Rafe and Steve talk to Frank White, Space Philosopher, author of The Overview Effect and co-founder of the Overview Institute.
The guys take on heavy topics and try to explain the Overview Effect and how it applies to the future of human consciousness in these tumultuous times. They are guided through the conversation by Frank White.
More than 30 years ago, Frank White coined the term Overview Effect; to describe the cognitive shift in awareness that results from the experience of viewing Earth from orbit or the moon. He found that, with great consistency, this experience profoundly affects space travelers' worldviews - their perceptions of themselves and our planet, and our understanding of the future. White found that astronauts know from direct experience what the rest of us know only intellectually: we live on a planet that is like a natural spaceship moving through the universe at a high rate of speed. We are, in fact, the crew of Spaceship Earth; as Buckminster Fuller described our world. In The Overview Effect, Third Edition Frank White expands on his original concept, which has now gained worldwide recognition and exposure. Using interviews with and writings by numerous astronauts and cosmonauts, he describes space exploration and settlement as necessary next steps in the evolution of human civilization and consciousness. The third edition features new interviews with the following astronauts, space advocates, and New Space entrepreneurs:
*Frank White is a magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard College. He attended Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship, where he earned a Master of Philosophy degree in politics. He is a leading thinker and advocate on the topic of space exploration and its impact on human thought and society. He first published The Overview Effect in 1987 and has since authored, co-authored, or edited nine other books, including Think About Space and The March of the Millennia (with Isaac Asimov), The SETI Factor, and The New Camelot. He is co-founder of the Overview Institute, created in 2008 to communicate the nature and psychosocial impact of the space experience to the space community and the general public. He is also co-founder of the Earth Rider project and appears in Overview, a short film about the Overview Effect released by Planetary Collective in 2012 that has been viewed on the Internet by more than 6 million people.
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Excerpt from The Overview Institute
"We live at a critical moment in human history. The challenges of climate change, food, water and energy shortages as well as the increasing disparity between the developed and developing nations are testing our will to unite, while differences in religions, cultures, and politics continue to keep us apart. The creation of a "global village" through satellite TV and the Internet is still struggling to connect the world into one community. At this critical moment, our greatest need is for a global vision of planetary unity and purpose for humanity as a whole."