Have you ever seen Earth from space? Yeah, neither have I. But according to the people who have, it can have a profound effect on the way you view our planet and your place on it.
And I don't doubt them, because after watching the video below, I was very moved. As an environmental science teacher, I already have an appreciation for how delicate and unique our planet is, but this video stirred new thoughts and emotions. I can only begin to imagine what it would be like to view Earth from space and the feeling you must get.
But since that will probably never happen for me, I'll have to stick to videos like the one below or images like the one above. They may not have the same impact, but they certainly were able to move me. I hope they move you too.
The Overview Effect is simple: Once you see Earth from space, you will gain a new appreciation and awareness of our home. You will see Earth as a relatively insignificant and delicate ball of life surrounded by the emptiness of a very harsh outer space-with a paper-thin layer of gas protecting us from certain death. All of a sudden, differences among people and political boundaries vanish and you begin to view the human race as a single global society.
The term was coined in 1987 by Frank White, who wrote the book The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution.
Enjoy the video.