I just got done watching "Alien Planet" from The Discovery Channel
(see URL below) , and I must say I'm rather impressed. About the only
thing I would have changed is that I'd have presented a much larger
array of lifeforms than the 8 or so offered up in the simulation.
They wouldn't all need to be looked at in depth, just "present,"
perhaps filling up the background as Leo and Ike choose which
lifeforms they should study and which ones might warrant further study
"at a later time".
I was puzzled by one thing, though, and that was when Dr. James Garvin
spoke of the possibility of finding lifeforms evolved to a "higher
level of cellular organization" (or words to that effect). About the
only feature presented as an example of such was the bioluminescence
with which most organisms were endowed (I assume sonar "sight"
wouldn't qualify as some significant populations have that ability
here). I'm curious if I understand what he was referring to
correctly. Would another example be, for instance, a group mind
(i.e., a collection of individual organisms communicating in such a
way as to interact with their environment as though the entire
collection of them were a single organism, perhaps even possessing
some kind of "self-awareness" which transcends the individual
organisms)?.
What other forms could a "higher order of cellular complexity" take?
:-?
Anywho, it was a very interesting "journey", I'd recommend it for any
who wonder about this sort of thing. The Discovery Channel's official
site for "Alien Planet", which contains pretty much all the material
from the movie, can be found here:
http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/alienplanet/splash.html
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