Mankind From Space

Last fall, I was interviewed for a documentary titled “Mankind From Space,” a truly big-picture look at the infrastructure making globalization possible. Although American viewers won’t be able to watch it until it airs on PBS sometime in 2016, Canadians will receive a sneak preview on May 3rd, when it airs on Discovery Canada. Due to the vagaries of international DRM, I’m not even able to watch the online trailer, but here’s a description:

From the global perspective of space, MANKIND FROM SPACE reveals the breathtaking extent of hum influence on the world; how we have transformed vast swathes of our planet and produced an interconnected world of extraordinary complexity.

This two-hour special examines seemingly small flashes of innovation in agriculture, commerce, power, transportation, communication and technology that forever changed the course of civilization. These human advances led to the creation of the modern wonders of the world and the development of an intricate web of networks that span the globe and link billions of us together.

Today satellites from space reveal this web of man-made networks that link us globally. Using the latest satellite data and cutting edge CGI technology, MANKIND FROM SPACE, peels back the networks layer by layer, revealing the globally connected society we live in.

Today’s wealth of data also helps us gaze into the future at the new challenges we face in order to survive – feeding and powering our rapidly growing population – and inspires us to pursue bold new innovations that will secure our future on earth.

MANKIND FROM SPACE reveals in stunning new detail how civilization developed, how it functions today and how it will work in the future.