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NASA Image Shows Earth Between the Rings of Saturn

nasa.gov

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Re: NASA Image Shows Earth Between the Rings of Saturn

#51

Post by avenoir »

ensiferum wrote: post #13

That tiny little speck in that endless blackness is us. All of the human race living on this tiny rock fighting over who owns which piece of land and whose religion is most peaceful. All the world leaders should be spent to space to understand how insignificant we are and how petty and insignificant our disagreements are.

A lot of astronauts had a pretty life changing experience when looking at the earth from cosmos. So much so that there a name for this phenomena called "the overview effect" [1]

[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overview_effect

Re: NASA Image Shows Earth Between the Rings of Saturn

#52

Post by vintagedave »

ensiferum wrote: post #13

That tiny little speck in that endless blackness is us. All of the human race living on this tiny rock fighting over who owns which piece of land and whose religion is most peaceful. All the world leaders should be spent to space to understand how insignificant we are and how petty and insignificant our disagreements are.

> All the world leaders should be spent to space

You know what I'm afraid of? Some country's leader will go up there, see their bit, and think "All the rest of that should be mine."

I agree with your sentiment, but writing it is based on the assumption that all people are like you (or us) in our sense of goals and community. It's not true.

Re: NASA Image Shows Earth Between the Rings of Saturn

#53

Post by compton_effect »

knowaveragejoe wrote: post #50
nsxwolf wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've always thought the Overview Effect is a cognitive error, but it has this cloud of piety surrounding it "because astronauts". At its best, it inspires calls to environmentalism (the fragility of the Earth), but at its worst, and it's usually at its worst, it inspires nihilistic Carl Saganisms like the Pale Blue Dot.

How is Pale Blue Dot in any way nihilistic? I feel like you missed the point of the entire thing if the message you got was one of hopelessness.

I mean it is a bit nihilist but again just calling something nihilist doesn't invalidate it. I agree The way he[Carl Sagan] weighs it is the way that I think people should view this idea. Instead of taking it to believe nothing matters, take it as a means to strive to do better, to see the only barriers that prevent our civilization from accomplishing greatness are artificial.

Re: NASA Image Shows Earth Between the Rings of Saturn

#54

Post by ehsankia »

vintagedave wrote: post #52
ensiferum wrote: post #13

That tiny little speck in that endless blackness is us. All of the human race living on this tiny rock fighting over who owns which piece of land and whose religion is most peaceful. All the world leaders should be spent to space to understand how insignificant we are and how petty and insignificant our disagreements are.

> All the world leaders should be spent to space You know what I'm afraid of? Some country's leader will go up there, see their bit, and think "All the rest of that should be mine." I agree with your sentiment, but writing it is based on the assumption that all people are like you (or us) in our sense of goals and community. It's not true.

That would actually be awesome! If they spend money on creating the technology to go up there and claim it all, along the way we will learn and advance so much, just like the rush for getting to the moon.

Re: NASA Image Shows Earth Between the Rings of Saturn

#55

Post by jimmyk »

ensiferum wrote: post #13

That tiny little speck in that endless blackness is us. All of the human race living on this tiny rock fighting over who owns which piece of land and whose religion is most peaceful. All the world leaders should be spent to space to understand how insignificant we are and how petty and insignificant our disagreements are.

What do you expect out of creatures that were molded by billions of years of evolution? If their ancestors hadn't been willing to fight over pieces of that rock, whether that willingness came from genetics or culture, they wouldn't be here today. I'm not aware of any good reason to believe that's about to change.

Re: NASA Image Shows Earth Between the Rings of Saturn

#56

Post by vog »

vintagedave wrote: post #52
ensiferum wrote: post #13

That tiny little speck in that endless blackness is us. All of the human race living on this tiny rock fighting over who owns which piece of land and whose religion is most peaceful. All the world leaders should be spent to space to understand how insignificant we are and how petty and insignificant our disagreements are.

> All the world leaders should be spent to space You know what I'm afraid of? Some country's leader will go up there, see their bit, and think "All the rest of that should be mine." I agree with your sentiment, but writing it is based on the assumption that all people are like you (or us) in our sense of goals and community. It's not true.

Still, I have often heard that people change their view of the "world", once they had an impressive experience regarding our place in the universe. After people are "infected" by the "space virus", and often adjust their priorities. Of course, that might more more correlation than causation.

But I still like the idea that people can be cured from megalomania by a quick trip to the moon, the space station, or by just driving up and down one of our space elevators.

Re: NASA Image Shows Earth Between the Rings of Saturn

#58

Post by rdiddly »

avenoir wrote: post #51
ensiferum wrote: post #13

That tiny little speck in that endless blackness is us. All of the human race living on this tiny rock fighting over who owns which piece of land and whose religion is most peaceful. All the world leaders should be spent to space to understand how insignificant we are and how petty and insignificant our disagreements are.

A lot of astronauts had a pretty life changing experience when looking at the earth from cosmos. So much so that there a name for this phenomena called "the overview effect" [1] [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overview_effect

In the 70s all the media seemed fascinated with that photo of Earth from the Moon (and spent the decade throwing it at us at every conceivable opportunity). Something tells me this one won't be quite so popular, though it might be more illustrative in some ways.

Re: NASA Image Shows Earth Between the Rings of Saturn

#59

Post by nsxwolf »

knowaveragejoe wrote: post #50
nsxwolf wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've always thought the Overview Effect is a cognitive error, but it has this cloud of piety surrounding it "because astronauts". At its best, it inspires calls to environmentalism (the fragility of the Earth), but at its worst, and it's usually at its worst, it inspires nihilistic Carl Saganisms like the Pale Blue Dot.

How is Pale Blue Dot in any way nihilistic? I feel like you missed the point of the entire thing if the message you got was one of hopelessness.

Because you could insert any other human concern into those enumerated in "Pale Blue Dot", and they become just as easily diminished. Like human rights, for instance. Who cares about female genital mutilation - after all, Betelgeuse is huge, man! Who cares about something as small as a clitoris?

Re: NASA Image Shows Earth Between the Rings of Saturn

#60

Post by inimino »

vog wrote: post #56
vintagedave wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> All the world leaders should be spent to space You know what I'm afraid of? Some country's leader will go up there, see their bit, and think "All the rest of that should be mine." I agree with your sentiment, but writing it is based on the assumption that all people are like you (or us) in our sense of goals and community. It's not true.

Still, I have often heard that people change their view of the "world", once they had an impressive experience regarding our place in the universe. After people are "infected" by the "space virus", and often adjust their priorities. Of course, that might more more correlation than causation. But I still like the idea that people can be cured from megalomania by a quick trip to the moon, the space station, or by just…

It's probably worth noting that all the humans who have been in space have had a deep commitment to science and risked their lives for it.

When space tourism becomes a thing, then I guess we'll see...

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