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Some people think technology cuts us off from each other. This guy says: Not a chance.

"We are captains of spaceship Earth."

Your phone is a window.

Through that window, you can see — and stay connected to — nearly the entire world.



This girl's either texting her BFF or pondering the vastness of human connections. Image via Thinkstock.

Stay with me here and think about this for just a minute. Your phone doesn't just have to be a weight in your hand to distract you while you wait in line. It's a powerful tool through which you can learn anything and stay connected to the world.

What does that mean for us?

Meet Jason Silva — he's what you might call a performance philosopher.

Here's Silva, philosophizing. All remaining images by "Shots of Awe."

Jason's a filmmaker known for his series "Shots of Awe" — a set of bite-sized videos that encourage people to think, to ask questions, to dig deeper. He calls them "philosophical espresso shots."

And by the way, they're beautiful. Like, what was that, mesmerizing, amazing kind of beautiful.

In his installment "Captains of Spaceship Earth," created in collaboration with Leonardo Dalessandri, Jason discusses how rapidly the world's technology is advancing.

Technology, he says, isn't driving humanity apart.

Jason quotes a great line: "Empathy rarely extends beyond our line of sight." Because "out of sight, out of mind," right?

You might think the same applies to our smartphones and screens, but he says technology allows us to expand our empathy. "If anything," Jason explains, "these wireless communication technologies are radically extending our line of sight. ... We never had such tools to overcome all the limitations of our humanity."

"If anything, these wireless communication technologies are radically extending our line of sight."

"We are seeing the big picture, we are seeing that we are captains of spaceship Earth." — Jason Silva.

Tech connects us and allows us to reach out to each other more than ever before.

Technology is always advancing. We're always becoming increasingly connected with the rest of humanity. In this world, Jason suggests, our goal in life should be to positively affect as many people as possible.

"We need to extend our hands to one another. ... This should be our goal. This is our responsibility. Here's our chance."


How's that for your daily dose of philosophical pondering?

Don't take it from me, though — Jason's explanation is far better.

And quite an experience to watch:

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