The overview effect is a cognitive shift in awareness reported by some astronauts and cosmonauts during spaceflight, often while viewing the Earth from orbit or from the lunar surface.
It refers to the experience of seeing firsthand the reality of the Earth in space, which is immediately understood to be a tiny, fragile ball of life, "hanging in the void", shielded and nourished by a paper-thin atmosphere. From space, national boundaries vanish, the conflicts that divide people become less important, and the need to create a planetary society with the united will to protect this "pale blue dot" becomes both obvious and imperative.
Third-hand observers of these individuals may also report a noticeable difference in attitude. Astronauts Ron Garan (Ted Talk on YouTube: TedxVienna - Ron Garan - The Orbital Perspective of Our Fragile Oasis) Rusty Schweikart, Edgar Mitchell, Tom Jones, and Mike Massimino are all reported to have experienced the effect.
The term and concept were coined in 1987 by Frank White, who explored the theme in his book The Overview Effect -- Space Exploration and Human Evolution (Houghton-Mifflin, 1987), (AIAA, 1998).
Video Overview effect
See also
- Cognitive shift
- Effect of spaceflight on the human body
- Spaceship Earth
Maps Overview effect
References
External links
- Space Ecotourism, Space.com (2006)
- Overview Institute
- Overview, short film from Planetary Collective
- Speech on The Overview Effect and its Importance in Civilization
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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