Can Astronaut Thinking Heal America at Last? Copy link By Leslie Guttman Copy link By Leslie Guttman January28, 2021 Author Frank White coined the term the Overview Effect to describe the change in many astronauts’ worldview after viewing Earth from space, prompting them to envision a more harmonious world. Though it languished for years, the idea is finally gaining traction with the promise of private space travel and hopelessly divided societies. Apollo 17 astronaut Eugene Cernan was the last man to walk on the moon and the first to tag it with graffiti. He wrote his daughter’s initials — TDC — on the dusty surface of the desolate Taurus-Littrow valley before heading home. In space’s infinite darkness, Cernan would gaze down at our planet in wonder and think: “That’s humanity, love, feeling and thought. You don’t see the barriers of color or religion and politics that divide this world. You wonder, if you could get everyone in the world up here, wouldn’t they have a different feeling — a new perspective?”