Biographical data: Birth: Vienna, Austria, 16 Feb. 1948. Studies: BSc Physiology, London University, Doctor of Medicine, Diploma, Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Foreign languages: French (read, spoken moderately well); Greek (a little); Mandarin (a very little!).
History: In 1967--1973 I trained as a doctor of Medicine in the London Hospital Medical College, and did an 18-month science degree in Physiology en route. Then after a one-years internship, I moved to York for a three years of postgraduate training in general practice. In 1978, I moved to Hull, where I joined a busy four-man practice, where I am now still in practice after 20 years. In 1970 I married Irene, a musician who is now training as a professional singer; we have two sons, aged 22 and 18. From childhood, I have had an interest in astronomy and spaceflight, and followed all the developments, but had no thought of becoming involved myself until 1982, when I joined the L5 Society via an advertisement (this is now the National Space Society). I discovered Gerard O'Neill's ideas about space colonisation, and became convinced that this, together with the idea of solar power satellites, was the way forward for humanity.
In 1983/84, I joined the Space Studies Institute and the British Interplanetary Society, and wrote my book Man, Medicine and Space. Learning of the theory of the dinosaurs' extinction by an asteroid strike, I put forward the idea that man's actual purpose was to disperse into Space and lead evolution on to higher forms of civilisation and Mind -- i.e. that creative evolution towards higher life forms is driven by celestial mechanics as well as mutations.
My book failed to find a publisher, so in 1986 I put it to bed, and in 1984 started a small space society in Hull, which lasted for seven years. It involved a lot of work, and so I became rather reluctant to get involved in running or administering a society from then on. I began to campaign by letter-writing and radio appearances, with the result that I am now well known locally and called on for "expert" comment as news breaks of space events and issues.
Things might have stayed there, but in 1994 I entered a newspaper competition for science ideas with the project known as the Humble Space Telescope; this has since led to much publicity and to giving papers at the IAU and IAF congresses. I also acquired a computer in this period, and transferred my book to disk, updating it as I went. I began another round of publishers, with no success until spring 1998, when Giulio Gelibter of the ANSA news agency in Italy, also a small publisher, agreed to publish it in 1999. From 1996 I also began to write for magazines on space and astronomy.
In 1996, I joined Stephen, Daniel, and Mike Phillips in setting up Space Age Associates -- a Web based site for co-ordinating campaigning activities. In 1997, I met Adriano Autino and SAA began to collaborate with Technology of Frontiers; later that year we teamed up with Arthur Woods and OURS, working towards a paper for the IAF Prospective 2000 workshop. Now we are working towards a Greater Earth Society, whose Manifesto has recently been published.
I do not think I can be more than a contributor, by writing, radio/TV appearances and lecturing at schools and universities, as I have been doing. I cannot visualise giving up medicine to be a professional in a Society, but may one day succeed as a writer, or, as a long shot, become a tourist astronaut through my planned civilian astronaut spaceflight.
I have many connections, e.g. with Spaceguard UK, the Cambridge Conference Forum, NSS, the Space Studies Institute, universities and my own profession, and even some space companies. I can bring people and ideas together on the Net, and Greater Earth, like Space Age and the previous Hull Space Society, can help me develop, share and transmit ideas with increased authority than as a single individual.
In summary, I see our role as putting out our new view of the human future from a network of sympathisers and colleagues, to the wider world, particularly education and the media, as opportunities arise or are created! Collaboration, mutual support, shared aims and campaigning rather than structures are my goals.