Alien underworld [Widescreen]

Episode of Series “Big picture”.
In August 1996 NASA claimed to have discovered a new type of life form from a 4 billion year old piece of Martian meteorite originally found in the Antarctic which contained fossilised remains of ancient tiny creatures - posing the theory that life indeed may have existed on Mars. On the other side of the globe, Australian geologist, Dr Philippa Uwin was making her very own exciting discovery whilst analyzing some rock samples which appeared to have structures that were not mineral, but biological. These structures measured mere millionths of a millimetre - Dr Uwin named them “Nanobes”. This fascinating and informative documentary explores the discovery of the “nanobes” and the ensuing battle between Dr Uwin and the rather hostile international scientific community whose main issue was of the size of the nanobes declaring that they were too small to live. The program follows Dr Uwin and her team - microbiologist Rick Webb, palaeobiologist Tim Loy and geologist Anya Yago - along the arduous road of research and testing for proof of this new form of life, and includes interviews with allies and believers of Dr Uwin, Prof. Robert Folk (Emeritus) US geologist and Dr Olavi Kajander, Finnish biochemist (both who have made their own discoveries of nanobes and who too have suffered criticism and scepticism from the scientific community) and hard-lined sceptics such as Prof. Kenneth H. Nealson, US microbiologist. Challenging current theories on the origin of life and life on other planets and containing some spectacular digital animation and microphotography, this documentary program is excellent from both an educational and entertainment perspective. Narrated by William McInnes.