WELCOME TO ASTROCENTURY.ORG
When I was a kid, I had an imaginary company I called the AstroCentury Corporation. I put all my ideas and inventions in a folder called The AstroCentury Files — just in case, someday, it came true.
AstroCentury Corporation hasn’t manifested yet — but it has evolved into this website, AstroCentury.org, a repository for all my open-source thought experiments, vision papers, inventions, and other creative meanderings.
Why am I doing this? Mostly for fun. I like to solve what seem like impossible problems. To me, it’s like a game — a chance to invent a missing piece to a puzzle, or reinvent the entire game altogether. It’s most fulfilling when I can make something that helps others solve real problems.
The beauty of Open Source is that I can float these ideas out there like dandelion seeds on the winds of the internet, to see if someone might catch one and bring it to life.
I also have a companion Substack site called MY NOTE PAD if you’d like to follow my creative journey there. I hope you find these materials interesting — and maybe even helpful.
Scroll down to see summaries of each paper and links to the PDFs.
Thanks for coming by.
— Ron Erak
Disclaimer: The ideas shared here are provided for informational and creative purposes only. They are not guarantees, instructions, or certified science. All content is offered “as is,” and anyone who chooses to build upon these ideas does so at their own risk and responsibility.
Dandelion Power Plants
October 2025
I saw how giant windmills were killing birds and harming wildlife, so I created Dandelion Power Plants to change that. Inspired by the design of actual dandelions and the geometry of Buckminster Fuller, I invented a new wind energy harvesting system—omnidirectional spheres that blend into landscapes, turning slowly to capture wind safely from every angle. They come in all sizes, from backyard units to hilltop arrays, networked to share power efficiently and protect ecosystems. This whitepaper shares my vision for a harmonious, sustainable future—you can download the open source document at the link below to explore, adapt, and help bring it to life.
DOWNLOAD THE VISION PAPER HERE
The New Chautauqua Network
Septemeber 2025
In the late 19th century, Chautauquas transformed small towns into arenas of ideas, where neighbors gathered under big tents to hear lectures, music, and debates that sparked imagination and belonging. Once praised by President Theodore Roosevelt as “the most American thing in America,” the movement faded with new technologies and shifting economies. I created the New Chautauqua Network to carry that spirit into today’s world: an open-source model that uses AI to connect people globally, then turns those connections into real-world meetups in libraries, cafés, and community spaces. It’s a way to repurpose disrupted careers, ignite cross-disciplinary learning, and rebuild the sense of community online and offline. It’s not a social network, it’s a gathering network.