O'Neill was the best known advocate for the space colony. In the
late 70's, there was great excitement about the possibility of
having O'Neill space colonies set up by the turn of the 21st
century. Gerard K. O'Neill's physics students in Princeton began
looking for a positive role for humanity in leaving all planetary
surfaces behind and establishing artificial ecosystems swarming
around the stars like moths.

--- In spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com, "George Perkins"
>
> O'Neill was the best known advocate for the space colony. In the
> late 70's, there was great excitement about the possibility of
> having O'Neill space colonies set up by the turn of the 21st
> century. Gerard K. O'Neill's physics students in Princeton began
> looking for a positive role for humanity in leaving all planetary
> surfaces behind and establishing artificial ecosystems swarming
> around the stars like moths.