During our trip to NASA I was intrigued by Randii’s story
about a man’s shift in understanding once he was able to go into space and look
back at our own planet. At first
the man is aware of his own country, then his continent, then as he moves back
completely he sees the one earth.
This shift in awareness and profound understanding for the
interconnection of all life was termed ‘The overview effect’ in 1973 by Frank
White. The effect refers to seeing the Earth firsthand in space where country lines,
wars and conflicts vanish and the importance of planetary solidarity becomes
evident, creating a shift in worldview. The overview effect is a feeling of
universal connection and ultimate enlightening reported by astronauts as they
view their place in the universe. Apollo
8 astronaut Bill Anders remembers, "We came all this way to explore the
moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth."
Apollo 14's Edgar Mitchell put it another way: "We went to the moon as
technicians; we returned as humanitarians."
Here is a fascinating trailer for a
documentary on the overview effect called Continuum:
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