A Symbiotic Superstar

What does one say and do upon discovering that core beliefs crumble under close scrutiny? Who among us would have the courage to oppose a powerful, albeit wrong-headed, establishment? Many of us might dispute a deep-rooted mindset, but only if we really, really knew our stuff, right?

Lynn Margulis (1938-2011) was a scientist who knew her stuff. The documentary about her life, work, and determining discoveries, Symbiotic Earth, celebrates her as having been “a scientific rebel who challenged entrenched theories.” This astonishing film portrays Dr. Margulis as having defied her contemporaries: biologists who held to “survival-of-the-fittest,” competition-based “Neo-Darwinism.” This belief system has been the supposed takeaway from Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species. Margulis’s microscope became a window to a poles-apart perspective, and Symbiotic Earth’s camera lens enlightens—it’s a pane through which Margulis’s discoveries come alive, and an aperture into an alternate core understanding. 

Symbiotic Earth also shines its interrogation light on Neo-Darwinism. This widely held theory, according to the film, has resulted from Darwin’s good science having been hijacked by hubris, greed and “groupthink.” The film Juxtaposes this theory alongside a gaze through Margulis’s microscope and the lens of her discerning mind. Because of this film, you and I are better positioned to determine whether Neo-Darwinism has not only been pervasive but pernicious—having given permission to exploit the Earth, its creatures, and its peoples. 

Of course, in nature, the fittest (or is it luckiest?) are more likely to survive. There are far more offspring born than are needed for species’ continuation. The filmmaker enlightens on this point, reminding us that natural selection is only one of the drivers of evolution. There is sex—granted, it seems an exchange of genetic material is more often the privilege of the fittest—and in the process, somehow a random genetic mutation occurs, and this favorable modification survives in at least one of the (fittest?) offspring. Natural selection inspires awe. And yet, this adaptation is dwarfed by the impetus Lynn Margulis discovered to be the primary driver of evolution. 

In addition to unveiling that competition is not the underlying prodding force that propels Earth’s bloom-like expression, Symbiotic Earth clarifies that Lynn Margulis’s discoveries do not supplant Darwin’s theory. Easily her findings can be seen as filling in where Darwin left off. The theory of evolution evolves too—helped along by the efforts of dedicated scientists—such as Dr. Margulis.

Meanwhile, increasingly so, to be human is to rip at Earth’s fabric of ecosystems—the web-like framework necessary for our own continued existence. Short term, there have been conscience-free, colossal yields, profits and conveniences for our privileged classes. Against this headwind, Lynn Margulis—like a modern-day Galileo Galilei or Rachael Carson, if you will—declared her elegant yet heretical findings. Today, remarkably, her contributions to biological science are revered where once they were ridiculed.

Without reservation, I recommend Symbiotic Earth. For me, Lynn Margulis was a modern-day seer who parted the clouds at the horizon of today’s limited understanding. Here’s my favorite review of this documentary:

“Symbiotic Earth leaves us looking at the world in a new light, understanding it better and yet more than ever aware of its essential mystery. Despite its length the film never flags and we deeply regret when the end comes because it means saying goodbye to Lynn who, setting aside her scientific legacy, exemplifies what Aristotle calls the well-lived life.” —Dr. Robert Sternberg, Science Communication Unit, Imperial College London.

A stream of Symbiotic Earth can be rented or purchased on Amazon, iTunes or Vimeo. There are additional purchase options. To learn more and to watch the trailer, go to www.hummingbirdfilms.com.