What I’ve learnt from the Netflix Documentary – Alien Worlds

Alien Worlds is a 4-part sci-fi nature documentary that looks into the possibility of life on other planets. This documentary mixes facts with science fiction by comparing imaginary life and creatures on the other planets in the universe to real-life creatures on Earth. They compare the atmosphere with both of the planets as well as showing the similarities between those creatures and how both creatures adapt to their environment on both the planets. 

Episode 1 - Talks about the planet Atlas which is double the size of Earth with higher gravity and a thick atmosphere. They are looking at how different species of life adapts to the environment on this planet. This episode focuses on sky grazers and how they adapt and survive on this planet Atlas. It also talks about their predators and how they capture their prey which in this case is the sky grazers. They mentioned prey and predators in Atlas and compared them to similar creatures on Earth. On Atlas, survival is a game of chance.  

Episode 2 - This starts with an Astrobiologist called Kennda Lynch who explores the Danakil Depression in Ethiopia and trying to find life forms in this harsh environment. This is the hottest place on Earth. They talk about an imaginary exoplanet called Janus where the rotation is locked by the star’s gravity, so it always shows the same face to its sun. An exoplanet is a planet outside our Solar System. On one side of this planet, it is always daytime and searingly hot. On the other side of this exoplanet, it is always night and very cold. This episode looks at what creatures could survive in these extreme environments. It talks about different Pentapods and how they adapt and survive on both sides of the exoplanet Janus. It also talks about how they use venom to catch their prey. They then talk about the similarities between creatures on planet Earth and the exoplanet Janus. They are also trying to find out where life on Earth began. NASA have a saying which is “If you want to find life follow the water.”

Episode 3 - This episode begins by stating the importance of oxygen and the role it plays in life. This episode focuses on the planet Eden. The light from Eden’s twin stars powers photosynthesis pumping oxygen into the atmosphere. This allows life to thrive. Creatures on the Eden planet called Grazer's feed on low-lying fungus. These Grazers have to be careful of any predators around. On planet Earth, 21% of the atmosphere is oxygen. On Eden however, there is 31% of oxygen. This makes life in Eden more diverse. Creatures on this planet are more competitive and energetic. On the planet Earth, hunters try to get some honey from a bee’s nest. The hunter was also sharing the honey with the birds. The complex relationship between the species is called symbiosis. On Eden, the fungus turns from yellow to orange which makes it poisonous and infects the prey. After that, the predator eats its prey which is infected and in turn kills the predator. This episode talks about how the creatures are similar and how they relate to each other. In the remaining part of the episode, it talks about mayflies and how they emerge from the waters. It talks about fungus and how it affects its surroundings. The Earth is tilted at an angle of 23-and-a-half degrees. Eden, however, is tilted at 40 degrees. 

Episode 4 - This episode kicks off with an Astrophysicist called Adam Frank and he is in Nevada, USA. He explains about UFO and aliens. It then talks about an imaginary planet that is 9 billion years old and twice as old as the Earth. This exoplanet is called Terra. On Earth, an Evolutionary Biologist called Anna Dornhaus talks about the body structure of an octopus and which animal group do they fall into which is cephalopods. She then tries to find out how smart an octopus is by conducting an experiment. On the exoplanet Terra, there is ice and no atmosphere. A Futurologist called Stuart Armstrong tells us about energy and how we get energy from the Sun. He says that the greatest source of energy is our star. He visits a place called Noor Power Station which is the largest Solar complex of its kind in the world. A Planetary Physicist called Philip Metzger looks into robots and how useful they can be and how they can adapt to different environments. This episode talks about the civilization and robots on planet Earth and also the exoplanet Terra and how those two planets are similar to each other. It also lets us know about the dangers of space travel and how risky it is to not only humans but also intelligent aliens.  

This 4-part sci-fi documentary looks at what sort of life could be out there in the universe. What might creatures look like on other planets and how they adapt and survive in their environment. It also talks about the atmosphere level in other planets out there and compares it to Earth. 

Science is a subject that has always fascinated me. I have learnt many things from this documentary. This is definitely worth a watch.  

Here is the link to view the Netflix series: https://www.netflix.com/title/80221410

Image sources: https://news.newonnetflix.info/news/netflix-ponders-what-alien-life-might-look-like-in-alien-worlds-coming-soon/