When We Leave This Planet

As opportunities grow, space philosopher Frank White says it’s time to start thinking about issues arising out of the human expansion into our solar system.

White is the author of “The Overview Effect” which chronicles the cognitive shift in awareness reported by some astronauts during spaceflight, often while viewing the Earth from outer space.

But now more and more humans will leave this planet, thanks to private companies like Blue Origin & Virgin Galactic — and other thinkers and innovators like Elon Musk foresee a future where people live on other planets.

In his new book “The Cosma Hypothesis,” White challenges us to think about broad, philosophical issues that relate to human spaceflight and to outline some ground rules for all of humanity to follow.