<a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Paxtons-Crystal-Palace.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2286" src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Paxtons-Crystal-Palace.jpg" alt="" width="288" height="216" /></a>
<p align="center">2100 Time Capsule Spaceship</p>
<p align="center">The above image was created by me from royalty-free jpegs found on the internet.</p>
<p align="center"> </p>
Imagine that humanity has known for some time that life, as we know it on earth, is at an end.  The world's nations have joined. They have pooled their resources and hollowed out an asteroid the size of a planetoid. They have equipped the asteroid with everything it needs to sustain life over the generations that it will take to find a new planet. The population of earth has become so sparse that anyone who wishes to leave the planet has been shipped to the asteroid space ship. All of the people leaving Earth have decided that English will be their common language, while keeping their native languages alive at home.  There is plenty of room and extra space inside the asteroid. Each family is allowed to bring as many books and works of art as they wish. Each family unit will be issued a computer that networks with the body of work that Earth has uploaded to the main spaceship computer.

This small planetoid has a geodesic sphere attached to its surface. This sphere will be known as Paxton’sCrystalPalace, named for Paxton’sCrystalPalacebuilt inLondonin 1851. This sphere has been built in modules on earth and shipped to the asteroid. It will remain there until the earthlings find another planet to inhabit. It will then be disassembled and reassembled on the new planet.

Paxton’sCrystalPalacewill have been built for the same reasons that the original Palace was built. Its full name will be the Great Exhibition of the Works and Nature of All Nations.  Artificial sunlight will illuminate the globe. Inside will be housed a zoo, a botanical garden, and as many of the world’s treasures as possible. The first thing you come to when you enter will be a walkway that can accommodate 20 people walking side by side. This walkway will navigate the entire circumference of the dome. There will be numerous cafes featuring national food specialties, coffee and tea. All of the outer walls of the dome will allow the stars to be seen whenever the ship is moving slowly enough.  The entire globe will cover 19 acres, just like its namesake.

Inside that circle walk, the dome will be split into two levels. Stairs and elevators will connect the two levels. The lower level will be split into thirds. Each third will be a theater. Each theater will feature one of the works of humanity that, out of all the treasures housed in the Palace, the travelers have chosen unanimously as those most important to their values. These are the things they want their children and children’s children to cherish. These are the values that they want to insure for their next home planet.

The first theater will be the Navajo Creation Myth. When you walk inside, it will be dark. Seating will be comfortable and warm. At the bottom will be a third of a circle shaped raised stage. At the base of the stage will be a huge bonfire that will burn continuously until the people reach their destination. There will be a representative of the Navaho Nation who can tell the creation story and sing songs from it. Behind him will be a holographic recording of an actual sing, with subtitles in English at the top, to run along with the live singer. The songs will be taught as they have always been taught, one person to the next. They will teach the old Navajo ways of generosity and tolerance of others. They will teach people how to hold a council, come to a unanimous decision and to take care of each other, their new home (the spaceship), and any world they may come to inhabit. The devastation of Earth must not be repeated.

The second theater will look much like the first. It will have seating for a large audience and a stage. On this stage musical works will be performed from all over the world. However, its most important performance will be Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” (1725).  Because of its proven ability to calm the spirit and its purposeful mimicking of natural sounds on Earth, it has been voted that Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” should be performed at least once a month. All works, including the “Four Seasons”, will be performed by the people inhabiting the space ship. Children will be educated on the ship. Instrumental music, singing, dance, and art will be taught as an important part of their education. Groups and orchestras will be constantly changing and evolving allowing all who want to play to be able to perform. This way each performance will be unique and entertaining. Some renditions will be more virtuous than others, but all the travelers will enjoy being performers and audience alike.

The third stage will show movies that have been saved from all over the world. But its most important film (now a two DVD set with a documentary including interviews and retrospective) will be M*A*S*H. This movie will play at least once a month and for the same reasons that it appeared back in 1971. The people of the spaceship want never to forget what wars cost all people.

The entire top half of the globe will be a giant auditorium. Stairs and elevators will lead from the exhibition hall to this upper level. There will be a gymnasium for games, meetings and dances. All important decisions will be made by the entire community when they meet in this space. The stars will be visible through the ceiling and walls to remind the people of how big they really are. The Navaho Creation Story will be a reminder and teacher that all decisions must be unanimous and that no one leaves until a unanimous decision is made. Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” will put their spirits in a peaceful and calm mood. The M*A*S*H movie will teach them how serious their decisions are and that war is almost never the way to solve anything. Those are the things that the people of Earth will live with and learn until they reach their destination. They hope that, even though humans have failings, we are capable of learning. We don’t need to repeat the past. They may never get a chance to start again.

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This small planetoid has a geodesic sphere attached to its surface. This sphere will be known as Paxton’sCrystalPalace, named for Paxton’sCrystalPalacebuilt inLondonin 1851. This sphere has been built in modules on earth and shipped to the asteroid. It will remain there until the earthlings find another planet to inhabit. It will then be disassembled and reassembled on the new planet.

Paxton’sCrystalPalacewill have been built for the same reasons that the original Palace was built. Its full name will be the Great Exhibition of the Works and Nature of All Nations.  Artificial sunlight will illuminate the globe. Inside will be housed a zoo, a botanical garden, and as many of the world’s treasures as possible. The first thing you come to when you enter will be a walkway that can accommodate 20 people walking side by side. This walkway will navigate the entire circumference of the dome. There will be numerous cafes featuring national food specialties, coffee and tea. All of the outer walls of the dome will allow the stars to be seen whenever the ship is moving slowly enough.  The entire globe will cover 19 acres, just like its namesake.

Inside that circle walk, the dome will be split into two levels. Stairs and elevators will connect the two levels. The lower level will be split into thirds. Each third will be a theater. Each theater will feature one of the works of humanity that, out of all the treasures housed in the Palace, the travelers have chosen unanimously as those most important to their values. These are the things they want their children and children’s children to cherish. These are the values that they want to insure for their next home planet.

The first theater will be the Navajo Creation Myth. When you walk inside, it will be dark. Seating will be comfortable and warm. At the bottom will be a third of a circle shaped raised stage. At the base of the stage will be a huge bonfire that will burn continuously until the people reach their destination. There will be a representative of the Navaho Nation who can tell the creation story and sing songs from it. Behind him will be a holographic recording of an actual sing, with subtitles in English at the top, to run along with the live singer. The songs will be taught as they have always been taught, one person to the next. They will teach the old Navajo ways of generosity and tolerance of others. They will teach people how to hold a council, come to a unanimous decision and to take care of each other, their new home (the spaceship), and any world they may come to inhabit. The devastation of Earth must not be repeated.

The second theater will look much like the first. It will have seating for a large audience and a stage. On this stage musical works will be performed from all over the world. However, its most important performance will be Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” (1725).  Because of its proven ability to calm the spirit and its purposeful mimicking of natural sounds on Earth, it has been voted that Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” should be performed at least once a month. All works, including the “Four Seasons”, will be performed by the people inhabiting the space ship. Children will be educated on the ship. Instrumental music, singing, dance, and art will be taught as an important part of their education. Groups and orchestras will be constantly changing and evolving allowing all who want to play to be able to perform. This way each performance will be unique and entertaining. Some renditions will be more virtuous than others, but all the travelers will enjoy being performers and audience alike.

The third stage will show movies that have been saved from all over the world. But its most important film (now a two DVD set with a documentary including interviews and retrospective) will be M*A*S*H. This movie will play at least once a month and for the same reasons that it appeared back in 1971. The people of the spaceship want never to forget what wars cost all people.

The entire top half of the globe will be a giant auditorium. Stairs and elevators will lead from the exhibition hall to this upper level. There will be a gymnasium for games, meetings and dances. All important decisions will be made by the entire community when they meet in this space. The stars will be visible through the ceiling and walls to remind the people of how big they really are. The Navaho Creation Story will be a reminder and teacher that all decisions must be unanimous and that no one leaves until a unanimous decision is made. Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” will put their spirits in a peaceful and calm mood. The M*A*S*H movie will teach them how serious their decisions are and that war is almost never the way to solve anything. Those are the things that the people of Earth will live with and learn until they reach their destination. They hope that, even though humans have failings, we are capable of learning. We don’t need to repeat the past. They may never get a chance to start again.