The Plants And Animals Of Avatar Are Scientifically Plausible
As James Cameron’s latest blockbuster movie, Avatar, rockets its way to becoming one of the two highest grossing movies of all time, the internet is abuzz with discussions regarding the scientific plausibility of the flora and fauna depicted in the movie. Having read some of the arguments that suggest that the flora and fauna of Avatar could not possibly be “real,” I simply must wade into the fray.
James Cameron dipped into the pool of scientific knowledge about plants and animals to ensure that his Avatar creations obliged current scientific thinking and knowledge. The staff and advisors for Avatar included several scientists who were charged with ensuring that the animals, plants and Na’vi (people) of Avatar’s Pandora were plausible. One would think this would be enough to stifle arguments about Avatar’s scientific legitimacy – but some people just need more ‘proof.’
How does one prove that the flora and fauna depicted in Avatar’s moon world of Pandora is scientifically possible? To tell the truth, it’s not possible to prove it – at least not to everyone. Look at all of the proof of evolution, starting with the fossil record, and still there are those who question it. However, one can study the biology of earth, physics and botany and make some assumptions that most certainly could not be disproved.
In the single biology of earth – yes, there is only one biology on earth – there are creatures that defy all scientific rules and theories. Take the archaebacterium Ferroplasma acidiphilum, for example. This recently discovered enzyme thrives in extremely high-acid environments, and also requires the presence of toxic heavy metals. Such living things are referred to as extremophiles, and there are a bunch of them – each one being more astounding than the last. One extremophile, Thiobacillus, actually subsists on sulfuric acid, which it creates itself.
One of the arguments, hoping to use scientific data to disprove the possibility of the Na’vi people of Avatar, is based on their height. Human beings have a limit to the height they can achieve because of the weight on the bones, joints, spine, etc. But those limitations would only apply in earth’s gravity and to the bone structures and compositions of human beings. The gravity of Avatar’s Pandora is less than that of earth. Also, in Avatar, it is clearly stated that the Na’vi bones contain a naturally occurring form of carbon fiber. No great stretch of thought there. I wonder why this argument never came up about the creatures of Star Wars?
There are basically no limitations on what sorts of flora and fauna could exist in the vastness of space. In his outstanding book, Cosmos, the late Carl Sagan proposes three creatures that could live on a gas giant planet, such as Jupiter. One of the creatures is minute and plentiful. Another is the size of a city – and the third eats the second. He fully explains how such creatures could exist in extreme heat, without oxygen, without solid ground and under great pressure. Much more outlandish propositions than those in Avatar.
I’m not exactly sure why Avatar has come under such ‘scientific’ (and I use the word grudgingly) scrutiny. Perhaps some people just don’t like its box office success. No matter, really, Avatar is a fantastic movie. Myself, I prefer to simply sit and be entertained by the amazing sights, sounds, plants, animals, scenery and the Na’vi that Avatar presents me with. Is it all real? Probably not, but it certainly could be.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080625105718.htm
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/E/extremophile.html
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