Have you ever heard of the Overview Effect? It’s a term that refers to the vantage point that astronauts have when looking down at the earth from above. It’s a view that only few can have in their lifetime, and it is said that seeing the earth from this perspective emphasizes both its power and its finiteness. [The Daily Overview][1], a photo project, was inspired by that idea, and wanted to put together a collection of images that would give viewers a chance to see the world in rare form. Here’s what they had to say on their website: > From our line of sight on the earth’s surface, it’s impossible to fully appreciate the beauty and intricacy of the things we’ve constructed, the sheer complexity of the systems we’ve developed, or the devastating impact that we’ve had on our planet. We believe that beholding these forces as they shape our Earth is necessary to make progress in understanding who we are as a species, and what is needed to sustain a safe and healthy planet. The fruits of their effort are both mesmerizing and discomfiting, and seem to recognize the fact that our world is not only beautiful, but in some regards, on its way to being destroyed. Check out the images below. [1]: http://www.overv.eu/This type of roadway, also known as a whirlpool interchange, is rarely built. Though it looks like a fun ride, this type of junction requires that a huge amount of land be leveled and destroyed.
This whirlpool interchange connects three major roads by the Miracle Garden in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The Stelvio Pass is the highest road in the Eastern Alps, and consists of 75 hairpin turns. The road is only accessible during the summer.
The Magdeburg Water Bridge connects two canals between the Rhineland and Berlin. It required 24,000 tons of steel and 68,000 cubic meters of concrete to build.
Cargo ships and oil tankers wait here to enter the Port of Singapore. This port ships a fifth of the world’s cargo containers and half of the world’s supply of oil.
This area is called Lamberts Point Pier 6. It is used as a coal-loading station, and serves as a temporary depot for over 23,000 coal cars.
This is the largest port in Europe, occupying a space of about 105 square kilometers.
Floating fishing nets in the waters of Quanzhou, China. Unfortunately, overfishing in this part of the world has become a huge problem.
Burning Man is a week-long event dedicated to radical art expression and community. Though the festival started small, crowds have grown to over 65,000 in recent years. The main area for campers is called Black Rock City, and all tents point towards the iconic Man Sculpture, along with other large-scale art projects. At the end of each festival, everything is burned, and festival-goers leave absolutely no trace of their presence.
Tulips are one of the primary exports of The Netherlands.
The Arc de Triomphe is at the center of twelve wheel-spoked avenues in Paris. The monument took almost 30 years to build.
Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer designed the urban plan for Brazil’s new capital in 1956. From above, the layout of the city is supposed to look like an airplane.
Mount Taranaki, is a stratovolcano.It is surrounded by a national forest, as well as many farmed dairy pastures.
Around 90% of all harvested olives here are turned into oil. The other 10% are harvested to be eaten.
Bondi Beach is one of the city’s most popular destinations. It gets its name from the Aboriginal word “Bondi” which means “waves breaking over rocks.”
The garden in the back of this palace was designed in the Baroque period, when perfect symmetry, fountains, basins, and statues were extremely popular.
Consisting of 15 connected, artificial islands, this project has been ongoing for years, and is estimated to cost approximately six billion dollars. The islands are supposed to be completed by mid-2015.
The Hani people of Yuanyang County, China have been farming these rice paddies for the last 1300 years.
The color of the bridge, known as “international orange”, was selected to enhance its visibility in fog.
Here, you can see clearcutting operations in the rainforest, branching out from the roads.
This town is famous for its concentric fortress plan known as a “star fort.”
