Avatar

I was a latecomer to Pandora. I'd heard of Avatar, but didn't know what it was about until last year - two years after it came out. When I watched it, I watched it three times in one weekend. It really resonated with something inside.

It may have been the Nav'i language that was especially created for the film, it may have been the creativity when creating the bioluminescence of the plants, the beautifully feline blue people of the Omatikaya, it could have been the story, or it could have been the way in which every living being could connect with all others.

It could have been any of those things. What was special is that all of these components were skilfully incorporated into a single story, a single experience. Whether watching the original cinematic release or the extended editions the story is captivating and fulfilling.

But of course, the connections of the trees in Pandora isn't just science fiction. The trees and fungi of our world create a sybiotic relationship called a mycorrhiza, whereby the mycelium of the fungus provides additional water and minerals for the tree and the tree provides the fungus with carbohydrates. While these connections aren't electrical as on Pandora, they are necessary.

We also have a wide range of bioluminescence, from the simple firefly and algae to the amazing cuttlefish and jack-o'-lantern mushroom (Omphalotus olivascens).

Unfortunately what we don't seen to have are the heightened senses to reach out to our plants in the same way that the inhabitants of Pandora do with theirs. Who knows, perhaps it's evolution in the making. The only thing I know for sure is that it's a brilliant film, even without the hype. I'm watching it again now and while I know the film is already old I still wanted to write a quick post about it and look just a little bit deeper into it all because it still gets to me.

See the clip from the BBC below to see some of the amazing bioluminescence adaptations in the darkest underwater places on Earth.