Why Astronauts Look for Their Home First, Part 1 with Frank White

The Intelligent Community

Many astronauts say that when they initially see the Earth from afar, they look first for their hometowns….Eventually, they realize that their true identity as a human….is ‘with that whole thing.’”

One of the world’s most esteemed authors and Space philosophers, best-selling author Frank White, wrote The Overview Effect nearly 40 years ago while gazing down at Earth. His hundreds of interviews and reporting since have changed the way people view our planet and their lives, and has influenced our outlook on the idea of “community.” After hundreds of interviews with every human being who has left Earth for Space and working with the best minds the human community offers, he narrowed the process of understanding into three words.

In this remarkable Podcast with his friend, Lou Zacharilla, he shares them as they talk about the cognitive shift that an “overview effect” has had and what it might mean for the future of Intelligent Communities. Frank White is an educator, writer, and communications consultant. He has authored or coauthored numerous books on topics ranging from space exploration to artificial intelligence to Zen Buddhism. His best-known work is The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution. He is the co-founder, president, and board chair of The Human Space Program, Inc.