When astronauts first viewed Earth from space, many experienced a dramatic shift in their awareness and perception of the planet. Dubbed the “overview effect” by space philosopher and author Frank White, this phenomenon creates much deeper appreciation for our planet, and a feeling of connectedness with all life.
If all children get to experience this feeling, then they will be motivated to help protect the precious resources on planet Earth. This is the vision behind SpaceBuzz.Earth, which is a non-profit education foundation that offers virtual reality-based educational and outreach programs that put children in the footsteps of astronauts so they can feel the shift for themselves.
SpaceBuzz.Earth’s programs go well beyond educating children through a VR-based application. Students get to experience a real-life space mission in the SpaceBuzz rocket, and even get to hold a press conference and share their learnings, and collaborate with real astronauts.
Janine Geijsen, Director at SpaceBuzz.Earth, chose a .Earth domain because it was a perfect fit for the organization’s mission.
“Our mission is to inspire as many children as possible so they can become ambassadors of Earth, and make better decisions when it comes to helping the planet,” said Janine. “The .Earth domain fits with this mission while also making us unique. It also makes us global, and it’s not related to any one country or category.”
Following are highlights from our interview:
- About SpaceBuzz.Earth and the “Overview Effect.” (1:04)
- About the VR-based educational programs. (4:05)
- The timing of the organization’s programs. (7:02)
- Why SpaceBuzz.Earth chose to use a .Earth domain. (8:30)
- What the future holds for SpaceBuzz. (9:49)
SpaceBuzz.Earth is not the only .Earth domain user that aims to highlight the power of the “Overview Effect.” In late 2018, we published a podcast with Blueturn.Earth, which offers a mobile app that provides a unique, intimate and interactive experience of the whole Earth in rotation, captured from outer space.
To learn more about SpaceBuzz.Earth, please click here. In addition, if you are launching an education foundation to teach children about Earth, and would like to use a .Earth domain name, please click here.
In addition, don’t miss out on our special .Earth domain promotion to help any organization celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.
