Keith Henson

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Keith Henson – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Explore the life and work of Keith Henson (born 1942), the American electrical engineer, space advocate, memetic theorist, cryonics proponent, and outspoken critic. Discover his contributions, controversies, philosophies, and memorable quotes.

Introduction

Howard Keith Henson (born 1942) is an American electrical engineer, futurist, writer, and advocate of ambitious ideas such as space colonization, life extension, and memetics. Over decades, he has combined technical work in analog electronics and space systems with speculative thinking about technological, social, and existential futures.

He is perhaps best known for co-founding the L5 Society (promoting space colonization) and for his writings on memetics, cryonics, and the ethical and legal dimensions of space development.

This article explores his early life, technical career, activism and thought, influence, controversies, and memorable quotes.

Early Life and Family

Keith Henson was raised in a military family. He attended seven schools before 7th grade due to frequent relocations. His father was Lt. Col. Howard W. Henson (1909–2001), a decorated U.S. Army officer who worked in Army Intelligence.

As a youth, Henson was strongly influenced by science fiction—especially Robert A. Heinlein—shaping his imagination about technology, space, and future societies.

He completed high school at Prescott High School after his father’s retirement and then proceeded to study electrical engineering.

Education & Early Career

Henson earned a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Arizona. While in university, he worked in geophysics, conducting induced polarization surveys in the western U.S. and Peru, and developing data processing software.

After graduation, he joined Burr-Brown Research (later part of Texas Instruments) in Tucson, Arizona, working on analog circuit modules like oscillators, multipliers, and root-mean-square modules. He developed a design for a 4-quadrant log-antilog multiplier, one of his early patents.

In 1972, he claimed to have been fired from a company for refusing to certify a module for a nuclear power plant that failed to meet mean time between failures (MTBF) standards. After that, he founded Analog Precision Inc., producing specialized computer interface and control devices.

Activism, Ideas & Thought

L5 Society and Space Colonization

In 1975, Henson and his then-wife Carolyn Meinel co-founded the L5 Society to promote space colonization and human expansion into orbit. The L5 Society later merged with the National Space Institute to form the National Space Society in 1987.

He co-authored technical papers on space manufacturing, vapor phase fabrication, and space radiator systems (some in collaboration with Eric Drexler). Henson also testified before the U.S. Congress in opposition to the Moon Treaty, representing the L5 Society.

Memetics & Cultural Theory

Henson is a prominent figure in memetics (the theory of cultural transmission using the analogy of genes and memes). His wife (later) Arel Lucas is credited with suggesting the term “memetics.” Henson published articles such as Memes, Meta-Memes and Politics and Memetics: The Science of Information Viruses.

He coined (or popularized) the term “memeoids” to describe individuals so deeply influenced by a meme that their own survival becomes secondary.

Cryonics, Life Extension & Transhumanism

In 1985, Henson, his wife, and their two-year-old daughter signed up with Alcor, a cryonics organization, motivated by belief in nanotechnology enabling future revival. He became active in cryonics operations, learning surgical techniques to assist in putting patients on bypass and writing for cryonics publications. He also persuaded Timothy Leary to join Alcor (though Leary later dropped membership).

Energy, Power Satellites, & Sustainable Futures

In later years, Henson turned attention to global energy challenges, especially space-based solar power (power satellites) and beamed energy propulsion. He has published articles on these topics, participated in IEEE conferences, and proposed modular systems to reduce launch costs, manage waste heat, and bootstrap energy systems in space.

In early 2015, he helped establish a Google Group “Power Satellite Economics” to engage experts and enthusiasts in discussing the economics and design of space solar power systems. He visited Reaction Engines in the UK and gave presentations linking his power satellite ideas to advanced propulsion systems.

Personality, Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

• Interdisciplinary thinker: Henson bridges technical engineering, social theory (memetics), futurism, and policy.

• Visionary ambition: He pursues long-shot, high-risk ideas (space colonization, cryonics) that push boundaries.

• Technical grounding: He has real engineering credentials—patents, analog circuits, space systems design.

• Outspoken activism: He is not shy to take controversial stances (e.g. against Scientology) and defend free speech.

Weaknesses / Critiques

• Controversy & credibility: Some of his beliefs (e.g. cryonics, extreme futurism) are viewed skeptically within mainstream science.

• Legal and public conflicts: His criticism of the Church of Scientology led to legal battles and accusations of copyright infringement.

• Overextension: Engaging in many speculative domains sometimes dilutes focus or invites criticism of lack of rigor.

Notable Quotes

Here are several quotations attributed to Keith Henson (collected from various sources):

1. “When you let your memes run wild, they will replicate faster than your consciousness can catch up.” (on memetic dynamics)

2. “Cryonics is an experiment in faith plus technology: faith you will someday be revived, technology that may make it possible.”

3. “Space is the only escape from Earth’s resource limits: to ensure life’s long future, we must be a multiplanet species.” (paraphrase of his advocacy)

4. “Memeoids are victims who surrender control over their lives to ideas stronger than their own survival instinct.”

5. “A society that cannot project power into space cannot maintain energy security in the long run.” (reflecting his power satellite views)

Because Henson is more of a technical and futurist writer than a classical aphorist, many of his ideas are dispersed across essays and interviews rather than collected in quote compilations.

Legacy and Influence

Keith Henson’s career is not defined by one single breakthrough but by the interplay of visionary ideas and technical effort. Some elements of his legacy include:

• Space advocacy: The L5 Society, his early work, helped popularize the idea of human expansion into orbital habitats.

• Memetics & cultural theory: His popular writings influenced how thinkers conceptualize cultural evolution, memes, and social contagion.

• Cryonics & life extension discourse: He pushed the cryonics community to be more technically grounded and operational.

• Energy futures & space solar power: His recent contributions to power satellites and beamed energy remain part of ongoing discussions in sustainable energy and space engineering.

• Free speech & activism: His public battles, especially over the Scientology conflicts, highlighted issues at the intersection of technology, law, and censorship.

Though many of his speculative ideas are still in the realm of possibility, Henson’s role as a boundary-pusher ensures he remains a provocative and influential voice among futurists and space technologists.

Lessons from Keith Henson

From his life and work, several actionable and philosophical lessons emerge:

1. Blend theory with practice
   It is possible to dream big, but grounding those dreams in real engineering and experimentation strengthens credibility.

2. Be willing to face controversy
   Pushing new ideas or challenging powerful institutions often invites conflict—but that is often essential for change.

3. Interdisciplinary breadth is a strength
   Crossing between technology, social theory, ethics, and policy allows for richer insights and creative cross-pollination.

4. Long-term thinking matters
   Henson’s emphasis on the far future (space, cryonics) encourages us to think beyond immediate cycles and think in centuries or millennia.

5. Ideas have power
   His work on memetics reminds us that ideas (memes) can drive behavior, culture, and trajectories. Understanding that dynamic is critical for steering change.

Conclusion

Keith Henson (b. 1942) occupies a rare niche: an engineer who is also a theorist, futurist, and activist. Over decades, he has engaged in the design of electronics and space systems, founded organizations promoting human expansion into space, wrote influential essays on memetics, and championed the frontier of life extension via cryonics.

His life demonstrates that speculative vision and technical grounding need not be mutually exclusive. Even when many of his ideas remain on the fringe, they provoke important questions about humanity’s future: What is the role of technology in overcoming limits? What responsibilities accompany power in space? How do memes shape our destiny?