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Siphonophores and individuality

2 minutes

A colony of cooperating jellyfish challenges conventional ideas of individuality

What is an individual? In Siphonophores and Individuality, Dr Casey Dunn of Brown University tackles this question by examining a curious organism: the siphonophore. A colony of cooperating jellyfish which functions as a single animal, the siphonophore is a perplexing and paradoxical creature. By considering the siphonophore’s unusual biological characteristics, this two-minute documentary unites science and philosophy, approaching the concept of individuality from an unexpected – and enlightening – perspective.

Director: Casey Dunn, Sophia Tintori

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Aeon is a registered charity committed to the spread of knowledge. Our mission is to create a sanctuary online for serious thinking.
But we can’t do it without you.

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But we can’t do it without you.

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