Is the Science Behind Avatar's Na'vi and Pandora Plausible?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the scientific plausibility of the Na'vi and the planet Pandora as depicted in the movie "Avatar." Participants explore various biological, physical, and environmental aspects, including the Na'vi's physical characteristics, the gravity on Pandora, and the floating mountains.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question the physical possibility of the Na'vi, particularly their height and athleticism, suggesting that low gravity could account for these traits.
  • Concerns are raised about the plausibility of the Na'vi's hair being used for bonding with plant and animal life, with some arguing it lacks adaptive advantage.
  • One participant proposes that if the Na'vi were silicon-based life forms, they might have the electromagnetic connection described, but this does not clarify the carbon fiber coating on their bones.
  • There is a debate regarding the gravity on Pandora, with some asserting it appears normal while others reference the floating mountains as evidence of low gravity.
  • Participants discuss the concept of floating mountains, suggesting they could be composed of superconducting materials, though no such materials are currently known to exist.
  • Speculation arises about the possibility of the floating mountains being held in a magnetic field due to the interaction between a gas giant and its moon.
  • Some participants express skepticism about the Na'vi's blue coloration, questioning the biological basis for such a feature.
  • There are humorous exchanges regarding the scientific validity of various claims, including sarcastic remarks about the nature of the Na'vi and the floating mountains.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views, with no consensus on the scientific plausibility of the Na'vi or the floating mountains. Disagreements persist regarding the nature of gravity on Pandora and the biological characteristics of the Na'vi.

Contextual Notes

Some claims depend on assumptions about the chemical composition of life on Pandora and the nature of its atmosphere. The discussion includes unresolved questions about the physical properties of materials and the implications of gravity on the planet.

Gold Barz
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I read somewhere that James Cameron made the planet Pandora as scientifically plausible as possible according to his scientific advisers.

Are the Na'vi's physically possible? having a humanoid structure and being like 10 feet tall and being so athletic like they were in the movie. Also, how their skeletal structure was coated in carbon fiber, it was also interesting how they could bond with the plant and animal life on the planet with their "hair".

Is this all scientifically possible?
 
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Gold Barz said:
Are the Na'vi's physically possible? having a humanoid structure and being like 10 feet tall and being so athletic like they were in the movie.

With the low gravity, I don't think their athleticism is surprising, and the height is fairly natural.

Gold Barz said:
Also, how their skeletal structure was coated in carbon fiber, it was also interesting how they could bond with the plant and animal life on the planet with their "hair".

Is this all scientifically possible?

The hair was implausible for me for many reasons: no adaptive advantage for receivers, communication being much too hard, etc. Carbon-fiber coating, no problem.
 
Its more of a biological question. whether or not it is biologically possible?
I am going to have to say maybe.
If they were not carbon based life forms, but silicon based, they may be able to have the electromagnetic connection they share with plants. However, this doesn't explain the "naturally occurring Carbon Fiber" on their bones.
Of course, there is the debate regarding the atmosphere on Pandora, there may be some chemical in their air that stimulated these abnormalities.
However, I also believe that the "goldilocks zone" (the area in space in which life occurs) only allows for a certain type of life. The current life on Earth.
 
Low gravity? The gravity certainly didn't seem low to me.
 
I'd also like to say that this movie was friggin awesome!
 
ideasrule said:
Low gravity? The gravity certainly didn't seem low to me.

Did you miss the floating mountains?
 
ideasrule said:
Low gravity? The gravity certainly didn't seem low to me.
Well according to the weightlifting colonel, it was.
 
Lucky that they had evolved hairless bodies, hair is a real pain to render.
 
The floating mountains could contain a room temperature superconductor ores which levitate in a presence of magnetic field. Although no such material is known to exist, but it's still actively sought by researchers.
 
  • #10
So what do you think of Cameron's attempt at being somewhat possible, how would you grade it? Would you say it is a pretty good attempt or was there no thought involved at all similar to movies like Day After Tomorrow, War of the Worlds, etc.
Edit/Delete Message
 
  • #11
what said:
The floating mountains could contain a room temperature superconductor ores which levitate in a presence of magnetic field. Although no such material is known to exist, but it's still actively sought by researchers.
The only thing about that solution that bothered me was a lack of smaller debris (via natural erosion). Why would this be limited to larger samples (mountains)?
 
  • #12
Can't (a version of) the flying mountains be floating objects at geostationary orbit?
 
  • #13
EnumaElish said:
Can't (a version of) the flying mountains be floating objects at geostationary orbit?
No because water is falling down from them - and people (or things) aren't floating on them
 
  • #14
ideasrule said:
Low gravity? The gravity certainly didn't seem low to me.

They addressed this at least once near the beginning of the film.
 
  • #15
mgb_phys said:
No because water is falling down from them - and people (or things) aren't floating on them
How about a space-elevator kind of thing, held together with really strong plants? (Ignoring the question how they got there in the first place.)
 
  • #16
They are on a moon around a gas giant, so you could have a magnetic material in the mountain rocks being held in the flux between the moon and the planet - rather like the field between Jupiter and Io. That would also explain why the instruments didn't work.
 
  • #17
russ_watters said:
Well according to the weightlifting colonel, it was.

Yes, but according to the speed of freefalling objects and the fact that humans could walk normally on the surface, it wasn't.
 
  • #18
the bottom part of the mountains were just invisible, or in a state of quantum flux, that's all


(though, I haven't seen the movie)
 
  • #19
I can't believe I am getting into this (I'm not even a trekkie) but:
The unobtanium (!) was a room temp superconductor, see the bit floating on the stand in the managers office - if the mountains contained this stuff and were in a magnetic field between a gas giant and it's moon they could float.
 
  • #20
ideasrule said:
Yes, but according to the speed of freefalling objects and the fact that humans could walk normally on the surface, it wasn't.

And what is the speed of freefalling objects? Acceleration due to gravity on Earth its 9.8 m/s^2, on the moon its 1.62 m/s^2. Any value below 9.8 and above 1.62 could be present on Pandora.

If they weigh 170 pounds on Earth and g on Pandora was 4.9 m/s^2 they would weigh 85 pounds. Time it would take them to hit the ground jumping from a 100 meter height on Earth would be 4.5 seconds, and 6.38 seconds on Pandora, assuming no air resistance. Do the math before condemning a work of art.

And as for floating rocks/supermagnet concept I believe I've answered that question https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=364626&p=2505170"
cronxeh said:
the rocks are superconductors and the tree flux is a magnetic flux. Diamagnetic superconductor rocks are stable in z-axis and combined with lower graviation they stay relatively stationary in one place, supported by vegetation.

Refer to this awesomeness I've attached for time it would take to hit ground vs acceleration due to gravity (g) for a 100 meter height jump
 
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  • #21
rewebster said:
the bottom part of the mountains were just invisible, or in a state of quantum flux, that's all


(though, I haven't seen the movie)

And when they flew under the mountains?
 
  • #22
DaveC426913 said:
And when they flew under the mountains?

He was kidding, the mountain are not in state of quantum flux obviously. Any quantum state would've collapsed upon observation and we would see the mountains. rewebster, you sir, have made a terrible science joke and Mr. David Bohm would kick you square in the pants.
 
  • #23
cronxeh said:
He was kidding, the mountain are not in state of quantum flux obviously.
Well, he did suggest they could be invisible...
 
  • #24
If the floating mountains are a result of magnetic flux between moon and planet, what good would the mineral be to others?

rewebster has a square in his pants?
 
  • #25
Newai said:
If the floating mountains are a result of magnetic flux between moon and planet, what good would the mineral be to others?

rewebster has a square in his pants?

Magnetic flux is not a result of moon-planet interaction.

The superconducting 'rock' is very useful in magnetic levitation - for trains that travel at super-duper high speeds. The price for such material would be high and worth it.
 
  • #26
I think maybe if the gravity matrix entered a state of positronic flux (I believe this can only happen in a four dimensional multiverse), the mountains could float. But blue people? No way.
 
  • #27
The craziest **** you can imagine is scientifically possible in virtual reality. The whole thing could have very well been contrived with a sufficiently fast computer.
 
  • #28
Tobias Funke said:
But blue people? No way.

And what do you base that definitive conclusion on?

Blue bird, blue frog, blue snake, blue penguin, blue turtle, blue whale, blue .. balls?
 
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  • #29
I think he was being sarcastic.
 
  • #30
ideasrule said:
I think he was being sarcastic.

man i am really bad at sarcasm :frown:
 

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