Finding meaning in the darkest sky on earth | Dispatches from The Well Ep.1

Host Kmele Foster is on a journey to understand humanity’s role in the cosmos. His first stop? The Atacama Plateau in Northern Chile, home to the darkest deserts and largest telescopes on earth.
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Why are we here? What is our purpose? Are any of our scientific efforts actually adding up to important revelations? Does understanding our cosmic origins really contribute to humanity as a whole?
We know what it’s like to be “street-level,” to understand our cities, our social behaviors, our day-to-day lives - but what happens if we look up? How does our understanding of humanity change when we raise our attention to the space beyond our skylines?
These are the questions that our host Kmele Foster is exploring in this episode of The Well podcast. Helping Kmele along the way is Sean Dougherty, the director of ALMA Observatory in Northern Chile, home of Earth’s darkest skies and 50% of the world’s megatelecopes.
If the answers to humanity’s questions are written in the stars, this observatory might be the one to translate them.
Featuring: Sean Dougherty, Nicolás Lira
❍ Read the full video transcript: bigthink.com/t...
❍ Learn more about the ALMA Observatory here: www.almaobserv...
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❍ About The Well ❍
Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.
So what do they think?
How is the power of science advancing understanding? How are philosophers and theologians tackling these fascinating questions?
Let’s dive into The Well.
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[@The-Well]

💡Great news! This episode of Dispatches from The Well is now available to stream on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Click use the links below to subscribe, wherever you prefer to listen. Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dispatches-from-the-well/id1716445883?i=1000634711503 Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/7lR3r7dy4COZFxyxYv1qHX?si=pHCTdcNtTxOVFYsBhFgH3g

[@shiraz.janjua]

To Kmele and the whole team, this was beautifully produced from top to bottom. Amazing science communication, humble, curious, awe-struck, personal, inspiring (not just for the ideas, but also inspiring for someone who makes things and feels compelled to be part of that great journey in his own way). No answers, only questions. I can't wait to see where else this series takes you and us.

[@The-Well]

Wow Shiraz, thank you so much. It is our great joy to create videos that inspire awe and wonder, and we're so glad you're enjoying them. We're super excited for this journey with our podcast - thank you for being here with us.

[@elmoteroloco]

Impressive and overwhelming documentary work, Doctor Sean Dougherty is a person as transparent and brilliant as the skies of Atacama, as a humble seeker of wisdom in dangerous and mean times I am immensely grateful for what you are doing by sharing such a wonderful experience.

[@dcartier1692]

“… I’m quite content personally with the idea that I came from stardust and I’m gonna end up stardust…” - Sean Dougherty (24:40) 🌈 👏

[@AnthonyBullard]

Kmele came at this with his typical passion and curiosity. BigThink came through with lovely cinematography and incredible production value. Combined this is truly film festival quality stuff if done as a single film. I can’t wait to watch every episode, and hope it gets optioned into a even longer production

[@The-Well]

Wow, truly, thank you for taking the time to share such a kind and thoughtful comment. We can't wait to share this with our team! We have a new episode coming every Monday (including today!) 💡😊

[@rikp1231]

kmele foster is a gem! This series is very well done, it genuinely made and the authenticity of the kmele foster displays it. As a listener, it felt very relatable as it relates to the deep questions. The stories are told brilliantly woven together through meaningful dialogues with all the experts. I hope there is more to this such as exploration of the deep questions about the cosmos from more perspectives. It would be really interesting where the well, kmele foster, and the team go from here! Can’t wait for all that is in stored! 🙌🏽

[@SciVias917]

"...for [star]dust thou art, and unto [star]dust shalt thou return." Many thanks for this marvelous production!

[@The-Well]

Our pleasure! Thanks for spending time with us!

[@MichaelBaldwin-r9h]

As a former amatur astronomer (built my own Newtonian reflector as a teen), I found this program quite interesting. I identify with Kmele Foster's questions, too, as a poet of science and philosophy. I notice he didn't mention poets as some of those who are asking and answering those ultimate questions. I'd love to engage with him about that. Thanks for a great program.

[@kmelefoster6257]

Yes -- Literature in general and poetry in particular are rich veins. And spend a bit of time on this in future installments of the show.

[@afd5231]

Prof Don Lincoln "sent me" here. Thanks for the images of the antenna transport, I didn’t even imagine...Thanks to all the people working there, in one of the most dangerous desert. Love the episode🙏🏻🤩

[@The-Well]

Welcome! Thanks for spending time with us and for the thoughtful comment! 💡

[@andredeloach8068]

This episode was so engaging! Thank you. 😃

[@The-Well]

We're so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!

[@spencercurran5114]

Just commenting to make sure the algorithm gives me the rest of the episodes

[@modernoverman]

Kmele sent me here from The Fifth Column!

[@The-Well]

Welcome! We're so happy to have you!

[@KidSaleen]

Go Kmele and team!!!

[@The-Well]

Thanks for your support, Andy! ❤️

[@suecondon1685]

Love this, especially the interview with Sean Dougherty. Fascinating.

[@The-Well]

He's one of our absolute favorites! Thanks for joining us, Sue!

[@ninagohlsson6053]

Thank you so much for this! I came away with a sence of awe - not only for our place in this vast Universe, but also for what we as humans actually can accomplish on this tiny blue dot. Amazing!

[@The-Well]

Thank you for your wonderful comment, we're so grateful for the time you've spent with us! Thank you!

[@152manoj]

An unusual perspective on knowledge and existence

[@rseaberg4633]

The Tao that can be explained is not the true Tao. But we must seek it. Beautiful presentation. Thanks

[@The-Well]

Thank you for being here! ❤

[@datsyukiancircus]

Kmele’s passion for the cosmos isn’t always appreciated by Matt & Moynihan (I know they got his back of course), and I’m left bantering with my own radio / headphones when Matt dismisses Kmele’s interest in space but then goes on to make obscure, boring ass baseball references. This series scratches that itch for me at least, well done! To be clear, I have more love for Matt and Moynihan than they should be comfortable with; very happy to see Kmele dive into the depths his adventurous, explorer-brain though. Keep up the good work everyone.

[@fc-qr1cy]

Binging these episodes this evening Great stuff..

[@The-Well]

Love to hear this! Thanks so much for watching!

[@sammead7911]

Incredible content. Thankful to all those involved.

[@The-Well]

Thanks for watching, Sam! 💡

[@suecondon1685]

I love how Sean still has a Nottingham accent.

[@sprocket8934]

This is really great quality , congrats Kmele! I hope this gets picked out by other platforms outside of YT. Seems like a fit for Cosmos or Discovery etc.

[@The-Well]

This is such an incredible compliment! Thanks for watching!

[@jamesboekbinder3967]

This would be very good for kids to watch, I think. I remember the moon landing and how we felt about it.

[@The-Well]

This is such a thoughtful comment, thank you very much. ❤️🌙

[@GerardEncabo]

Excellent! That was truly inspiring. Much appreciated 🙌🏻🪐

[@The-Well]

Many thanks, Gerard! 🔭

[@rajkumarrathor2481]

I really feel fascinated, awestruck & wondered.

[@The-Well]

Then we've done our job! Thank you for being on this journey with us!

[@michaelodriscoll]

What is Consciousness? Who am i? The resolution or dissolution of these inquiries are only found " within". Know Thyself, Self Knowledge via Self Inquiry without seeking answers is the key to Freedom, Wisdom, Truth, Love, Silence.... AKA Critical Thinking. Listen to the dialogues of Jiddu Krishnamurti.... No outside agency can bring this insight about. Namaste 🙏 🙌💜🤗👍

[@BriansFunHouse]

great questions. looking forward to the series.

[@The-Well]

Thanks so much! There's lots more to come!

[@jessemyneiger]

Beautiful work, Kmele.

[@michaelmccay123]

Definitely a refreshing take on the genre. Go Kmele! Elder millennials ftw.

[@The-Well]

We appreciate you, Michael!

[@didgi123]

Fantastic

[@matmosmac]

Kmele's ability to acknowledge his limitations knows no bounds. 😉

[@jjnabreu52]

Great stuff

[@crob2184]

Awesome

[@garvgupta8030]

Great episode

[@The-Well]

Thanks for being here! We appreciate you!

[@marting5130]

excellent. well done kmele

[@annapurnaleo]

Such an amazing work...😊

[@The-Well]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@alainbelisle4543]

Excellent 👍

[@thebeanstalker631]

Better than Neill Degrasse Tyson.

[@xaceffulgent]

Can this be on spotify?

[@iankane1733]

Agreed! But perhaps it requires visual queues and wouldn’t transfer well to audio only? I’d really like to listen to this on my commute though.

[@iankane1733]

@KitesUnboundgood suggestion. I also thought about lowering video quality to 144p so it doesn’t eat up all my data.

[@The-Well]

Hi! The podcast will be available to stream on all major platforms (Spotify, Apple, Pandora, Google Podcasts, etc) within the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned!

[@AndreJones-hq9wv]

Great production, Im very curious about the cosmos as well but trying to assign meaning and purpose seems pointless.

[@Rose-pe4cg]

What if we are not here for any “reason”? What if we are just existing?

[@MicahScottPnD]

A favorite quote (I wish I knew who said it) is, "More than what is the meaning of life, the question is where is there meaning in life". A bit of a paraphrase, but I love the notion behind it.

[@Rose-pe4cg]

@@MicahScottPnDyes. I like that. I used to search for the meaning of life, but then I thought you know what…I just want to find my own happiness and try to be fulfilled.

[@The-Well]

@micahscott-fb6ti I think we were able to track down this quote for you! It sounds similar to "The question is not to know what is the meaning of life, but what meaning I can give to my life," from Dalai Lama XIV 💡😁

[@MicahScottPnD]

@@The-Well Wow, I don't know how you did that, but that's it!! And the fact that it came from someone of whom I'm a fan... This whole thing floors me. There's a reason I drink from the Well! 🤩

[@SaveTheBiosphere]

"What are we here _for_" has an embedded assumption. Do you see it? And yes it is awesome to question and look etc.

[@thebetterlemonjello]

Could you elaborate

[@The-Well]

Yes, please tell us more about the embedded assumption! 💡

[@randomone4832]

@@thebetterlemonjello I suppose the assumption is that we’re here for something at all, and not just simply here. The assumption that there is some teological reason behind human existence.

[@kmelefoster6257]

The answer could be -- *nothing in particular* @@randomone4832

[@jeffxanders3990]

How does a dream come to be "here"?

[@astro_erik]

Moving.

[@The-Well]

Thanks for being here ❤️

[@jamespkinsella5018]

Maybe we will find out why and where we are only if we venture OUT there into the cosmos and travel throughout the Universe Our basic constituents,, celestial dust,, came from the cosmos, so we will only discover our real self's out there, that is if we are capable to get there, if we get the chance. The operative word may be CHANCE.

[@kevinsayes]

I hope your co hosts’ seeming pessimism was just out of context and they were serious in asking you what you want out of it. I feel like I would question how seriously I take or how much I value opinions from anyone who is terrified and not awestruck by the cosmos, or by anyone who doesn’t understand why a person would want the answers to all these things.

[@GIGProduction]

Fantastic work! @agentmule