On what planets are we most likely to find
life? Our instinct might be to search for Earth-like
worlds when sifting through the vastness of the cosmos. But what if that instinct is mistaken? Perhaps life, in its unrelenting stubbornness,
can also be found in the churning atmosphere above gas giants, or the oven-like temperatures
of a sun-scorched world. Such incredible forms of life are explored
in Project C, a speculative biology epic by the incredible artist Charlotte Veldhuizen,
whom you can follow and support in the links below. The project is set within a vast congregation
of stars known as The Cluster, where life has emerged upon numerous extreme worlds. So, for this entry into the archive, we can
embark together on a journey across the cosmos — and explore just some of the worlds that
wait within The Cluster… Travelling into the cluster, the first world
on our voyage is a Gas Giant. From space, the swirling currents of the planet’s
outer atmosphere make it impossible to predict what lies below the clouds. Time for a closer look… Descending into the atmosphere, one of the
strangest ecosystems in The Cluster comes into view. Life on Ondriel has evolved to steer through
the cloudscape using gas-filled organs and chemical jet propulsion. Like fish within an aerial ocean, life on
this planet has diversified into a vast array of unique niches. Furthest from our position, Giant Gargantulillies
float above the layers of clouds, collecting sunlight with their castle-sized discs. These floating florae are so big, they could
be considered entire ecosystems on their own. And in the foreground, a hunter ambushes its
prey. This curious organism possesses an exceptionally
wide field of vision thanks to eyes that sit at the tips of long, maneuverable stalks. Like the stalks of snails, these eye-stalks
are retractable, and can be pulled in towards the organism’s body during hazardous situations. The aerial hunter’s prey is surprised by
the sudden attack, but this equally strange lifeform has a trick of their own — a spiked
barb that poses a serious threat to the thin membrane of the predator’s floating bell. Like any ecosystem, this sky is a stage for
moves and countermoves in the great game of life. The higher layers of Ondriel’s atmosphere
are rich in aero-algae — an abundant food source that sustains a population of true
giants. Various whale-sized cylindrical organisms
spend their lives enjoying this bountiful feast, feeding by maneuvering their gaping
mouth-analogs through clouds of floating algae. From a biological perspective, these lifeforms
are most comparable to the tube-shaped tunicates of Earth — sessile lifeforms that feed by
filtering planktonic particles through their bodies. The filter-feeders of Ondriel go a step further,
however, by being both heterotrophs and autotrophs — meaning they are capable of both digestion
and photosynthesis to reach their colossal sizes. Yet all environments have some form of apex
predator. In the deeper parts of Ondriel’s sky, the
menacing Abyssocaelid reigns supreme. One of the largest hunters anywhere in The
Cluster, this living dreadnaught feeds on all manner of floating organisms in the stormy
depths. At risk of lightning strikes, the Abyssocaelid
possess organs that redirect electrical charge away from the vitals… but these organic
lightning rods are not always effective. Sometimes, when lightning strikes in just
the right spot, the volatile gases in the floating bell ignite. The resulting explosion spells the end for
the individual… yet ingeniously, such eruptions also send
the creature’s spores into the air currents, ensuring their lineage will live on… And like the deep sea, the most extreme life
of all dwells in the dark sky many layers below Ondriel’s surface. Here, the bristly, multi-pronged Windspears
contend with more lighting than the Abyssocaelids. But the electrosynthetic Windspears have become
one with the storm, having evolved to resist the immense burst of energy in a lightning
strike, and can even use some of the deferred energy to grow and reproduce. Exactly when such a lifeform first emerged
remains a mystery. Due to the gas giant's lack of fossil record,
it's tough to tell how the planet's evolutionary tree fits together. Although its biodiversity suggests its roots
reach deep in time. Ondriel is a fascinating and extreme world,
but we must return to the stars once again, and seek out other incredible biospheres… The next planet on our voyage lies within
a Trinary star system, meaning it has three suns. As a result, the planet, called Terminus,
receives an extreme amount of UV-radiation. A tidally-locked world, one side of Terminus
exists in perpetual day, and the other in perpetual night. Yet life endures nonetheless... Touching down near the sun-pole of Terminus,
we find a colony of tree-like organisms stretching up towards the sky. In this blistering region, the direct solar
radiation eliminates anything but the hardiest lifeforms. Analysis suggests these organisms are similar
to earth sponges. This makes sense, as experiments have shown
that certain sea sponges can survive massive amounts of radiation — among the highest
of any multicellular animal. Under the eternal summer, not much else can
survive. To find more complex life, we’ll have to
journey further from the pole… Due to an abundance of suspended water in
the atmosphere, permanent storms ravage much of Terminus’s sunside. Yet on the rocky surface below the clouds,
an unusual assembly clings to life. These are Wind Gaspers — creatures whose
tough, clam-like shell helps keep them safe from the unforgiving weather. While they might appear simple, Wind Gaspers
can survive many human lifetimes under the eternal overhead gaze of the red sun. On Earth, certain species of giant clams can
live for a similar length of time — with many exceeding 100 years. Wind Gaspers--forged by the planet’s many
extinction cycles-- are resilient enough to withstand Terminus’s harsh winds. Indeed, these clever lifeforms have even learned
to use these winds to their advantage — feeding off the nutrient-rich material that the permastorm
whips up. To survive on Terminus, one has to be resourceful… Within the equatorial zone of Terminus, one
lifeform uses the winds for a different purpose. Thundershadows are titanic hunters who soar
above the equator in search of prey. Surprisingly lightweight, their sail-like
wings catch the thermals of the storms, allowing them to cover vast distances each day. Small, shelled animals graze on the ground
below, feeding on thick mats of bacteria clustered around volcanic hotspots. A flash of overhead lightning illuminates
the circling Thundershadow. While passing through the equatorial zone,
we’ll be keeping one eye turned upwards… Yet not all of Terminus is so brutal. At some points of the season, certain regions
of the tidally-locked planet are downright picturesque, and a welcome reprieve from the
wind and dust. Within Terminus’s liquid oceans, a stunning
array of biodiversity has emerged in response to the balmy weather and gentle currents. Here, segmented lifeforms splash near the
surface of the shallows, pursuing tiny, eel-like prey animals. While much of Terminus could be considered
a dreary planet, scenes like this one reveal that even on an unpredictable world, incredible
sights can emerge. It is tempting to stay longer, but it’s
time to continue our voyage... The next planet on our voyage is more temperate,
and possesses a weaker gravitational pull compared to earth. As we might imagine, the lesser gravity has
had a fascinating impact on the planet’s native life. Stepping out onto the surface, we find a startling
scene. With a great splash, a long-necked hunter
pulls a squid-like organism from the water. This scaly specimen is a Tanycroc, and they
are a unique-looking creature indeed. A shoreline ambush-predator, the Tanycroc
has converged on a niche similar to a crocodile’s — just with an absurdly long neck. Planet Falora’s lower gravity relative to
earth means that such a lanky body plan is quite effective. A precise plunge into the water can make short
work of any unlucky prey. In crystal-clear waters like these, nothing
evades the Tanycroc’s reach… In the Faloran mangroves, the clear water
becomes murkier. Yet this dimness offers little anonymity for
the species who swim amongst the roots. Above the water’s surface, two keen-eyed
predators are on patrol. In the foreground, a jeweled thornykite carefully
chooses a target. These rare specialists catch their prey by
ambushing it from above — a strategy convergent with Earth seabirds like gannets. In the background, the large-billed Basketmouth
scoops its beak full of plankton-filled water. Flamingos feed in a similar way, scooping
up small organisms from the water and straining them through comb-like filaments. With these two specialists watching the murky
depths, there’s no place to hide… Out in deeper waters, prey animals have more
room to maneuver… but have to compete with larger low-gravity predators. And a terror rules over the depths of the
outer swamp. Like many lifeforms on Faloran, at a glance,
the titanic Ichtyoserpens resembles an aquatic reptile. Yet the Ichtyoserpens strangeness is betrayed
by their insides. Like the cold-water hagfish of Earth, the
Ichtyoserpens possess multiple hearts to pump their blood. With six alternating hearts — two more than
the hagfish — the Ichtyoserpens has incredible stamina, and can catch most anything that
enters their shadowy domain. But not all of Falora is gloomy swampland. In a sunny region further inland, a stunning
landscape has emerged. These tree-analogues are called megacherries,
named for the giant fruits that sprout from the top of their trunk. These fruits take full advantage of planet
Falora’s low gravity, possessing a lightweight internal structure to help them reach gargantuan
sizes. While these fruits once served an evolutionary
purpose, their pollinator species has long gone extinct. As a result, despite the megacherries’ ability
to reproduce asexually, the species is slowly disappearing. Yet most species of trees on Falora are thriving. At the point where the low-gravity forests
of Falora are the densest, and the trees are the tallest, very little light reaches the
forest floor. Here, various bottom-dwellers feast on the
detritus floating in from above. The native life in the forest of ghosts have
become almost fully translucent, mirroring the denizens of the deep sea. It’s a haunting sight, but even more fantastical
organisms might be waiting on the next leg of our journey... At the edge of the Cluster, we enter into
the orbit of a lonely F-Class star. Compared to our sun, this star is hotter,
brighter, and considerably more massive. One wouldn’t expect to find complex life
upon the sun-scorched planets in this system. Yet upon the dry surface of a world called
Whiterain, life has found a foothold nonetheless. Flocking near the rare sources of water, primitive
crustacean-like creatures and bizarre sprawls of tangling worms etch out an existence under
the punishing white sunlight. Hollow, pipe-like organisms make up the base
of this food web, feeding on algae that sprouts from the moisture. Mollusk-like organisms are more complex — and
epitomize some of the first land-dwellers. Among the most active species are the swirling
blue worms — hunters with a flexible, keratin-like exoskeleton that prey on smaller creatures. Although life on Whiterain is relatively new,
taken as a whole, this ecosystem is rich with early promise. On Whiterain, shade is life. The desert sands of the planet bleach under
the white summer sun. Despite adaptations against harsh UV radiation,
not much survives the direct daylight. Many organisms choose to burrow in the rock
and only come out at night. In other extreme regions of Whiterain, temperatures
reach such heights that many creatures must seek shelter in the shade provided by the
cracks in the landscape. Within these canyons, critters like the multi-limbed
Crowned Ambulimax hunt for the Snakeworms that feed on the fungal mats that grow here. In turn, the Ambulimax are preyed upon by
stealthy ambush predators like the fearsome Stellaflorex, a voracious, starfish-like hunter
that is, in essence, a walking stomach. Above this unfolding drama, tall tangleblossom
stalks are the only lifeform that dare reach for the daylight for photosynthesis. Due to the isolated nature of these ravines,
the crag ecosystems are incredibly varied, with no single nook or cranny exactly the
same… While heading towards our final destination,
a few other worlds in the Cluster demand a brief visit. The small world of Monas is our first. Mostly composed of deserts and sparse forests,
Monas isn’t a particularly enviable planet to survive on. Bizarre sail trees have evolved to take up
as much light from the weak sun as possible, before the planet’s dim second sun — which
has grown so inactive it is almost a gas giant, plunges the surface into the darkness of midyear. On a world like Monas, only a scarce few organisms
can survive… The old planet of Spon is our second short
stop. Here, we can see a pale tripede fail to pull
off an ambush on a wary springspore. This fungoid escapes threats by launching
up into the atmosphere through a biological mechanism that involves ejecting part of their
body. They will drift easily in the thick atmosphere
and grow a new foot in a safer spot. No trees sway in the wind of this planet;
instead, gigantic colonies of microbes have taken over the tree-niche on the unique world
of Spon… And our third short visit is to the planet
Karasma. Despite the intense rays of Karasma's sun,
ancient organisms called Dishtrees grow to huge sizes on the surface. Their secret is a highly reflective coating
that reduces the star's harmful radiation but allows specific wavelengths to be used
for remarkable growth. These living landmarks provide invaluable
cover to lifeforms incapable of surviving the bright daylight, who spend their lives
in the shade of these helpful giants… At the end of our journey across the cosmos,
we descend at last upon the planet Holos, perhaps the most extreme realm in the Cluster. Another tidally-locked world, much of the
ice planet Holos is blanketed in eternal darkness. On the surface, the only sunlight comes in
the form of reflected light from the planet’s moon. Yet periodically illuminating the glacial
landscape, are the vivid colors of bioluminescent organisms. While most species exposed to the open atmosphere
quickly freeze solid, under the layers of ice, a mysterious underworld is hiding. Burrowing under the ice, we find the water
is surprisingly warm thanks to currents from the sun-side transporting heat towards these
moonlit shallows. Here, glowing aquatic lifeforms find shelter
amongst the skeletal remains of a crashed vessel of unknown origins. While we can only speculate as to the history
of this vessel, it stands as a reminder that when exploring deep space, one must always
navigate with caution, respect, and care. Deeper in the depths of Holos, in the soft
glow of volcanic vents, simple organisms float in the abyss. Through metabolizing the chemicals that seep
from the ocean floor, they can thrive even in the total absence of sunlight. On our planet, life itself might have begun
in the extreme heat and pressure of hydrothermal vents. Likewise, these unforgiving vents are speculated
to be where life on Holos first emerged. So, while these organisms might be simple,
they are perhaps the purest example of nature’s unending struggle to endure... We’ve seen much on our long expedition through
The Cluster. Yet there are many more worlds that Charlotte
Veldhuizen has illustrated. If you enjoyed exploring these realms, you
can follow and support the artist using the links in this video’s description. And as always, thanks for watching. If you enjoyed this entry, please help make
these videos possible by liking, subscribing, and hitting the notification icon to stay
up to date on all things Curious. See you in the next video.
