For the first time in 2,000 years, a radical new design—the geodesic dome—changed the way engineers looked at domes in the 1950s. The geodesic dome, invented by American engineer and architect Buckminster Fuller, is a half spherical form made out of triangles rather than arches. This makes it much stronger for its weight while still being very flexible. Fuller introduced this new concept to the world in 1955 when he gave a lecture at MIT titled "A Geodesic Dome House." In it, he described how this new type of building could be used as housing for millions of people around the world. The dome itself could serve as a roof or, with some modifications, could be covered in any number of materials including tiles, metal panels, or even plastic. The main advantage of this type of structure is that it requires less material to build than traditional buildings and therefore can be considered environmentally friendly. It is also extremely strong and can easily withstand high winds without breaking down. These features make geodesic domes useful in areas where damage from earthquakes or hurricanes often occurs. They are also perfect for places like Mars or the Moon where there is no danger of flooding or subsidence. In addition to housing, Fuller believed that geodesic domes could be used for other purposes such as factories, museums, or even space stations. However, due to their size and complexity, none of these ideas have been put into practice yet.