Cosmos Café – Peter Sloterdijk’s “Deep Observation — Toward a Philosophy of the Space Station” or Life at 240 Miles Above the Earth

23 Apr 2019 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm MDT
Virtual

ZOOM video conference: https://zoom.us/j/711610894

This is something that human eyes are not supposed to see.”

– Mike Massimino

We have, from the creation of the international space station in the 20th century to the present day, spatially placed ourselves in an alternate environment, one outside of cultural and natural milieu. We receive reports from the space station, even if only to affirm that they are still alive, that give proof to the environment outside of our terrestrial home.

Reading / Watching / Listening

“With the emergence of the space station, not only do we have proof that there is intelligent life outside Earth, but the ability to communicate with this external intelligence is also effectively demonstrated by the electronic transmission of data between station and Earth. In fact, this has world-historical consequences, since Earth-based worlds (which are also called cultures) can for the first time view a really existing shared world beyond. From now on, we are faced with a transcendence that Earthlings have themselves accomplished, and that can be distinguished from traditional, symbolically coded religious or metaphysical instances of transcendence by its allowing for reliable two-way communication.”

Sloterdijk -Deep Observation

Context, Backstory, and Related topics

240 Miles Above the Earth | Ron Garan 6

National Geographic series One Strange Rock directed by Darren Aronofsky,

Relevant clip from Episode 10 (individuals with Netflix account can access the full series. More on the series here)

TO SEE THE COSMOS, YOU HAVE TO STEP OUTSIDE