Here is a documentary that I have recently watched on bioluminescent life. It starts off with these scientists who go into the depths of the ocean to discover the different types of lights emitted by various creatures. They talk about how these creatures have evolved to adapt in the dark and therefore use these lights as defense and/or camouflage in most situations. Moreover, they mention how this light, if extracted and put to use, could save the burning of fossil fuels-this could be better for the environment. What I found surprising is how one of the scientists talk about how a lot of bioluminescent sea creatures haven’t been captured and that any activity is mostly observed when the specimen is in tanks on the surface. Afterthought, this probably would be a better solution in order to get a closer examination and to retrieve samples.
There was a part in the documentary that it shown a shrimp that releases bioluminescent material from its mouth to temporarily blind predators, and it very much looked as if it were breathing fire. After seeing this video, it has inspired me to develop one of the characters in the story to be able to have a similar type of defense mechanism. I think this would be a very unique way of playing with the bio light.
The scientists also started comparing how we also use light on a day-to-day basis. For example, we use it to see in the dark, to avoid danger (e.g. traffic lights, car signals), and to attract consumers to digital signboards. When put into perspective, it’s strange to think about how these organisms use light similarly to us and I find this concept extremely fascinating to think about.
Later on in the documentary, the team begins to explain how they can extract the genes of animals such as fireflies and to place it in cells such as viruses (e.g. HIV) and cancer. This would mean that the cells would produce protein and glow, therefore it can be tracked and observed. I feel as though this would be a huge development in the medical industry, however, I think this might still be in the works as this is the first I’ve heard of this advancement. Furthermore, they explain that they plan to go from what they’ve learned from this advancement, to attempt to discover more about how the brain functions. In the video, they go into detail about how they would take fluorescent light samples from coral and other sea plants in order to develop a light that can shine through the areas of the brain. To be honest, as I’m not too familiar with science and biology so this confused me a little bit, however, I still found it interesting to watch, and perhaps, I can use bits and pieces from what I have learned here to put towards inspiration.
In conclusion, this documentary has taught me a lot of valuable information, especially with today’s advancements in the area of science. I have learned that there are a lot more bioluminescent organisms on land than I initially sought, that every single one of these creatures varies with chemical difference and they aren’t too different to us with how they use light as forms of danger, attraction and to see in the dark. That last piece of information has inspired me a lot because it’s crazy to think about how these creatures have evolved over time to react and behave towards their environments/stimuli in this way.
Documentary video: