Week 8 Movie Theatre

In an interview with Time magazine, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson was asked the question: “What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the universe?”
The famed scientist and author gives an answer that is perhaps as eloquent as it is mind-blowing; as beautiful as it is sublime. It’s best to hear Tyson’s response in the video, but his answer is perhaps best revealed in this quote:
“We are part of this universe; we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts, is that the universe is in us”.

This 20 minute film offers a secular perspective on interconnection by exploring something known as the ‘Overview Effect’ – a perspective-altering experience experienced by those people (i.e., Astronauts) who have seen earth from the outside. Common features are a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound ‘a new type of self awareness’; a new understanding of the interconnection of all life; and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of each other and the planet.

Jill Bolte Taylor got a research opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: She had a massive stroke, and watched as her brain functions — motion, speech, self-awareness — shut down one by one. She also experienced the truth of our interconnectedness in a profound way.

What do Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor, Jim Carrey, and the late comedians George Carlin and Bill Hicks have in common? They have all had an experience they’d like to share with you. Take a journey through space, both inner and outer, and then make The Choice.

Nature’s beauty can be easily missed — but not through Louie Schwartzberg’s lens. His stunning time-lapse photography, accompanied by powerful words from Benedictine monk Brother David Steindl-Rast, serves as a meditation on being grateful for every day.