advancement Westinghouse prize, the Bradford Washburn award, and the John W. Campbell award for his novel Rendezvous with Rama. Clarke also won the nebula award of the fiction of America in 1972, 1974 and 1979, the Hugo award of the world fiction convention in 1974 and 1980. In 1986, he stood as grand master of the fiction of America. The queen knighted him as the commander of the British Empire in 1989.
This most important and influential figure in 20th century fiction spent the first half of his life in England and served in World War II as a radar operator before migrating to Ceylon in 1956. He co-created his best known novel and movie with the assistance of Stanley Kubrick.
Clarke, a graduate of King's College, London, obtained first class honours in physics and mathematics. He served as past chairman of the interplanetary society and as a member of the academy of astronautics, the royal astronomical society, and many other organizations.
He authored more than fifty books and won his numerous awards: the Kalinga prize of 1961, the American association for the advancement Westinghouse prize, the Bradford Washburn award, and the John W. Campbell award for his novel Rendezvous with Rama. Clarke also won the nebula award of the fiction of America in 1972, 1974 and 1979, the Hugo award of the world fiction convention in 1974 and 1980. In 1986, he stood as grand master of the fiction of America. The queen knighted him as the commander of the British Empire in 1989.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 23, 2025
Obviously, to any technophile this story is intriguing. But I asked Perplexity AI and it told me...
Arthur C. Clarke's idea of using a molecular sieve to extract valuable elements from the ocean was more science fiction than practical reality, although it was based on plausible scientific concepts. While molecular sieves are indeed used for various separation and purification processes, extracting specific elements from seawater on a large scale faces significant challenges:
Efficiency and Selectivity: Molecular sieves are highly efficient for specific applications like water removal and gas separation10. However, extracting valuable elements from seawater would require extremely selective sieves capable of isolating specific ions or molecules from a complex mixture, which is far more challenging.
Energy Requirements: Clarke's vision of extracting elements for "very little energy" is optimistic. In reality, separating dissolved minerals from seawater typically requires substantial energy input, especially at large scales7.
Scale and Economic Viability: While molecular sieves are used in industrial processes, scaling up to extract meaningful quantities of valuable elements from the vast oceans would be an enormous engineering challenge. The economic viability of such a project would be questionable given the energy and infrastructure requirements.
Environmental Concerns: Large-scale extraction from oceans could have unforeseen environmental impacts on marine ecosystems and ocean chemistry.
While Clarke's idea was imaginative and based on real scientific principles, it oversimplified the practical challenges of implementing such a system at scale. Current technologies for extracting materials from seawater, such as desalination plants, face significant energy and cost hurdles, indicating that Clarke's vision remains in the realm of science fiction for now
Arthur C. Clarke's idea of using a molecular sieve to extract valuable elements from the ocean was more science fiction than practical reality, although it was based on plausible scientific concepts. While molecular sieves are indeed used for various separation and purification processes, extracting specific elements from seawater on a large scale faces significant challenges:
Efficiency and Selectivity: Molecular sieves are highly efficient for specific applications like water removal and gas separation10. However, extracting valuable elements from seawater would require extremely selective sieves capable of isolating specific ions or molecules from a complex mixture, which is far more challenging.
Energy Requirements: Clarke's vision of extracting elements for "very little energy" is optimistic. In reality, separating dissolved minerals from seawater typically requires substantial energy input, especially at large scales7.
Scale and Economic Viability: While molecular sieves are used in industrial processes, scaling up to extract meaningful quantities of valuable elements from the vast oceans would be an enormous engineering challenge. The economic viability of such a project would be questionable given the energy and infrastructure requirements.
Environmental Concerns: Large-scale extraction from oceans could have unforeseen environmental impacts on marine ecosystems and ocean chemistry.
While Clarke's idea was imaginative and based on real scientific principles, it oversimplified the practical challenges of implementing such a system at scale. Current technologies for extracting materials from seawater, such as desalination plants, face significant energy and cost hurdles, indicating that Clarke's vision remains in the realm of science fiction for now
April 17, 2021
A submarine ride leads Harry Purvis to a scientist that found a way to harvest the sea
February 5, 2024
Not Clarke’s most memorable short story but it was thought provoking. I would have enjoyed a longer version. The “mining from the sea” is is prophetic.
November 15, 2016
Dr. Romano showcases a ship-based service designed to extract rare metals from sea water in the future. Knowing it is still years away from working at a practical efficiency, he nonetheless sells it to an interested party in the fossil fuel industry.
March 2, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews