Technology giveth and technology taketh away. Although not necessarily in that order.
We recently ran into the video below from the Pinky Show, lamenting the light pollution that obscures our direct experience of the night sky in all its awe-inspiring glory.
We're not totally convinced that looking into the cosmos was what "kept life in...balance" before electricity, but it does help keep existence in perspective. In most metropolitan areas you can't see beyond our own hazy atmosphere.
Today technology gives us the night sky back, in the form of a new Google Earth feature. This time it is packed with fascinating supplementary information and viewing options...and mediated by a screen.
An interesting trade.