The Most Unknown 2018

In “The Most Unknown,” an ambitious documentary film, a diverse group of nine scientists embark on extraordinary journeys around the world to uncover answers to humanity’s most profound and intriguing questions. Led by esteemed experts such as Jennifer L. Macalady (Penn State University), Davide D’Angelo (Università Degli Studi Di Milano), Axel Cleeremans (Université Libre De Bruxelles), Luke McKay (Montana State University), Rachel L. Smith (North California Museum of Natural Sciences), Erik Cordes (Temple University), Victoria Orphan (California Institute of Technology), Jun Ye (University of Colorado-Boulder & National Institute of Standards and Technology), Anil Seth (University of Sussex), Laurie Santos (Yale University), Emilie Caspar (Université Libre De Bruxelles), Brian Hedlund (University of Nevada, Las Vegas), these intrepid researchers venture into uncharted territories, applying their unique expertise to unravel the mysteries of existence. By combining seemingly disparate fields of study, the film showcases the boundless potential of interdisciplinary collaboration, shattering traditional boundaries in the way science is told and explored.

As we delve into the world of “The Most Unknown,” we find ourselves in the awe-inspiring Frasassi Caves in Italy, where Jennifer L. Macalady (Penn State University) makes a groundbreaking discovery that takes her millions of years back in time. Her remarkable findings are just the beginning, as she meets with Davide D’Angelo (Università Degli Studi Di Milano), who is on the cusp of uncovering the secrets of dark matter, an enigmatic force that comprises 85% of the universe but remains elusive to our understanding.

Jennifer’s revelation in biology underscores the staggering diversity of microbial life, where a mere million species have been identified out of an estimated 35 billion. This realization sparks a poignant comparison with the concept of dark matter, where the existence of unknown entities is hidden from our view due to our limited understanding of what we should be looking for.

Meanwhile, Davide’s innovative detector promises to shed light on this mysterious realm, offering a tantalizing prospect of revealing the hidden patterns that govern the universe. As we explore these uncharted territories alongside the scientists, we are reminded of the profound impact that unknowns have on our understanding of the world and our place within it. Will these brave researchers uncover the answers they seek, or will their journey lead them down a path of even more profound questions? “The Most Unknown” invites us to join them on this thrilling adventure, as they push the boundaries of human knowledge and challenge our very conception of reality itself.

In this thought-provoking film, Davide (actor’s name) embarks on a journey to meet Axel in Brussels, where the latter is hell-bent on unraveling the mystique surrounding consciousness. To further his research, Axel designs experiments that push the boundaries of human cognition, including a groundbreaking study involving a robotic arm controlled solely by thought. The stakes are high as Axel worries about the glacial pace at which science is making progress in defining this enigmatic concept.

As the story unfolds, Axel travels to the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, USA, where he meets Luke (actor’s name), an intrepid seeker of extraterrestrial life. Luke’s quest to understand the origins of life in space leads him to study hot springs and their potential connection to microbial diversity on Earth. The parallels between the tree-like structure of bio-diversity and the human brain are striking, underscoring the vastness of our ignorance about the intricacies of life.

Luke’s travels take him to Hawaii, where he meets Rachel (actor’s name), a star-gazing expert who’s fascinated by the origins of celestial bodies. From her control center in downtown Honolulu to the lofty heights of Mauna Kea, where she operates a state-of-the-art telescope, Rachel’s quest for knowledge is fueled by her pursuit of carbon monoxide signatures, a vital molecule in star formation. A live lava flow excursion with Luke serves as a poignant reminder of the awe-inspiring power of nature.

Rachel’s subsequent encounter with Victoria (actor’s name), an oceanographic pioneer studying life on the seafloor, sheds light on the staggering diversity hidden beneath the waves. In this alien-like environment, microbes feast on methane gas before it can escape into the atmosphere, underscoring humanity’s woefully inadequate understanding of our planet’s depths. A daring mini-sub dive with Rachel provides a glimpse into this unexplored world, where Victoria seeks to unravel the secrets of methane-based ecosystems.

As the narrative converges, Jun Ye (actor’s name), a quantum physicist in Boulder, Colorado, is working on an experiment that probes the relativity of time. His atomic clock, crafted from strontium atoms, serves as a tool for measuring this enigmatic force, which remains shrouded in mystery. The implications are profound: clocks can be influenced by massive objects, allowing scientists to detect gravitational waves and even echoes of the Big Bang.

As Jun Ye ventures across the globe, a meeting with the esteemed neuroscientist Anil Seth in the UK marks the beginning of an intriguing journey into the intricacies of the human brain. Seth’s research endeavors are focused on unraveling the mysteries of temporal perception, exploring the profound question: does our subjective experience of time remain constant throughout the lifespan? With his team still awaiting the arrival of cutting-edge equipment to facilitate precise measurements, Seth’s experiments instead rely on innovative approaches to gauge the brain’s response to various stimuli. His fundamental assertion is that despite technological advancements, there exist cognitive boundaries that forever elude human comprehension.

Seth’s intellectual convergence with Laurie, a pioneering primatologist at Yale, sets in motion a chain of events that culminates in a fascinating intersection of species and disciplines. Laurie’s research takes her to Puerto Rico, where she immerses herself in the unique environment of an island teeming with over 1,000 free-ranging monkeys. Through meticulous cognitive experiments, she meticulously records and analyzes the primates’ reactions to visual and behavioral stimuli, seeking to distill the essence of human thought processes from these fascinating creatures. The serendipitous encounter between Laurie and Jennifer marks the completion of a circle, as their individual pursuits intersect with profound implications for our understanding of the complex interplay between cognition, perception, and time itself.