Small Town Universe

When the National Science Foundation proposes a funding cut to the Green Bank Observatory, residents of a small West Virginia town passionately defend the project at a town hall meeting.

College student Ellie White visits an elementary school to lead young students in an astronomy project.

Green Bank, West Virginia, is home to the world’s most sensitive radio telescope—and the only U.S. town where Wi-Fi and cell phones are banned. Here, scientists search for signs of extraterrestrial life while residents navigate pivotal moments in their own lives. This film explores the community’s deep connection to the universe and each other.

In her life in New York, Sue was wracked with constant headaches, burns, tingling, numbness, and other mystery symptoms. She soon determined the cause of these symptoms: electrohypersensitivity. After reading an article about Green Bank, West Virginia, a radio quiet zone where others with her condition have found solace, she and her husband make sacrifices to move there.

Sue and her husband reunite after a period of time apart and reflect on how the distance has been challenging. They attend a dinner with a group of friends also suffering from electrohypersensitivity.

Sue reflects on how her quality of life has improved in Green Bank and discusses buying a piece of land for her and her husband.

Sue and her husband are reunited as he moves out of their home in New York to live with her in Green Bank permanently. They explore the land they bought and describe their plans to build a new home.