#the overview effect

[its-a-state-of-angst]

Midge x Lenny - The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, 5x01 - Go Forward

Cory x Bradley  - The Morning Show, 3x10 - The Overview Effect

I'm sorry @im-on-your-side-always but I caved :P

not first time these two otps had similarities (PLEASE LET CORY X BRADLEY HAVE HAPPIER ENDING PLEASSSSSE)

[scholastica-yul]

Jon Hamm The Morning Show Season 3 Episode 10 The Overview Effect 7/10

[information-connoisseur]

The Overview Effect

[eclipse-astro]

it's weird that earth (and the moon to some degree) is always shown one way

there is no up or down or left or right when you're outside a planet's gravitational influence

which means that, this is correct

so is this

and this is too

[aquiestoychaval]

I chose this image as my header for some reasons: mainly bc it's just cool but also bc I first found it when researching info about this thing called the overview effect which is also one of my favourite things in the world

the overview effect is something that happens to your mind when watching the planet Earth as a whole irl, from space: it changes your values, it changes your sense of morality, it sets in your mind a drive for caring about this gigantic ball we live in. when I was 14 I wanted to become an astronaut just to be able to experience this haha. luckily enough, maybe some of you will experience it :3 be sure to tell me tho I'm super curious about this particular thing

[ecstaticunicorns]

“are we leaving or abandoning earth?”

[ID: A digital stylized drawing of two people sitting in metal chairs against a metallic white background. Henry, on the left, is a boy with light brown skin and short dark brown hair. He wears a purple jacket, a blue shirt, jeans, and a blue neck pillow. He’s asleep with a vaguely troubled expression, and is leaning on Astra. Astra is a girl with light skin and freckles. Her hair is bleached, with splashes of pastel dye in pinks, blues, and purples. She is wearing a yellow raincoat and boots, and a white dress with a pink ribbon around the waist. She is holding a ukulele and looking up anxiously. Above the characters is a window showing a starry sky. In the center there’s a full moon. Below the characters read the words “The Overview Effect”.]

[scientificphilosopher]

On this day 50 years ago, humanity took its first steps onto an extraterrestrial body. July 20, 1969 marks the day when Apollo 11 successfully landed on the moon. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins peered back at the Earth from 380,000 km away. Aldrin called the lunar surface "magnificent desolation," while Armstrong said "It's an interesting place to be. I recommend it." Collins anticipated what would become known as the "Overview Effect" when he said, "I really believe that if the political leaders of the world could see their planet from a distance of, let's say 100,000 miles, their outlook would be fundamentally changed. The all-important border would be invisible, that noisy argument suddenly silenced."

Photo credits: NASA

[grenadineghost]

The Overview Effect

This is a short short story I wrote for a job application! It’s based on a one-act play I want to eventually write about a group of strangers leaving Earth.

The spaceship is almost colder than the clear night outside, all smooth metal and no heating. Two people sit in two chairs facing a small window. The chairs are uncomfortable - the soon-to-be-astronauts won’t be spending much time awake to enjoy nice seats.

Henry turns to the girl sitting next to him. “Arbeia?” That’s the name she gave him after some consideration when they met half an hour ago. It feels heavy on his tongue. “Can I ask you why you’re leaving Earth?”

The girl sits still for a rare second, before saying slowly: “It’s not sticking.”

“What?”

She stands up and starts pacing. “Arbeia. The name. It’s not sticking anymore.” She paces a few laps around the chairs, the colorful ribbons wrapped around her dress fluttering behind her. Then she sits back down, almost cautiously, and says: “Call me Astra.”

“Astra,” Henry says, watching the girl flap her hand subconsciously. “I like that name. It suits you.”

Astra doesn’t say anything. She smiles faintly and watches the window.

“I mean, that’s not to say anything bad about your other names--” Henry rushes to say, his face flushing. Astra cuts him off, facing straight ahead.

“I was scared of choosing this name. I was scared that Astra would just slip off like the other names. I like it, too. That scared me.”

There’s a pause as Henry watches Astra, then she glances over and makes eye contact with him. Henry blushes and looks away. Astra laughs lightly, and Henry joins in. Then Astra sighs and looks out the window again. Henry looks, too. Stars are scattered throughout the sky. It’s more stars than Henry’s ever seen at once. The moon shines, large, in the center of the window. He takes a long breath.

“I wanted to be an astronaut,” Astra says. “Since I was a child. Since I first saw the stars. I loved looking at pictures of stars, galaxies, nebulas. So much beauty floating out there. It’s amazing. It kinda feels like fantasy. Like, it doesn’t look real. But the stars are out there. We’re floating in the middle of them.” Henry contemplates this, leaning back into the neck pillow he’s wearing. “There’s this thing called the Overview Effect,” Astra continues. “It’s when astronauts see the earth from space, and they realize that this is where we live. All of us. This pale blue dot, hanging in the void. A realization that we need to protect this world of ours.” She almost falters for a second. “I want-- wanted to see the earth from space myself.”

Astra runs a hand through her hair - bleached, with splashes of dye in pastels of all colors - then, without looking at him, lowers her head onto Henry’s shoulder. Henry blushes again, then relaxes into her. The two listen to the conversations of their fellow astronauts - almost strangers, like themselves - without absorbing them.

The babble of strangers and the musical hum of the electrical equipment forms something like a silence.

“Why are you leaving?” Astra asks quietly.

“I’m tired.” Henry searches for the right words. “That’s maybe not the best phrasing, but… I need to rest. Everything’s always happening. I can’t do it.”

Astra nods gently and sits up. She reaches under her chair and pulls out her ukulele. “What kind of music do you like?” she asks, plucking strings experimentally.

“I guess, like, relaxing music? Stuff that’s not very energetic. Calm.”

Astra nods again, and starts to play some chords, figuring out a song as she goes. Henry closes his eyes and leans into his neck pillow. Astra’s song keeps changing, the chords never constant, occasionally with her singing softly on top. Henry opens his eyes when her song starts shifting into Mamma Mia by ABBA - a familiar song, but a softer version. Almost a lullaby. He makes eye contact with her and grins. She smiles at him and keeps playing.

Somewhere during the second chorus she stops. She doesn’t look at Henry. “What am I doing here?” she asks, her voice soft, barely audible.

“Leaving Earth?”

“What are we doing here?” Silence.

Astra stands up quickly and starts pacing again, one hand holding the ukulele, the other flapping. “What are we doing here?” she says again, louder. “There’s a world out there.”

Henry stands up. “What?”

“There’s-- there’s so much out there. There are bumblebees, and bright colors, and cinnamon pretzels. There’s music. There’s… music.”

“Astra, what are you talking about?”

“Oh my god, the music!” Astra says, her voice growing. She turns to Henry. “Henry, if you stay here, you’ll never hear music again.”

“Astra, I-- I don’t need that. I need to rest.” Astra stops pacing. Henry continues. “I need to sleep, for once in my life. I need to get away from all of this.”

“And what about when you wake up?” Astra says. She strums a chord. “Henry, I know you need to rest, but there’s a world for you to rest in. There’s a whole world for you.”

“You too,” Henry says, instinctively.

Astra looks surprised, her eyes wide, an eyebrow raised. She pushes her hair out of her face. Her hands go back to her ukulele, and she starts playing again. Mamma Mia is no longer the lullaby it was before. Her voice is strong and confident.

“Astra, I--”

“Mamma Mia! Here I go again!”

“We--”

“My, my! How can I resist you?”

“Astra. The world is gone.” She stops playing at that. Henry doesn’t look her in the eye. “There’s not anything there for us. The world is dying. We have to leave.”

“Are we leaving or abandoning?” Astra says. She leans in and Henry blushes. “We have to try. We have to keep living. I was leaving because I gave up on myself. But I didn’t want you to give up.” She looks at the moon through the window. “Maybe I shouldn’t, either.”

With that, she turns and walks to the exit and leaves.

Henry watches. He looks at the moon. He follows Astra.