the overview effect

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.

Did you ever read Calvin and Hobbes comics? If you're familiar with them, you'll know about the hilarious relationship between young Calvin and his favourite tiger toy Hobbes (who, thanks to the power of imagination, is larger than life in Calvin's mind). While the comics are known for giving their readers a laugh, they can also be quite philosophical and thought-provoking at times.

Calvin: If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I'll bet they'd live a lot differently.
Hobbes: How so?
Calvin: Well, when you look into infinity, you realise that there are more important things than what people do all day.

We all know that every now and then we need to "step back and look at the bigger picture", but what happens if you step back as far as (currently) humanly possible? The thought of looking into infinity and gaining a new perspective on the world is something that astronauts commonly experience – they often come back to earth with a different view on life and the world we live in. Observing the earth as it hangs in the vast blackness of space causes a phenomenon known as the 'overview effect'. While we may never personally venture outside of our little planet, just listening to astronauts speaking on their experiences is enough to humble.


IMAGE: LOPPELILLA