The Space Show Present Dr. Deana Weibel and the Ultra View from Space.

The Space Show featured Dr. Dina Weibel discussing her book “The UltraView Effect: What We Can Learn From Astronauts About Awe, Humility, and Exploring the Unknown.” Weibel, an anthropologist of religion, shared her research on astronauts’ experiences looking at stars and deep space, which she calls the “ultra-view effect” - a more existential and awe-inspiring experience compared to the traditional “overview effect” of seeing Earth from space. The discussion covered how astronauts describe seeing vast star fields with no atmospheric interference, the psychological impact of contemplating the vastness of the universe, and how this experience often leads to increased humility and curiosity rather than the “Kumbaya” perspective sometimes associated with the overview effect. Weibel also mentioned her upcoming project with her husband Glenn Swanson and John Lomberg on the 50th anniversary of the Voyager Golden Record, which will be published in August 2027.Detailed Summary:Our discussion with Dr. Weibel began with a quick revie of Deana’s previous research on the “ultra view effect” and discussed her current project about the Voyager Golden Record (two of them), which she is working on with her husband and John Lomberg for a UK publisher. I did introduce Deana as a returning guest plus John Jossy and I did a quick Ultra View review with her.Dr. Deana Weibel, an anthropologist of religion, proceeded to discuss her research on astronauts’ experiences in space and introduced her book “The UltraView Effect” which explores awe and humility in space exploration. She explained her anthropological research methods, including participant observation and interviews, and shared how astronauts describe transformative experiences like the overview effect and lunar overview effect. Deana described how these space experiences parallel religious experiences she studied in her previous research on pilgrimage.Special thanks to our sponsors:American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corporation, Dr. Haym Benaroya of Rutgers University, The Space Settlement Progress Blog by John Jossy, The Atlantis Project, and Artless EntertainmentWe use Zoom phone numbers for program participation.For real time program participation, email Dr. Space at: [email protected] for instructions and access.The Space Show is a non-profit 501C3 through its parent, One Giant Leap Foundation, Inc. To donate via Pay Pal, use:To donate with Zelle, use the email address: [email protected] you prefer donating with a check, please make the check payable to One Giant Leap Foundation and mail to:One Giant Leap Foundation, 11035 Lavender Hill Drive Ste. 160-306 Las Vegas, NV 89135Upcoming Programs:Broadcast 4556: Zoom: Open Lines Discussion | Sunday 28 Jun 2026 1200PM PTGuests: Dr. David LivingstonZoom: A full Open Lines discussion. Join us with Zoom phone numbers. Email drspace before airtime for the numbers Get full access to The Space Show-One Giant Leap Foundation at doctorspace.substack.com/subscribe