Minds strain and stretch to unlock its mysteries.

We've only begun to probe,

yet in that short span of time, space has taught us much.

The more we learn about galaxies, stars and planets,

the more enlightened our own world becomes.

With the advent of the space age, we have for the first time

seen our tiny world suspended in the dark void,

showing none of the artificial boundaries that divide humankind.

This fragile planet is at our mercy

and we must all strive to protect it for ourselves

and generations to come.

We've learned that the Earth is a perfect, living, breathing sphere.

Once considered unlimited, now we know better.

Population continues to explode,

making resources, food supplies, and the land itself more precious.

Social problems such as crime, debt, poverty,

disease, and incompetent governments compound the problems -

problems that aren’t solved by politics

or by leadership that doesn't lead.

We are losing faith and growing impatient

as we watch these conditions spread, and rightly so,

since practical solutions are within reach.

We are approaching a time when we must decide upon a new direction

before the choices are made for us.

The answers of yesterday are no longer relevant.

We can now act decisively with a new direction,

designed to further our social evolution

and boldly enter the 21st century.

In the next few minutes

you will see a vision of the future with a fresh approach.

A vision with human and environmental concern.

A vision called The Venus Project.

THE VENUS PROJECT

The Venus Project presents an alternative design for our culture.

It provides an attainable direction for a bright and better future

by applying the latest technologies directly to our social system

to benefit the lives of everyone.

Through education and the intelligent application of what we already know,

we can eventually eliminate war, poverty, hunger,

debt, crime, and taxes.

[Jacque Fresco] There's no place to hide today -

you cannot escape from human stupidity.

War, weapons,

corruption, seems to be prevalent all over the world.

Merely talking about idealism

and not designing an approach

does not alleviate the problem.

Our main aim and our main reason for funding

is to make these things a reality.

The aims of The Venus Project

are to ensure social and economic stability,

quality medical care and education,

a clean environment,

plentiful housing, goods and services,

recreation, and access to all the amenities

that a prosperous innovative society can provide.

These goals are not merely a paper proclamation.

They can be translated into a physical reality

if, as a society, we choose to do so.

A democracy that does not ensure the necessities of life is meaningless.

So I would say the more we invest in human beings,

in warmth, love, education, good fellowship,

the more secure all our futures.

We are tied in with nature

and all of the environment surrounding us.

To negate or neglect any part of that

would be damaging to ourselves and our own aim.

We do it because it's the decent and constructive thing to do.

The American free enterprise system does generate incentive.

However, it also creates greed, corruption, crime,

stress, and economic insecurity.

The consuming pursuit of money that grips many in our society

has a dehumanizing effect

and has led us to our present self-centered values.

What'll happen if we continue to automate production

and get rid of more and more people?

Pretty soon, if you automate typing,

and you automate most human jobs,

then the majority of Americans

and the majority of people all over the world

will not have the purchasing power to buy products.

So what good is a factory of turning out automobiles

if they have an automation plant, and the automobiles turned out automatically,

who is going to be around to be able to buy those cars?

What are they going to use for money?

So what happens - our system dies.

The free enterprise system was terrific

50 years ago, maybe 30 years ago,

but it's no longer adequate.

So if an automobile factory or any other factory goes completely automatic

and most people lose their jobs

and they don't have the purchasing power,

you tell me how the free enterprise system can function.

It comes to an end. And when it comes to an end,

there become gangs and riots, and crime begins to rise.

I'm not advocating this, I'm not for this.

I'm just trying to describe what most likely will happen.

And if that happens, then a military dictatorship will come in,

in which people will tell you how to live and what to do.

That's called a dictatorship.

It comes about when you can't manage

the mass majority of your people.

And so,

that dictatorship is something I have a tremendous fear of,

and we're trying to do this Venus Project to show people

of a possible alternative to social chaos.

The Venus Project proposes a resource-based economy

making the necessities of life available to everyone.

The real value of any nation is its developed and potential resources,

and the individuals that are working towards the elimination of scarcity.

This can only be accomplished

through the intelligent application of science and technology.

Unfortunately, today, science and technology

has been diverted from achieving these ends

through the deliberate withdrawal of efficiency,

and planned obsolescence.

This is now true in every aspect of our society.

When education and resources are made available,

there would be no limit to the human potential.

The measure of success would be based on the fulfillment

and the quality of one's life

rather than the acquisition of wealth, property and power.

By the redesign of our culture and overcoming scarcity,

most of the crimes and even the prisons of today's society

could be eliminated.

The Venus Project’s proposed cities and industrial plants

would be the birthplace for such an environment.

It is far easier and less costly

to build new efficient cities and industrial plants

than to attempt to update and solve the problems of the old ones.

They would combine the most sophisticated utilization

of available resources and construction techniques.

The city's circular arrangement in its geometric elegance

would be surrounded by parks and lovely gardens,

and designed to operate with the minimum expenditure of energy,

to obtain the highest possible standard of living for all.

The city's concentric circles each have a specific function.

The agricultural belt is situated in the outermost perimeter.

A waterway surrounds the agricultural belt

which produces bountiful crops,

many grown in transparent enclosed buildings

without the use of pesticides and dangerous chemical fertilizers.

Eight areas are set aside to provide energy

from the wind, sun and other clean renewable sources.

There will be continuous research and development for new clean energy.

The residential area,

beautifully landscaped amid lake and winding streams,

displays a wide variety of homes,

contoured to blend in with the environment.

They are prefabricated with new materials requiring little maintenance.

With this type of construction,

damage from earthquakes, hurricanes and fire would be greatly reduced.

As we leave the residential district and move towards the city center,

we pass additional recreational facilities and dining areas.

Here, a wide selection of organically grown food would be available.

Next are the apartments, planning and design centers.

As we approach the center of the city,

we see a large dome surrounded by eight smaller domes.

These small domes house the library, science, art, music,

research, exhibition, entertainment, and conference centers,

which are fully equipped and available to all.

The central dome or theme center houses the cybernated system,

educational facilities, shopping,

communications networking, and the medical center.

This cybernated system will link computers with automated machinery

coordinating all the services and functions of the entire city.

One can think of this as the brain and nervous system

extending into all areas of the society.

For example, in the residential sector,

it will monitor environmental cleanliness and recycle waste.

It will automatically control and maintain a constant inventory

between factory and consumers.

Production and distribution will be balanced

to correspond with demand, eliminating shortages and overruns.

Although the industrial districts are highly automated,

they are non-polluting, silent, and clean,

with easy access to the cities.

They border canals, which facilitate transportation.

When cybernation is integrated into all aspects of this new and dynamic culture,

only then can computers appropriately serve the needs of all people.

No technological civilization can ever operate efficiently and effectively

without the application of cybernetics to the social system.

This dynamic approach only acts to enhance people's lives;

it doesn't monitor or dictate their lives.

Monotonous and boring jobs would be phased out,

and a high standard of living will be maintained for everyone.

With an opportunity for constant growth and achievement,

people will have the time and freedom to choose the lifestyle

they find the most fulfilling.

The central dome provides access to most transportation.

Horizontal, vertical and radial conveyors take one anywhere within the city.

Monorails and electrically operated vehicles

provide for city-to-city transportation.

Transcontinental runs are made by a wide variety of aircraft.

High-speed maglev trains remain in motion

as passenger compartments are lifted away, and others are lowered in their place.

These units then take passengers to their local destinations.

Living would also be exciting in one of the cities on or below the sea.

Seacraft would be available for everyone’s use.

A computerized console in an undersea apartment

brings many forms of marine life within view.

Eventually, through using total design concepts,

the threat of floods or droughts could be minimized.

A series of canals and water-storage basins with flood locks

could provide irrigation, transportation and recreation,

and hold back flood waters for future needs.

As with any massive construction initiative,

the possible gains and negative effects will be thoroughly reviewed

before each project is started.

Perhaps the greatest limiting factors of our present day pre-scientific culture

can be traced to our language, social customs and values,

which were conceived in earlier times.

The designs of The Venus Project

will not only be applied to cities, industrial processes and the environment,

but to education as well.

The aims of The Venus Project have no parallel in history -

not with communism, socialism, fascism,

or any other political ideology.

This is true because cybernation is of recent origin.

With this system, the positions of financial influence and control

would no longer exist.

Our only concern is the building of a better world

by eventually inviting the equal participation of all nations.

The function of this new experimental city

is to test the validity of the Venus Project’s designs and proposals.

There is no doubt that there would be shortcomings

and inevitable modifications during this transition,

which we accept and expect.

But the final test of the practicality of any system

is simply how well the system works.

As these newer communities develop and become widely accepted,

they will form the basis of a new society,

preferably through the process of evolution rather than revolution.

BEYOND THE VISION

Well, I wanted to say there's no such thing as Utopia.

What you call the best television set

is the best that you have up to now.

But you know two years from now you’ll look back and say "Oh my God!'"