Special Effects: Survival

"Many years ago, a brilliant German scientist came up with a theory. He realized that, in order for life to continue, each new generation would have to have at least three things built into it.

"First, whatever existed would have to be a complete mechanism which ran well. Otherwise, it would not be viable. It would break down. You know, like a car, when it has a flat tire or something. A machine is no use if it breaks down.

"Secondly, the machine would have to be able to detect anything about itself which broke down. Cars today are getting close to this. They have on-board computers which detect how the engine is running, how the brakes are working, how the tires, and oil pressure, and doors, and windows are going. The driver can tell a lot from the self-diagnostics a car can run on itself.

"And thirdly, the machine must be able to repair itself when something does go wrong. This last part is extremely complicated. In order to repair itself, a machine has to be able to take something from its environment, such as soil, or air, or light, and convert it into the materials it needs to fix whatever goes wrong with itself.

"The only machine we know of which can do all this, is the living cell.

"But out there, right in front of us, is a machine which is doing at least two of the three things I just mentioned! That's why it's so amazing!"

"You mean," said Turran "Its a living machine?"

"Exactly."

"So what's it doing here? Did it come from space?"

"I don't know that," said Brad "All I do know is its there, and its sucking in energy from the sun and soil and growing!"

"What will it do when it finishes growing?" asked Turran.

"Maybe it will just stop. Maybe it will start walking around. Only the inventor would be able to tell us that."

"It might be a seed?" said Turran "You know, like barley grass. Maybe its like a seed that came down from space and got stuck in the desert, and now its starting to grow. Soon it will make lots and lots of new little barley seed machines?"