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There could be
an undiscovered species
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lurking on the surface
of the earth.
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But this creature is unlike
any life form
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00:00:14,166 --> 00:00:16,032
we've ever imagined.
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Its body could span
thousands of miles.
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It has a heart that beats
once every 1,000 years
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and an immune system
that could wipe out
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nearly all life on earth.
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It may even have a brain.
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Could the vast ocean itself
be a living, thinking creature?
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If so, what does it think of us?
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Space, time, life itself.
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The secrets of the cosmos
lie through the wormhole.
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♪ Through the Wormhole 05x05 ♪
Does the Ocean Think?
Original Air Date on June 18, 2014
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== sync, corrected by elderman ==
@elder_man
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We've always looked to the stars
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for signs
of other intelligent life,
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but we may be staring
in the wrong direction.
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A nonhuman intelligence
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far more sophisticated
than our own
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could be right here on earth.
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Our vast ocean
is this planet's last frontier.
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Some scientists are asking
not what, but who it is.
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Have you ever felt
someone's presence,
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but you couldn't see them?
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When I walked in the woods
as a kid,
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it often seemed like the trees
were aware of me.
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Sometimes, I thought
I could hear them talking.
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I wondered, "Could the whole
forest be a conscious being?"
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Anders Nielsen
has always been obsessed
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with the chemical
that is the foundation
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of all life on earth --
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liquid H20 water.
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When I was a kid, I would spend,
like, every summer
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maybe five hours a day
swimming in the lakes,
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just playing around
in the water.
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And these days, I love just
to hang out in the water.
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It's just a beautiful experience
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to feel like your body's
dissolving into the water.
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When Anders became a chemist,
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his obsession with water
grew even deeper.
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Water has this ability
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to form what's called
hydrogen bonds,
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where a hydrogen atom
in one water molecule
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could bond to an oxygen atom
in another water molecule.
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Harnessing the power of
the Stanford linear accelerator,
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Anders took X-ray images
of liquid H2O molecules
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and discovered that groups
of water molecules
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perform an elaborate,
synchronized choreography.
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A single molecule of H2O
is like a single swimmer.
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Each can move along freely
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or it can link arms
with a neighbor
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to form a rigid structure.
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Below freezing,
the molecules join at angles
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and take up more space.
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This is why water expands
when it turns to ice.
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Liquid water contains
both freewheeling molecules
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and rigid clusters
simultaneously.
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These structures form
or break apart
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depending on temperature.
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But Anders discovered
that water molecules
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also change their routine
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depending on what's mixed in
with them.
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So, here I have
a sodium chloride crystal.
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This is just ordinary salt
like you have in your food,
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what we have in the ocean.
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So, if you look
at this example.
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When ordinary
table salt comes into contact
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with a rigid formation
of water molecules,
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that formation breaks apart.
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This creates more
free-floating molecules
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that break salt crystals apart
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and spread them
throughout the body of water.
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Other chemicals
have a different effect.
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So, here we have a very strongly
or highly charged ion.
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This can be like magnesium
or aluminum ion.
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And then we're going to
throw in this,
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and we're going to form
an ice-like structure around it.
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Water molecules lock around
the ion and hold it in place.
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To us, a glass of water
seems still and lifeless.
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But on the molecular scale,
it is pulsing with activity.
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Water changes
its molecular structure
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around 1 trillion times
per second.
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Whenever the molecular structure
of water changes,
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the overall chemical properties
of water also change.
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No other liquids on earth
can do this.
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Water molecules
respond to temperature
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and the chemicals
they come in contact with
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almost as if the water is aware
of its surroundings.
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For Anders, this property
blurs the distinction
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between a chemical
and a living thing.
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Some people might think
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that a glass of water
could be alive.
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My personal view of life
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is that it's related
to something
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that has consciousness
on some sort of level,
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and the question is
if that is the case with water,
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and we --
we can't say "yes" or "no."
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Whether or not
a glass of water is alive,
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water itself
is still the essence
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of all life that we know of.
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About 60% of your body is water.
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Cells with your DNA
call it home,
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along with about 1,000
unique species of bacteria.
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The ocean ecosystem
is also mostly water,
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and home
to millions of life forms.
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Could ocean water
and the life that calls it home
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collectively be a living thing?
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Is a life form that large
even possible?
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Evolutionary biologist
Gustavo Caetano-Anolles
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suspects it was.
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He's tracking down
earth's first life form,
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the creature
at the root of the tree of life.
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A tree of life
is an hierarchical structure.
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That means that if you travel
back in time,
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you are traveling to an organism
that at some point
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embedded all the diversity
that was generated later on.
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And this is the last universal
common ancestor, or LUCA.
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LUCA is the scientific nickname
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for the first species on earth.
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It lived
about 3.5 billion years ago,
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and is common ancestor
to all life today.
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LUCA cells likely filled
the primordial ocean,
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unhindered
by any competing organism.
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LUCA has been extinct
for billions of years.
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But Gustavo believes
he can reconstruct
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what its cells looked like
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by studying the details
of life's machinery today.
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For Gustavo,
finding the elements
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essential
to the earliest life form
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is like figuring out how
the very first bicycle worked.
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Bikes are permanently changing.
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Every 10 years,
we have new developments,
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new mechanisms,
new electronics added to them.
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In contrast, the structure
of a bike is rather permanent.
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Bikes today come with
a variety of sophisticated gears
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and high tech materials,
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but all share common,
essential structures.
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Without them,
a bike cannot function.
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In the first bike,
I would find a seat,
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pedals, wheels,
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because these seem to be common
to all bikes
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that I can study today.
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With a list
of these fundamental parts,
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Gustavo can reconstruct the last
universal common ancestor
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of bicycles --
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the penny-farthing...
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...the first machine
to be called a bicycle.
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It had a seat,
pedals, and wheels,
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but didn't need a chain or gears
to move.
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Gustavo applied this same
philosophy to his hunt for LUCA.
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By comparing the fossil records
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to the genetic record
of thousands of organisms,
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Gustavo worked out
which proteins existed
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about 3.5 billion years ago.
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He generated a list
of fundamental parts
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that LUCA must have had.
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To his surprise, he discovered
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that unlike all life
we know of today,
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LUCA probably did not have
a well-sealed cell wall.
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It is quite possible
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that the cell walls of LUCA
were porous,
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and that they would allow
for fast exchange
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between the different LUCA cells
of genetic information,
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and also of actual machinery.
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Think of a LUCA cell
as a penny-farthing bicycle.
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Because its cell wall
was full of holes,
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important parts could come loose
and float away.
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Water molecules could, however,
react to this escaped part
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and form a supportive mold
around it
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until it drifts
into another LUCA cell
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where that part could be reused.
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LUCA cells depended
on one another
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and water chemistry
to keep the entire colony alive.
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Gustavo believes
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that rather than being
many distinct organisms,
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these cells behaved like parts
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of a single, giant,
cooperative being,
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a superorganism.
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As multi-cellular organisms
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are made of individual cells,
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a superorganism is composed
of many organisms
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that are interacting heavily
with each other.
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A superorganism is a creature
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made up of many individuals,
like the hive of bees.
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If Gustavo is correct,
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the very first life forms
on earth
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were not isolated
microscopic cells,
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but rather
the vast ocean itself,
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a superorganism that covered
nearly the entire planet.
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We might all be descendants
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of a single,
supermassive creature.
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Billions of years have passed
since the time of LUCA.
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Is the ocean
still a superorganism?
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One scientist
is trying to find out
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by studying whether the ocean,
as a whole, has an appetite.
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How do you know
whether something is alive?
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00:13:06,170 --> 00:13:11,940
It is a question great minds
have argued over for centuries.
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To the philosopher
Rene Descartes,
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the answer was,
"I think, therefore I am."
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00:13:20,617 --> 00:13:25,170
But biologists have come up
with a different criterion,
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one that could reveal
a new form of life.
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The answer could be,
"I eat, therefore I am."
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00:13:40,219 --> 00:13:45,223
New York University's Tyler Volk
believes, like every biologist,
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00:13:45,225 --> 00:13:50,362
that all living things
have a metabolism.
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00:13:50,364 --> 00:13:56,368
A metabolism is
a biologically active process
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that breaks down
certain chemical compounds
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into smaller constituents,
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00:14:01,959 --> 00:14:07,045
and then rearranges
those constituents.
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00:14:07,047 --> 00:14:11,216
Every creature
you can think of on the planet
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has a metabolism.
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Organs inside these creatures
extract energy from nutrients,
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then discard the leftovers.
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The ocean is filled
with life forms that do this.
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00:14:26,066 --> 00:14:27,849
But the ocean itself
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00:14:27,851 --> 00:14:31,403
is not usually considered
a living being.
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00:14:31,405 --> 00:14:36,825
Instead, it is thought of
as an enormous recycler.
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00:14:38,894 --> 00:14:41,446
Some of the elements
in the ocean
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00:14:41,448 --> 00:14:45,750
are recycled hundreds of times
in and out of the useful forms
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00:14:45,752 --> 00:14:50,705
that can be taken back up by
life again over and over again.
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00:14:50,707 --> 00:14:52,624
But when Tyler took
a closer look
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00:14:52,626 --> 00:14:57,762
at the ocean's recycling system,
the numbers didn't add up.
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00:14:57,764 --> 00:15:00,966
Life in the ocean recycles
essential nutrients
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like carbon, phosphorous,
nitrogen, and sulfur
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00:15:04,187 --> 00:15:07,856
through a process
of life and death.
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00:15:07,858 --> 00:15:11,592
Life feeds on life,
which feeds life,
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which feeds other life,
and life is renewed.
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00:15:16,867 --> 00:15:19,401
It's a near-perfect
recycling system.
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00:15:21,203 --> 00:15:24,122
Tyler has tracked precisely
how efficiently
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00:15:24,124 --> 00:15:26,541
each of these nutrients
gets reused.
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00:15:26,543 --> 00:15:27,826
His analysis reveals
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00:15:27,828 --> 00:15:30,996
that not every life-sustaining
element in the ocean
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00:15:30,998 --> 00:15:33,748
is 100% recycled.
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00:15:33,750 --> 00:15:35,950
The calculations show
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00:15:35,952 --> 00:15:39,504
that as marvelous
as these biochemical cycles are
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00:15:39,506 --> 00:15:42,390
inside the ocean,
they're not perfect.
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00:15:42,392 --> 00:15:45,093
There is a need
for fresh elements,
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00:15:45,095 --> 00:15:48,096
the chemical elements
essential to life.
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00:15:48,098 --> 00:15:52,300
Tyler argues
this imperfect recycling
240
00:15:52,302 --> 00:15:56,438
means that the ocean,
a giant system of life,
241
00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:58,139
has a metabolism.
242
00:15:58,141 --> 00:16:02,494
Just like us, the ocean feeds.
243
00:16:02,496 --> 00:16:05,447
So, what we call
the mouth of the river,
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00:16:05,449 --> 00:16:07,582
you can think of
as the mouth of the ocean.
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00:16:07,584 --> 00:16:09,751
These are the portals
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00:16:09,753 --> 00:16:13,588
by which very important
materials come into the ocean.
247
00:16:15,657 --> 00:16:20,211
And, after it metabolizes
its food from rivers,
248
00:16:20,213 --> 00:16:24,332
it excretes waste
into the ocean floor.
249
00:16:24,334 --> 00:16:27,335
In the ocean,
there will be waste byproducts.
250
00:16:27,337 --> 00:16:30,605
There will be certain compounds
that will go into the sediment,
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00:16:30,607 --> 00:16:34,192
get covered up,
and not get recycled
252
00:16:34,194 --> 00:16:37,145
by the microbes or by the worms.
253
00:16:37,147 --> 00:16:41,566
Tyler thinks that even
though they feed on one another,
254
00:16:41,568 --> 00:16:45,537
life forms in the ocean
are ultimately working together,
255
00:16:45,539 --> 00:16:48,623
like organs inside a body.
256
00:16:48,625 --> 00:16:51,993
One group, which includes
fish and mammals,
257
00:16:51,995 --> 00:16:55,163
works like
the human respiratory system.
258
00:16:55,165 --> 00:16:57,882
It takes in oxygen and carbon
259
00:16:57,884 --> 00:17:01,702
and transforms it
into carbon dioxide.
260
00:17:01,704 --> 00:17:04,705
Another group, ocean plant life,
261
00:17:04,707 --> 00:17:10,311
takes carbon dioxide
and transforms it into oxygen.
262
00:17:10,313 --> 00:17:13,714
Still another group,
comprised of bacteria,
263
00:17:13,716 --> 00:17:17,152
processes nitrogen into ammonia.
264
00:17:19,438 --> 00:17:23,358
For Tyler, treating groups
of life forms in the ocean
265
00:17:23,360 --> 00:17:25,744
as metabolic organs
in a giant body
266
00:17:25,746 --> 00:17:28,747
is not just a metaphor.
267
00:17:28,749 --> 00:17:31,866
It could reveal exactly
how the ocean as a whole
268
00:17:31,868 --> 00:17:35,453
will react to chemical changes
on planet earth.
269
00:17:35,455 --> 00:17:39,591
To know how the carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere
270
00:17:39,593 --> 00:17:42,343
will respond to changes
that humans may make
271
00:17:42,345 --> 00:17:44,129
in their industrial processes,
272
00:17:44,131 --> 00:17:46,931
one has to understand
the entire cycle of carbon.
273
00:17:46,933 --> 00:17:49,434
And that's going along
with other nutrients,
274
00:17:49,436 --> 00:17:51,919
such as phosphates
carrying the phosphorous,
275
00:17:51,921 --> 00:17:53,605
nitrates carrying the nitrogen.
276
00:17:53,607 --> 00:17:56,591
And so all these
are tied together
277
00:17:56,593 --> 00:17:59,760
into one very tightly
interconnected,
278
00:17:59,762 --> 00:18:03,364
coupled metabolic supersystem.
279
00:18:03,366 --> 00:18:06,284
It is a form of superlife.
280
00:18:06,286 --> 00:18:08,036
Tyler thinks
281
00:18:08,038 --> 00:18:10,288
that if the ocean
is a form of superlife,
282
00:18:10,290 --> 00:18:14,876
it will, like all living things,
react when threatened.
283
00:18:14,878 --> 00:18:17,378
Many scientists believe
284
00:18:17,380 --> 00:18:21,132
that we are poisoning
earth's waters.
285
00:18:21,134 --> 00:18:24,219
Does the ocean
and all the life within it
286
00:18:24,221 --> 00:18:27,889
have a collective will to live?
287
00:18:27,891 --> 00:18:30,642
And what will it do
to stay alive?
288
00:18:34,216 --> 00:18:36,351
When our bodies get sick,
289
00:18:36,353 --> 00:18:41,222
an army of cells, tissues,
and organs work together
290
00:18:41,224 --> 00:18:44,859
to protect us
and fight off disease.
291
00:18:44,861 --> 00:18:48,279
What happens
when the ocean gets sick?
292
00:18:48,281 --> 00:18:51,866
Does it have an immune system
of its own?
293
00:18:51,868 --> 00:18:57,072
And what happens when
this immune system kicks in?
294
00:19:02,411 --> 00:19:06,748
Mainstream science does not
typically consider the ocean
295
00:19:06,750 --> 00:19:08,500
to be a living being.
296
00:19:08,502 --> 00:19:11,553
But that hasn't stopped
geologist Lee Kump
297
00:19:11,555 --> 00:19:14,172
from studying its physiology.
298
00:19:14,174 --> 00:19:17,509
Physiology is the study
of how organisms work.
299
00:19:17,511 --> 00:19:19,177
It's the study
of the whole organism,
300
00:19:19,179 --> 00:19:20,729
how it functions
as a living being.
301
00:19:24,917 --> 00:19:26,884
All living organisms
302
00:19:26,886 --> 00:19:30,188
obey the same basic rules
of physiology
303
00:19:30,190 --> 00:19:35,860
no matter how big they are
or how small.
304
00:19:35,862 --> 00:19:37,529
When you think about a fly,
305
00:19:37,531 --> 00:19:39,998
it has the same
physiological mechanisms
306
00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:41,449
that we have in our own body.
307
00:19:41,451 --> 00:19:44,119
And key to this is the
circulation system of the fly.
308
00:19:44,121 --> 00:19:45,670
Really, the only difference
309
00:19:45,672 --> 00:19:48,573
is its heart beats
five times per second,
310
00:19:48,575 --> 00:19:50,125
ours about once per second.
311
00:19:52,428 --> 00:19:55,797
So, now we scale up to something
like the ocean,
312
00:19:55,799 --> 00:19:57,849
and it, too, has a heartbeat.
313
00:19:57,851 --> 00:20:00,585
And that heart rate
is about once every 1,000 years.
314
00:20:00,587 --> 00:20:04,472
The ocean's
1,000-year-long heartbeat
315
00:20:04,474 --> 00:20:07,692
begins in the North
and South Poles.
316
00:20:07,694 --> 00:20:12,313
Water gathers oxygen from
the Arctic and Antarctic air.
317
00:20:12,315 --> 00:20:16,117
As the water cools,
it sinks to the bottom,
318
00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:19,154
bringing oxygen
to deep sea life.
319
00:20:19,156 --> 00:20:24,659
It flows along the dark abyss
until it reaches the Equator,
320
00:20:24,661 --> 00:20:28,630
where it warms
and rises to the surface.
321
00:20:28,632 --> 00:20:32,250
It moves towards the poles,
and the cycle repeats.
322
00:20:35,638 --> 00:20:37,972
So the oceans,
just like the human body,
323
00:20:37,974 --> 00:20:40,258
needs to circulate
for it to function.
324
00:20:40,260 --> 00:20:45,129
Whenever harmful
microbes get inside us,
325
00:20:45,131 --> 00:20:48,483
immune system cells
rush to the site of invasion
326
00:20:48,485 --> 00:20:50,068
and neutralize the threat.
327
00:20:52,154 --> 00:20:56,324
Lee argues that the ocean's
1,000-year current
328
00:20:56,326 --> 00:21:00,078
is a true physiological
circulation system
329
00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:06,251
because it, too, delivers
antibodies to infection sites.
330
00:21:06,253 --> 00:21:08,837
Every circulatory system
has an essential player
331
00:21:08,839 --> 00:21:10,821
in our bodies
and our bloodstream.
332
00:21:10,823 --> 00:21:11,956
That's our cells.
333
00:21:11,958 --> 00:21:14,825
And in the ocean, it's bacteria.
334
00:21:14,827 --> 00:21:17,378
In humans,
outside bacteria
335
00:21:17,380 --> 00:21:18,963
are usually a threat
336
00:21:18,965 --> 00:21:22,016
to be fought off
by our immune systems.
337
00:21:22,018 --> 00:21:26,888
But in the ocean,
bacteria are the immune system.
338
00:21:26,890 --> 00:21:29,224
They're very tiny.
They don't sink.
339
00:21:29,226 --> 00:21:31,142
And so they get carried around
340
00:21:31,144 --> 00:21:33,444
with the circulation
of the ocean.
341
00:21:33,446 --> 00:21:36,364
They can break down
harmful substances.
342
00:21:36,366 --> 00:21:38,116
They can detoxify them.
343
00:21:38,118 --> 00:21:40,518
The ocean is home to bacteria
344
00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:43,821
that travel on the currents
and break apart harmful metals,
345
00:21:43,823 --> 00:21:46,708
toxic chemicals, oil spills,
346
00:21:46,710 --> 00:21:48,493
and just about
every harmful substance
347
00:21:48,495 --> 00:21:51,529
that can work its way
into the ocean.
348
00:21:56,702 --> 00:21:59,804
Just like life
on a college campus,
349
00:21:59,806 --> 00:22:03,224
keeping everybody safe
is a team effort.
350
00:22:06,513 --> 00:22:07,545
Hm.
351
00:22:07,547 --> 00:22:09,264
Imagine an arsonist
352
00:22:09,266 --> 00:22:11,482
who sets the student center
ablaze.
353
00:22:11,484 --> 00:22:12,717
Uh-oh.
What?
354
00:22:12,719 --> 00:22:16,354
The first responders
are the firefighters.
355
00:22:16,356 --> 00:22:19,557
In the ocean,
these are the bacteria
356
00:22:19,559 --> 00:22:23,912
that feed on the newly arrived
toxin, and multiply.
357
00:22:23,914 --> 00:22:26,564
This is the bacteria
being transported
358
00:22:26,566 --> 00:22:27,999
with the ocean currents.
359
00:22:28,001 --> 00:22:30,901
Where there is a toxin
introduced to the system,
360
00:22:30,903 --> 00:22:33,755
the bacteria thrive
and detoxify.
361
00:22:33,757 --> 00:22:37,175
Once the toxin is eliminated,
362
00:22:37,177 --> 00:22:39,043
the bacteria die off,
363
00:22:39,045 --> 00:22:42,714
just like the first responders
who leave after the fire is out.
364
00:22:42,716 --> 00:22:46,968
But they leave behind
a bunch of byproducts.
365
00:22:46,970 --> 00:22:49,387
So the bacteria
are producing waste.
366
00:22:49,389 --> 00:22:51,756
That's influencing
the chemistry of the oceans.
367
00:22:51,758 --> 00:22:53,524
As the ocean's chemistry
changes,
368
00:22:53,526 --> 00:22:55,926
that in turn influences
the bacteria themselves.
369
00:22:55,928 --> 00:23:01,449
This instigates another
wave of bacterial helpers,
370
00:23:01,451 --> 00:23:03,451
and another,
371
00:23:03,453 --> 00:23:07,905
until conditions stable enough
for normal life return
372
00:23:07,907 --> 00:23:11,993
and the harmful toxin
is completely neutralized.
373
00:23:18,083 --> 00:23:19,417
Hey, stop!
374
00:23:19,419 --> 00:23:22,920
Put your hands
behind your back!
375
00:23:22,922 --> 00:23:26,341
But just because the ocean
has an immune system
376
00:23:26,343 --> 00:23:31,346
does not mean that it's
invulnerable to catastrophe.
377
00:23:31,348 --> 00:23:34,682
When our immune systems
overreact,
378
00:23:34,684 --> 00:23:39,237
we develop severe diseases
like multiple sclerosis.
379
00:23:39,239 --> 00:23:41,856
These immune systems
can overreact,
380
00:23:41,858 --> 00:23:44,776
and they can produce
too much antibody.
381
00:23:44,778 --> 00:23:48,363
They can disrupt
the physiology of the organism.
382
00:23:48,365 --> 00:23:51,916
In the ocean, we can get
that same sort of overreaction,
383
00:23:51,918 --> 00:23:55,336
and carry us into a whole new
state of the ocean,
384
00:23:55,338 --> 00:23:56,754
an unhealthy state.
385
00:24:00,042 --> 00:24:04,345
Your immune system
protects you from disease,
386
00:24:04,347 --> 00:24:08,716
but if it overreacts,
it can kill you instead.
387
00:24:08,718 --> 00:24:13,521
What would happen if the immune
system of the ocean overreacts?
388
00:24:13,523 --> 00:24:15,723
It may have already happened
389
00:24:15,725 --> 00:24:18,943
at least five times
in earth's history,
390
00:24:18,945 --> 00:24:21,813
resulting in the extermination
391
00:24:21,815 --> 00:24:25,983
of nearly every living thing
on the planet.
392
00:24:28,139 --> 00:24:31,141
When a honey bee perceives
a threat to its hive,
393
00:24:31,781 --> 00:24:33,347
it will sting its victim
394
00:24:33,349 --> 00:24:37,485
and release toxic venom
that can be fatal.
395
00:24:38,419 --> 00:24:41,586
After the bee stings, it dies.
396
00:24:41,588 --> 00:24:47,759
The honey bee's instinct is
to defend its hive at any cost.
397
00:24:47,761 --> 00:24:52,664
Will life in the ocean
do the same?
398
00:25:00,072 --> 00:25:03,708
Peter Ward
is an oceanic paleontologist
399
00:25:03,710 --> 00:25:07,245
who likes to get
up close and personal
400
00:25:07,247 --> 00:25:09,714
with the subject of his studies.
401
00:25:09,716 --> 00:25:12,450
I dive a lot.
My science requires it.
402
00:25:12,452 --> 00:25:14,719
And yet, I come back,
403
00:25:14,721 --> 00:25:16,505
I just can't describe in words
what it's like.
404
00:25:16,507 --> 00:25:18,140
I just cannot bring out
the vision
405
00:25:18,142 --> 00:25:20,142
of what I'm seeing and thinking
down there.
406
00:25:20,144 --> 00:25:22,394
Movies are way better.
407
00:25:22,396 --> 00:25:24,062
I bring back small videos,
408
00:25:24,064 --> 00:25:25,597
and you really get a sense,
I think.
409
00:25:25,599 --> 00:25:27,516
A picture may be worth
1,000 words,
410
00:25:27,518 --> 00:25:30,068
but a short video is worth
millions of words.
411
00:25:30,070 --> 00:25:34,322
But don't let Peter's
tranquil footage fool you.
412
00:25:34,324 --> 00:25:37,475
Beneath the waves,
413
00:25:37,477 --> 00:25:40,111
Peter is looking
at a crime scene
414
00:25:40,113 --> 00:25:44,148
where millions of species
all across the globe
415
00:25:44,150 --> 00:25:46,835
suddenly wound up dead.
416
00:25:46,837 --> 00:25:51,339
So, 99.999999%
of all individuals --
417
00:25:51,341 --> 00:25:53,625
a mass extinction
not only wipes out a species,
418
00:25:53,627 --> 00:25:56,828
but it really empties the earth
of life.
419
00:25:56,830 --> 00:25:59,464
These are really hideous events.
420
00:25:59,466 --> 00:26:02,166
For years,
scientists thought
421
00:26:02,168 --> 00:26:07,022
that all mass extinctions
were caused by climate change
422
00:26:07,024 --> 00:26:11,193
brought on by asteroid impacts
and massive volcanic eruptions.
423
00:26:13,029 --> 00:26:15,614
But Peter thinks
there's another mass killer.
424
00:26:25,858 --> 00:26:27,742
We started looking
425
00:26:27,744 --> 00:26:30,962
at the other mass extinction
boundaries.
426
00:26:30,964 --> 00:26:32,581
None of the evidence
of an asteroid collision
427
00:26:32,583 --> 00:26:33,665
were showing up.
428
00:26:33,667 --> 00:26:35,028
In fact,
something quite different.
429
00:26:38,370 --> 00:26:41,256
Peter and his colleagues have
studied the fossil evidence
430
00:26:41,258 --> 00:26:43,541
and pinpointed
the murder weapon,
431
00:26:43,543 --> 00:26:47,045
a lethal chemical that can be
found in trace amounts
432
00:26:47,047 --> 00:26:50,214
on nearly every shoreline
on earth.
433
00:26:50,216 --> 00:26:51,483
Wow, look at this.
434
00:26:51,485 --> 00:26:54,319
Oh, ho, ho.
435
00:26:54,321 --> 00:26:57,555
So, what makes this so stinky,
and it really is stinky,
436
00:26:57,557 --> 00:27:00,058
is it's full
of hydrogen sulfide.
437
00:27:00,060 --> 00:27:01,860
Hydrogen sulfide is a gas
438
00:27:01,862 --> 00:27:04,896
that is extremely poisonous
to we mammals.
439
00:27:04,898 --> 00:27:07,231
There are many bacteria
who love it,
440
00:27:07,233 --> 00:27:09,668
who need it to live,
but not our kind.
441
00:27:09,670 --> 00:27:12,420
Those of us who use oxygen,
who love oxygen,
442
00:27:12,422 --> 00:27:15,874
this is a very, very bad,
bad poison.
443
00:27:15,876 --> 00:27:18,593
As few as 500, 600
of these molecules
444
00:27:18,595 --> 00:27:21,763
in a million molecules of air
will kill you.
445
00:27:21,765 --> 00:27:24,966
This is the stuff that literally
sits at the bottom of the ocean.
446
00:27:26,585 --> 00:27:28,252
Peter believes
447
00:27:28,254 --> 00:27:31,589
the bacteria that produce
this deadly nerve gas
448
00:27:31,591 --> 00:27:35,110
have waged chemical warfare
on the entire planet,
449
00:27:35,112 --> 00:27:38,113
in the sea and on land,
450
00:27:38,115 --> 00:27:43,434
resulting in the death
of nearly every living creature.
451
00:27:43,436 --> 00:27:47,289
And it has happened
at least five times.
452
00:27:52,444 --> 00:27:54,946
Peter wants to predict
453
00:27:54,948 --> 00:27:58,750
when this lethal bacterial
plague will overrun the ocean
454
00:27:58,752 --> 00:28:02,337
and flood our atmosphere
with hydrogen sulfide again.
455
00:28:02,339 --> 00:28:04,222
All right, let's say
456
00:28:04,224 --> 00:28:07,291
that this is nice, cold,
oxygenated water,
457
00:28:07,293 --> 00:28:10,512
and it's been moving up
from the Gulf stream,
458
00:28:10,514 --> 00:28:12,597
and then north towards Europe,
459
00:28:12,599 --> 00:28:15,350
getting colder and colder
and colder.
460
00:28:15,352 --> 00:28:18,687
And finally, it's cold enough,
it sinks.
461
00:28:18,689 --> 00:28:22,240
And when it sinks, what happens?
462
00:28:22,242 --> 00:28:25,276
We get this nice,
oxygenated bottom water
463
00:28:25,278 --> 00:28:28,079
that covers the bottom
of the oceans,
464
00:28:28,081 --> 00:28:29,914
keeps the oceans healthy.
465
00:28:29,916 --> 00:28:33,484
So, we have this nice
circulation system.
466
00:28:33,486 --> 00:28:36,121
But that can change
467
00:28:36,123 --> 00:28:40,592
if oxygen-rich seawater stops
sinking to the ocean floor
468
00:28:40,594 --> 00:28:42,160
where it's needed.
469
00:28:42,162 --> 00:28:45,597
The deep sea,
if there is no oxygen in it,
470
00:28:45,599 --> 00:28:48,833
starts favoring
other types of bacteria
471
00:28:48,835 --> 00:28:51,186
that produce hydrogen sulfide.
472
00:28:54,357 --> 00:28:57,609
When the ocean surface
warms by just a few degrees
473
00:28:57,611 --> 00:29:00,344
or is flooded with fresh water,
474
00:29:00,346 --> 00:29:03,531
it becomes less dense
than the water beneath it.
475
00:29:05,868 --> 00:29:08,653
So, let's make a really,
really, really warm world
476
00:29:08,655 --> 00:29:10,955
instead of that nice,
cold oxygen water.
477
00:29:10,957 --> 00:29:15,543
Let's pour in this nice,
hot low-oxygen water.
478
00:29:18,714 --> 00:29:22,217
You can see the hot water stays
right on the top.
479
00:29:22,219 --> 00:29:24,702
It doesn't go down
and take the nice oxygen down.
480
00:29:24,704 --> 00:29:26,037
We, instead, have a system
481
00:29:26,039 --> 00:29:29,007
without an oxygen export
to the bottom.
482
00:29:29,009 --> 00:29:32,644
And the net result in the end
is mass extinction.
483
00:29:32,646 --> 00:29:36,848
Without oxygen in the deep sea,
484
00:29:36,850 --> 00:29:41,219
hydrogen sulfide-producing
bacteria thrive
485
00:29:41,221 --> 00:29:46,107
and fill the ocean
with poisonous violet sludge.
486
00:29:46,109 --> 00:29:51,112
Large plumes of toxic
yellow hydrogen sulfide explode
487
00:29:51,114 --> 00:29:53,731
and blanket the atmosphere.
488
00:29:53,733 --> 00:29:56,918
Plants are suffocated to death.
489
00:29:56,920 --> 00:29:59,788
Animals die from poisoning.
490
00:29:59,790 --> 00:30:05,210
Human life would be
impossible to sustain.
491
00:30:05,212 --> 00:30:08,213
Could it happen again?
Absolutely.
492
00:30:09,715 --> 00:30:13,384
Peter thinks
that if we warm up the planet
493
00:30:13,386 --> 00:30:15,019
by just a few degrees,
494
00:30:15,021 --> 00:30:18,440
the ocean could make us pay
the ultimate price.
495
00:30:18,442 --> 00:30:20,692
But for Peter,
that does not mean
496
00:30:20,694 --> 00:30:23,594
the ocean is itself
a living thing.
497
00:30:23,596 --> 00:30:29,067
Microbiologist Yuri Gorby
is taking a different approach.
498
00:30:29,069 --> 00:30:32,454
He's found evidence
that suggests
499
00:30:32,456 --> 00:30:37,325
the ocean ecosystem
is a living superorganism
500
00:30:37,327 --> 00:30:40,245
with the capacity to think.
501
00:30:40,247 --> 00:30:43,915
Does the ocean have a brain?
502
00:30:47,297 --> 00:30:50,099
How did we get our brain power?
503
00:30:51,565 --> 00:30:54,405
Well, during millions of years
of evolution,
504
00:30:54,406 --> 00:30:58,291
groups of cells developed
electrical connections
505
00:30:58,293 --> 00:31:01,861
to one another
and became complex networks.
506
00:31:01,863 --> 00:31:07,718
The entire ocean seems to have
a similar network.
507
00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:12,839
Has it evolved
to be intelligent like us,
508
00:31:12,841 --> 00:31:15,675
or has it surpassed us?
509
00:31:15,677 --> 00:31:19,513
Microbiologist Yuri Gorby
is part of a team
510
00:31:19,515 --> 00:31:21,815
that has made a major discovery.
511
00:31:21,817 --> 00:31:24,484
It's one that could
forever change
512
00:31:24,486 --> 00:31:27,070
how we look at life
in the ocean.
513
00:31:27,072 --> 00:31:30,824
But it started
with a humble question.
514
00:31:30,826 --> 00:31:35,328
How do microorganisms breathe?
515
00:31:35,330 --> 00:31:37,664
Now, we think that breathing in
is respiration,
516
00:31:37,666 --> 00:31:39,082
but that's really inhalation.
517
00:31:39,084 --> 00:31:43,236
True respiration in our body
occurs in mitochondria.
518
00:31:43,238 --> 00:31:46,089
Respiration is the movement
of electrons
519
00:31:46,091 --> 00:31:47,674
from an electron donor
520
00:31:47,676 --> 00:31:50,293
to an appropriate
electron acceptor.
521
00:31:50,295 --> 00:31:53,263
Most species respire
522
00:31:53,265 --> 00:31:56,933
by dumping electrons
onto oxygen atoms
523
00:31:56,935 --> 00:31:59,352
inside their mitochondria.
524
00:31:59,354 --> 00:32:02,105
But a lot of aquatic bacteria
respire
525
00:32:02,107 --> 00:32:04,057
with a different technique.
526
00:32:04,059 --> 00:32:08,945
They dump electrons onto metals
dissolved in seawater.
527
00:32:08,947 --> 00:32:11,031
Yuri wanted to see what happened
528
00:32:11,033 --> 00:32:13,567
when he robbed
these aquatic bacteria
529
00:32:13,569 --> 00:32:15,619
of their life-sustaining metals.
530
00:32:15,621 --> 00:32:18,371
We expected that these organisms
531
00:32:18,373 --> 00:32:20,940
would basically suffocate
and perish.
532
00:32:20,942 --> 00:32:23,577
But that is not
what we observed.
533
00:32:23,579 --> 00:32:26,463
What we saw blew our minds.
534
00:32:26,465 --> 00:32:30,133
Yuri's bacteria survived
535
00:32:30,135 --> 00:32:36,306
and grew what appeared to be a
vast scaffolding of tiny hairs.
536
00:32:36,308 --> 00:32:38,058
I sent some samples
to a friend of mine,
537
00:32:38,060 --> 00:32:40,960
and she put them under
one of her microscopes,
538
00:32:40,962 --> 00:32:44,231
a scanning tunneling microscope.
She applied current.
539
00:32:44,233 --> 00:32:48,435
She called me up and said,
"You're not gonna believe this."
540
00:32:48,437 --> 00:32:50,353
I rushed over to her lab,
541
00:32:50,355 --> 00:32:54,241
and what I observed
was that these little filaments
542
00:32:54,243 --> 00:32:57,077
actually had electronic
or conductive properties.
543
00:33:00,915 --> 00:33:05,535
I could not sleep for days
after seeing those results.
544
00:33:05,537 --> 00:33:07,621
It was just remarkable.
545
00:33:07,623 --> 00:33:11,508
The tiny fibers
were not hairs at all.
546
00:33:11,510 --> 00:33:13,126
Yuri discovered
547
00:33:13,128 --> 00:33:15,995
they were electrically
conductive filaments.
548
00:33:15,997 --> 00:33:21,268
He named them
bacterial nanowires.
549
00:33:21,270 --> 00:33:24,771
These nanowires form
when bacteria need to respire,
550
00:33:24,773 --> 00:33:28,475
but they stick around when
conditions return to normal.
551
00:33:28,477 --> 00:33:32,345
In our brains,
we have about 100 billion
552
00:33:32,347 --> 00:33:37,367
electrically connected cells
that process our thoughts.
553
00:33:37,369 --> 00:33:40,620
Yuri believes that the ocean
also contains
554
00:33:40,622 --> 00:33:42,906
vast electrical networks
555
00:33:42,908 --> 00:33:46,993
that comprise up to
100 trillion, trillion
556
00:33:46,995 --> 00:33:49,746
bacterial cells.
557
00:33:49,748 --> 00:33:52,865
This network
is highly interconnected,
558
00:33:52,867 --> 00:33:55,218
just like the one in our brain.
559
00:33:55,220 --> 00:33:59,222
It, too,
may be capable of thought.
560
00:34:00,708 --> 00:34:03,009
So, what do we have here?
561
00:34:03,011 --> 00:34:07,347
We have a cell,
represented by this light bulb,
562
00:34:07,349 --> 00:34:09,983
sending a signal down a wire.
563
00:34:09,985 --> 00:34:13,320
This little junction,
it has to make a decision.
564
00:34:13,322 --> 00:34:16,072
Which way do we propagate
that signal?
565
00:34:16,074 --> 00:34:18,024
To the left or to the right?
566
00:34:18,026 --> 00:34:20,527
When a signal propagates
567
00:34:20,529 --> 00:34:22,245
through a digital computer,
568
00:34:22,247 --> 00:34:25,448
it encounters transistors
which decide
569
00:34:25,450 --> 00:34:28,868
whether to turn it into
a one or a zero --
570
00:34:28,870 --> 00:34:31,087
left or right.
571
00:34:31,089 --> 00:34:33,406
In an organic computer,
572
00:34:33,408 --> 00:34:35,908
the transistors
are replaced by cells,
573
00:34:35,910 --> 00:34:39,596
which can pass the signal
onto one or more,
574
00:34:39,598 --> 00:34:44,801
or potentially thousands
of connected cells.
575
00:34:44,803 --> 00:34:50,690
When multitudes of these cells
are interconnected,
576
00:34:50,692 --> 00:34:53,760
a network emerges
577
00:34:53,762 --> 00:34:57,814
that can process
vast amounts of information.
578
00:34:57,816 --> 00:34:59,816
If you really ponder
the question
579
00:34:59,818 --> 00:35:03,570
"Can the ocean think?",
you have to expand your mind.
580
00:35:03,572 --> 00:35:07,574
It's the same way as,
"Can a single bacterium think?"
581
00:35:07,576 --> 00:35:09,442
No.
582
00:35:09,444 --> 00:35:11,962
Can a community
of microorganisms think?
583
00:35:11,964 --> 00:35:13,463
Perhaps.
584
00:35:13,465 --> 00:35:16,383
Expand that further.
585
00:35:16,385 --> 00:35:20,971
Can the ocean
process information and think?
586
00:35:20,973 --> 00:35:22,889
I say absolutely.
587
00:35:25,843 --> 00:35:28,311
The ocean could have a brain
588
00:35:28,313 --> 00:35:30,063
made up bacterial nanowires
589
00:35:30,065 --> 00:35:33,650
that exist all through the upper
layers of ocean sediment.
590
00:35:33,652 --> 00:35:36,135
This brain could be capable
of thoughts
591
00:35:36,137 --> 00:35:39,406
very different from our own.
592
00:35:39,408 --> 00:35:44,861
There are 100 trillion, trillion
cells in the ocean sediment,
593
00:35:44,863 --> 00:35:47,980
far more than the number
of neurons we have,
594
00:35:47,982 --> 00:35:50,483
and the ocean's
electrical network
595
00:35:50,485 --> 00:35:55,872
fires over a 1,000 times faster
than our neural network.
596
00:35:55,874 --> 00:35:58,925
Yuri suspects
that this brain network
597
00:35:58,927 --> 00:36:03,296
is spread across 140 million
square miles of ocean floor.
598
00:36:03,298 --> 00:36:07,166
If so,
its thoughts would play out
599
00:36:07,168 --> 00:36:11,554
over hundreds
if not thousands of years.
600
00:36:11,556 --> 00:36:13,356
So, what could the ocean
be thinking?
601
00:36:13,358 --> 00:36:16,810
The ocean's been around
a long time,
602
00:36:16,812 --> 00:36:19,729
and those organisms that are
at the bottom of the ocean,
603
00:36:19,731 --> 00:36:22,232
possibly integrated
into these neural networks,
604
00:36:22,234 --> 00:36:25,685
they've been around
for billions of years.
605
00:36:25,687 --> 00:36:29,539
So, it's probably
very contemplative thought.
606
00:36:29,541 --> 00:36:32,826
If the ocean ecosystem
collectively forms
607
00:36:32,828 --> 00:36:35,128
a living, thinking being,
608
00:36:35,130 --> 00:36:38,364
it could see us
as a threat to its survival.
609
00:36:38,366 --> 00:36:43,369
It may decide
to immunize itself against us.
610
00:36:43,371 --> 00:36:46,973
We could be wiped out.
611
00:36:46,975 --> 00:36:51,478
But we are also
intelligent creatures.
612
00:36:51,480 --> 00:36:55,715
Couldn't we learn how to read
the ocean's mood?
613
00:36:57,867 --> 00:37:00,986
We could be on the verge
of killing the ocean.
614
00:37:02,502 --> 00:37:06,988
Or is the ocean
ready to wipe us out?
615
00:37:06,990 --> 00:37:10,444
Determining the health
of this massive body of water
616
00:37:10,445 --> 00:37:13,929
is a huge task,
but it's a necessary one.
617
00:37:15,401 --> 00:37:21,855
The answer could tell us
how much time we have left.
618
00:37:22,535 --> 00:37:25,965
David Marcogliese
is a research biologist
619
00:37:25,966 --> 00:37:28,633
who likes to look
at complex ecosystems
620
00:37:28,635 --> 00:37:31,369
from a bird's eye view.
621
00:37:31,371 --> 00:37:34,038
A city is basically
an ecosystem of its own,
622
00:37:34,040 --> 00:37:37,259
and we could consider this
an ecosystem.
623
00:37:37,261 --> 00:37:40,812
And if we look at each train
as a food chain,
624
00:37:40,814 --> 00:37:43,431
then we can measure
nutrient flow.
625
00:37:45,351 --> 00:37:48,186
The food chain
transports nutrients
626
00:37:48,188 --> 00:37:51,323
from organism to organism
throughout an ecosystem,
627
00:37:51,325 --> 00:37:56,060
just as trains move food
to whoever needs it.
628
00:37:56,062 --> 00:38:00,665
If the train stops running,
food becomes scarce,
629
00:38:00,667 --> 00:38:04,402
and the whole town
risks collapse.
630
00:38:04,404 --> 00:38:06,254
Knowing if the trains
are running
631
00:38:06,256 --> 00:38:09,240
in a model city in your basement
is easy.
632
00:38:09,242 --> 00:38:15,463
But when it comes to the ocean,
researchers are in the dark.
633
00:38:15,465 --> 00:38:19,434
Well, the ocean is an extremely,
extremely complex ecosystem.
634
00:38:19,436 --> 00:38:23,605
As ecologists, it's very
difficult to look at an ocean.
635
00:38:23,607 --> 00:38:24,940
It's just so big.
636
00:38:24,942 --> 00:38:28,443
And it's composed of many,
many different ecosystems.
637
00:38:28,445 --> 00:38:31,529
But David thinks
he knows what to look for
638
00:38:31,531 --> 00:38:34,065
to determine
the condition of the ocean.
639
00:38:39,038 --> 00:38:40,956
Parasites.
640
00:38:42,625 --> 00:38:46,911
These tiny monsters survive
by laying eggs into their hosts
641
00:38:46,913 --> 00:38:49,047
where they grow and multiply.
642
00:38:49,049 --> 00:38:55,971
Some slowly kill their hosts
over years of painful invasion.
643
00:38:55,973 --> 00:38:59,924
But David sees them
in a different light.
644
00:39:01,978 --> 00:39:05,847
Yeah, they really do have
an awful, awful reputation,
645
00:39:05,849 --> 00:39:08,600
and it's -- it's not surprising
to think why.
646
00:39:08,602 --> 00:39:12,153
There's a big yuck factor.
647
00:39:12,155 --> 00:39:13,521
Because if you catch a fish
648
00:39:13,523 --> 00:39:15,440
and it's covered
in parasitic cysts
649
00:39:15,442 --> 00:39:18,660
or you open up a cod
and it has a cod worm inside,
650
00:39:18,662 --> 00:39:21,813
most people don't want
to eat the fish.
651
00:39:21,815 --> 00:39:24,616
It's just extra protein
in most cases, but anyway...
652
00:39:26,820 --> 00:39:29,204
In individual animals,
653
00:39:29,206 --> 00:39:32,841
parasites are often signs
of disease.
654
00:39:32,843 --> 00:39:36,661
But for ecosystems,
a rich diversity of parasites
655
00:39:36,663 --> 00:39:39,831
is an indication of good health
656
00:39:39,833 --> 00:39:42,550
because parasites,
like the seal worm,
657
00:39:42,552 --> 00:39:47,505
rely on a food chain
linking many thriving species.
658
00:39:47,507 --> 00:39:49,307
The adults live
in seal stomachs,
659
00:39:49,309 --> 00:39:50,558
and there they reproduce,
660
00:39:50,560 --> 00:39:52,610
and eggs are passed out
into the water.
661
00:39:54,563 --> 00:39:59,617
The eggs settle,
and a tiny larva hatches.
662
00:39:59,619 --> 00:40:04,322
A crustacean comes along
and ingests the larva.
663
00:40:04,324 --> 00:40:07,992
That crustacean is eaten
by a larger crustacean,
664
00:40:07,994 --> 00:40:12,196
which is eaten by one of many
different species of fish,
665
00:40:12,198 --> 00:40:16,384
which most seals find tasty.
666
00:40:16,386 --> 00:40:21,589
Inside the seal's stomach,
the worms mate and lay eggs.
667
00:40:21,591 --> 00:40:25,060
The eggs drop out
through the feces,
668
00:40:25,062 --> 00:40:27,145
and the cycle repeats.
669
00:40:27,147 --> 00:40:30,381
In one life cycle,
a parasite can travel
670
00:40:30,383 --> 00:40:32,317
through the dinner
of multiple species
671
00:40:32,319 --> 00:40:36,354
and potentially thousands
of miles of ocean water.
672
00:40:36,356 --> 00:40:39,524
If something is going wrong
with any host along the way,
673
00:40:39,526 --> 00:40:42,744
the parasite dies.
674
00:40:42,746 --> 00:40:45,229
When you have
a healthy ecosystem
675
00:40:45,231 --> 00:40:48,733
with a good amount of diversity
or biodiversity in it,
676
00:40:48,735 --> 00:40:50,952
you will see
more internal parasites
677
00:40:50,954 --> 00:40:53,371
that have complex life cycles.
678
00:40:53,373 --> 00:40:55,373
To test an ecosystem,
679
00:40:55,375 --> 00:41:00,095
David takes a census
of its parasites.
680
00:41:03,048 --> 00:41:06,634
Even though David can't see
the whole ecosystem,
681
00:41:06,636 --> 00:41:08,419
the parasites tell him
682
00:41:08,421 --> 00:41:12,107
that nutrients
are properly cycling through it.
683
00:41:12,109 --> 00:41:14,592
We think of each parasite
as a little light.
684
00:41:14,594 --> 00:41:16,277
The green light is one species,
685
00:41:16,279 --> 00:41:18,980
and the red light
is another species.
686
00:41:18,982 --> 00:41:22,200
We can then watch them
follow this linear path
687
00:41:22,202 --> 00:41:24,202
up the food chain,
688
00:41:24,204 --> 00:41:27,322
stopping along the way
at the various stops
689
00:41:27,324 --> 00:41:30,542
which reflect the different
hosts in their life cycles.
690
00:41:30,544 --> 00:41:34,295
If populations of
parasites begin to disappear,
691
00:41:34,297 --> 00:41:38,633
it could mean that there are
breaks in the food chain,
692
00:41:38,635 --> 00:41:42,637
and the environment
is headed towards catastrophe.
693
00:41:42,639 --> 00:41:46,224
David monitors
the ecological health
694
00:41:46,226 --> 00:41:48,793
of the rivers and lakes
across Canada
695
00:41:48,795 --> 00:41:51,429
by surveying
the parasite populations.
696
00:41:51,431 --> 00:41:56,434
Doing the same for the ocean
will be a herculean task,
697
00:41:56,436 --> 00:42:00,071
but David hopes one day
to take it on.
698
00:42:00,073 --> 00:42:04,025
The ocean
is such a vast habitat.
699
00:42:04,027 --> 00:42:06,310
It's another frontier.
700
00:42:06,312 --> 00:42:08,780
You would need
the kind of resources you need
701
00:42:08,782 --> 00:42:09,831
to go to the moon.
702
00:42:09,833 --> 00:42:11,983
Scientists don't know
703
00:42:11,985 --> 00:42:14,819
what's really out there
in the sea,
704
00:42:14,821 --> 00:42:18,456
and no one knows
how far the ocean can be pushed
705
00:42:18,458 --> 00:42:20,258
before catastrophe strikes.
706
00:42:26,515 --> 00:42:30,134
The ocean may have
a will to live,
707
00:42:30,136 --> 00:42:34,522
or it may react unthinkingly
to our insults.
708
00:42:34,524 --> 00:42:37,976
Either way,
we should not underestimate
709
00:42:37,978 --> 00:42:41,813
the power it has
over all life on the planet.
710
00:42:41,815 --> 00:42:45,617
With its millions of species,
the ocean might be
711
00:42:45,619 --> 00:42:49,204
the most remarkable creature
we'll ever meet,
712
00:42:49,206 --> 00:42:53,307
the largest and oldest
life form on earth.
713
00:42:53,308 --> 00:42:59,308
== sync, corrected by elderman ==
@elder_man
56730
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