The Telescope: Our Bridge to The Infinite
Objectives
- To develop deeper insights into the overview effect.
- To analyze what it means to take a cosmic perspective.
- To highlight the impact of the Hubble Telescope and the James Webb Telescope on the human psyche.
Key Concepts
Cosmic Perspectives
Human Ingenuity
The Overview Effect
Module overview
In many ways, our technology is an extension of who we are as a species. From this perspective, a telescope is an extension of our sense of sight. It is a bridge to the infinite.
In this module, we will explore humanity’s increasing presence in the cosmic arena. Learners will get the opportunity to examine how exploring the universe can have a powerful impact on our psyche. Prepare to be blown away.
Details
Skills
Futures Thinking
Creativity & Imagination
Citizenship/Stewardship
Big Picture Thinking
Cross Curricular programs and links
If the universe is billions of years old, and if there are more stars than there are grains of sand, and if the universe could be teeming with life, why is there such a deafening...
We are now increasingly being able to measure everything. Physicist John Wheeler talks about how the fundamental aspect of reality is information. Everything in the universe – from flowers to fish and electrons to protons...
The overview effect is a shift in perception and cognition that astronauts and spacewalkers have described experiencing after viewing earth from up above. The sight of the entire earth “hanging in the void”, glowing like...
David Deutsch, the quantum physicist, points out that knowledge is unbounded, and we now stand at the beginning of infinity – and always will. With the invention of the alphabet, the Indo-Arabic numeral system, and...
Attempts to improve human cognition and physical abilities date back thousands of years and are exercised every day through seemingly mundane activities such as consuming caffeine or exercising. Yet in recent decades, we have developed...
The technological singularity is the idea that the invention of artificial super-intelligence will abruptly trigger runaway technological growth, resulting in unfathomable changes to human civilization. What would the role of humans be in a world...
What is the meaning of one life? What does it mean to be a “self”? In this module, learners will explore how an individual’s life is not an end in and of itself. One’s life...
