With the spy satellites, scientists can extend a landscapeâs timeline even earlier into the 20th century Not being able to see the forest for the trees isnât just a colloquialism for Mihai Nita â itâs a professional disadvantage. âWhen I go into the forest, I can only see 100 meters around me,â said Nita, a forest engineer at Transylvania University of Brasov, in Romania. Nitaâs research interest â the history of Eastern Europeâs forests â depends on a vaster, and more removed, vantage than eyes can provide. âYou have to see what happened in the â50s, or even a century ago,â Nita said. âWe needed an eye in the sky.â