Overview

Overview

2012, Science  -   46 Comments
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Ratings: 8.62/10 from 182 users.

In 1968, Apollo 8 went to the moon. They didn't land but they did circle the moon and, as was shown on television, at a certain point one of the astronauts casually said that they're gonna turn the camera around and show us the Earth. And he did... and that was the first time Frank White, the author of "The Overview Effect", had ever seen the planet hanging in space like that... and it was profound. For the philosopher David Loy, like for other people, it was quite a shock.

Any of us didn't have any expectations about how it would give us such a different perspective. The focus had been that we were going to the stars and planets and suddenly we looked back at ourselves and it seems to imply a new kind of self awareness. One of the astronauts said: When we originally went on the moon our total focus was on the moon, we weren't thinking about looking back at the Earth, but now that we've done it, that may well have been the most important reason we went.

The launch alone is overwhelming experience but when the engines cut off you start floating out of the seat. You float over to the window, look down and that's the moment you realize that you're in space. You start out with the idea of what is going to be like and finally when you look at the Earth for the first time you're overwhelmed by how much more beautiful it really is when you see it for real.

It's this dynamic, alive place that you see glowing all the time. It is truly incredible to be up there and glance back to our planet and see that tremendous view. When you're looking down at the Earth you see that line that separates day into night slowly moving across the planet and then watching Earth come alive when you see the lights from the cities and the towns.

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Pachacouti
Pachacouti
3 years ago

I really wanna know how they got through the Van Allen Belt without being totally iradiated. I also wonder why in the 1940's, spy's in the 2nd world war had micro camera's hidden in watch's, yet on a trip to the moon, they have possibly the worst ever camera footage. I simply wont accept they went there without a decent camera!! or 20!! Why dont astronaut's take their mobile phones? 10.000 times better photos!!

bobby
bobby
6 years ago

Did EVERYBODY need a picture to understand reality?
Impressive....not the picture.....the need for a picture.

t4msync
t4msync
6 years ago

Every time I see something uploaded to Vimeo my heart sinks. This time the video stopped halfway through and wouldn't re start. Please boycott bloody Vimeo until they can be arsed to sort their well known technical problems out. Arrogant lazy bastards.

farasat
farasat
6 years ago

same view

DustUp
DustUp
7 years ago

@Terry: Watch "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Moon" a documentary that should be available on here or you tube. It will explain the farce quite well. You can see other videos with bubbles, indicating that it was filmed in a big water tank, not outer space. You can see the "hairspray girls" comically going in and out of gravity equalization in the vomit comet jet rather than in the claimed space station tours. These people need to be put in jail. Hats off to those who were observant enough to expose this boondoggle.

People don't need to see a fake image of earth at a distance to realize they should treat everyone with respect. To truly respect others, one would have to quit polluting their air, water, food, minds; quit ruining their life, quit all the propaganda(lies), etc.

Unfortunately it is highly likely [mostly innocent] people will suffer more tragedies for allowing their corporate bankster owned govts to wreak havoc around the world. Directly through the bad actions and indirectly by terrorists who can find no other means to wake us up. It is clear most people won't stand up unless directly impacted by some govt assisted project like a pipeline or fracking. Yet everyone is directly impacted by chemtrails and yet only a microscopic dot of a handful of people do anything. For further reference on that subject see GeoEngineeringWatch.org videos and read the govt docs in their [Documents] menu tab.

Terry
Terry
7 years ago

There's a glove floating in space half way through ,how can that be I thought if any part of your body was open to space you would die it's not the first time I've seen a glove loose of an astronaut in space ,can someone explain what I'm missing here,it must of been on an astronaut to have got loose and floating in space ,astronauts suits are supposed to cost millions to make they wouldn't just throw them off for those reasons,1- it could kill them,2- the cost,3- if they have no spare then what????(a very confused person)

Ricardo Pascal
Ricardo Pascal
9 years ago

I take George Carlin's approach (paraphrased):

"These environmental people are ridiculous when they say 'we're killing the earth!'

No!

The earth will be just fine. WE are the ones who will go extinct. And once we have destroyed ourselves, the earth will just shake us off like a case of bad fleas."

Lol.

Guys, the earth and even nature will be just fine. What we ARE destroying is the CURRENT environment, which we are able to survive in. If/when we destroy the environment/climate, we may destroy ourselves and most of the fauna and flora on it today.

But after that, the environment and nature will recover and the story of life will continue unfolding without us (for billions of years on). The earth and nature have survived ancient calamities FAR greater than anything us humans can bring to bare. It's as simple as that.

So lets be real. We need to "save" the environment/earth/nature in order to SAVE OURSELVES!

NewCovenant
NewCovenant
9 years ago

This doc appears to subliminally train you to believe that we evolved into this great cosmos, but what about some of us who do believe simply that God Created this vast expanse & thought of us as He Created w/beauty the only existing planet to sustain mankind. Sure He might have other celestial places in the universe, but for humans that have a spirit, soul (mind,will, emotions) & body this planet Earth was INTELLIGENTLY DESIGNED! Thanks LORD!

ROMO
ROMO
9 years ago

You and I, "the people" are for the majority aware of this. its the filthy greedy corporations brainwashing and polluting the rest that need to change their way if you ask me. I dont think you need to go to space to see beauty either I see it often just walking in a forest or along a beach.

compsyche2012
compsyche2012
9 years ago

Sagon's "Pale Blue Dot" was even more of a wake up; still no common sense to be found.

SecretWay
SecretWay
9 years ago

yet we still kill over religion, dream of an "ultimate judgement day"
spreading like cancer over the earth.. treating it with little to no respect.. we are selfish.. leaving our generation to come.. with a ticking bomb.. i hope for a great future.. but we sure are stacking up the odds to kill our home planet.

Eric Lawson
Eric Lawson
9 years ago

Wow!!! Really drives home how we are all on this boat planet earth together!!! Traveling together with the same vi-near protecting us all. Makes our selfish wars and political persutes so petty. We are all from the same star dust.This film should be a must to be seen by all students of all ages from all parts of the earth..Brings everything into perspective.Bravo well done !!

NX2
NX2
9 years ago

Well, that was short but quite interesting. We're so accustomed these days to images of the Earth-globe we 'd tend to forget the effect it must have had on the minds who first saw it, or on the collective. Let alone, the ones who actually experienced the view.

It must be somewhat the same for images of atomic mushroom clouds. What effect did it have on the people who where among the first to see images of it? Or people who experienced it from nearby, in a bunker (obviously). It's quite understandable some would describe their experience as 'spiritual' of nature. I remember Salvador Dali stating something of the like, after watching such a cloud on the television . And the effect it had on his life and works - didn't he have an atomic period? (But then again, that effect could also have been augmented by his LSD usage. Try to imagine that)

How many can actually remember when they saw an image of our precious globe (or atomic cloud) for the first time? I honestly can't, or recall the effect it had on me. I guess it all must have been oh so subconsciously. Non the less, what's the effect now?

However,
It's also said in this documentary that we need to have a common goal and need to work together. While I agree with that, there's also a concern. Because, if we simply say yes to that and let others do that for us, before we know it we 'll have a new world order of some sorts, telling us how to cooperate (from an economic interest). That's not the idea, is it?

bringmeredwine
bringmeredwine
9 years ago

I kept having difficulty with the tracking and had to give up.
Darn, this looked like a really good one.

Luyang Han
Luyang Han
9 years ago

A very nice and sweet piece. Such facts are easy to grasp but the sensation, the emotional feeling of such "overview effect" perhaps can only be experienced with your own eye, or perhaps 3D glasses with 4k :)

Janeen Clark
Janeen Clark
9 years ago

it brings an important point into question. money systems governments and all domination based false separation enemy image based fantasy world mentality does not account for the reality that we are one planet earth.

~Oliver B Koslik Esq
~Oliver B Koslik Esq
9 years ago

Spectacular doc!

+1 TDF!

whoopi_goldberg
whoopi_goldberg
9 years ago

we should sent the wealthiest most influential people in our society to space in hopes they also gain this new global awareness.