Is Eywa a fungal organism?

[ISV Venture Star]

Something like this, but larger and sentient and non-destructive. Living in symbiosis with the forest and using the abundant superconductor to enhance communication.

Largest organisms - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Isard]

While there are fungal plants on Pandora, there are plenty of nonfungal ones as well.

[ISV Venture Star]

Fungi aren't plants (although they often work extremely closely with them, as is the case with lichens). They're more closely related to animals!

[Isard]

Mkay, "fungal organisms", but Eywa's distributed through the trees as well.

[ISV Venture Star]

On Earth, fungi 'tsaheylu' with trees. Sometimes many hundreds of trees at once Mycorrhiza - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Isard]

The trees are the hardware, Eywa's the software.

[ISV Venture Star]

Originally Posted by Aihwa

The trees are the hardware, Eywa's the software.

The trees are her peripheral nervous system. Eywa's brain is probably vast quantities of mycelial (fungal) strands connecting all the trees together.

[apache_blanca]

Originally Posted by Isard

The trees are the hardware, Eywa's the software.

^^^ this. Why is it so difficult to believe that Nature is intelligent?

Look what Paul Samet says:
"I believe that nature is intelligent. I believe that we are born of nature and if we are intelligent then, by definition, nature must be because nature gave rise to us.
.....
I think nature all around us is conscious of our presence. Whether we are conscious of nature’s presence of course, is a totally different matter. "

where shall I sign?

[Isard]

The brain is the nervous system. Its all neurons continuously sending signals to each other.

[ISV Venture Star]

Originally Posted by Aihwa

The brain is the nervous system. Its all neurons continuously sending signals to each other.

The central part of the nervous system, yes. Eywa's trees are like the nerve cells in fingers and eyes and things. The peripheral nervous system. Sensors. They send signals to the main brain.

[Human No More]

Aihwa is right. Eywa works in the same way as the human brain, except neurons are replaced with trees and the synapses are the connections between them, plus overall there are more connections.

If you read the survival guide, it says that many plants on Pandora have an animal-like nervous system

[Tiberius]

Originally Posted by Human No More

Aihwa is right. Eywa works in the same way as the human brain, except neurons are replaced with trees and the synapses are the connections between them, plus overall there are more connections.

If you read the survival guide, it says that many plants on Pandora have an animal-like nervous system

No . Eywa does not work like the human brain, and there is nowhere in the film where anyone says this. Eywa displays abilities which appear supernatural, such as foreknowledge of the future (for example in the way she chose Jake). Although Eywa has a physical component, she also has a spiritual component. In an Interview James Cameron described Eywa as an "encompassing Spirit"

[Ashen Key]

Originally Posted by Tiberius

No . Eywa does not work like the human brain, and there is nowhere in the film where anyone says this.

I seem to remember Grace saying exactly that. Or at least, using the human brain as a useful anology. Sure, there is another component to her (or more, given I subscribe to the idea that Eywa also functions as a bit of a hive-mind), but the anology of the human brain is still used.

[Tiberius]

Originally Posted by Ashen Key

I seem to remember Grace saying exactly that. Or at least, using the human brain as a useful anology. Sure, there is another component to her (or more, given I subscribe to the idea that Eywa also functions as a bit of a hive-mind), but the anology of the human brain is still used.

I am well aware of what Grace said, but that does not imply that that Eywa functions as a human mind. Eywa seems to operate on an infinitely higher level.

[Ashen Key]

Originally Posted by Tiberius

I am well aware of what Grace said, but that does not imply that that Eywa functions as a human mind. Eywa seems to operate on an infinitely higher level.

Brain =/= mind. Brain is the physical organ that can be scanned - mind is what we CAN'T see, and what is US. Of course Eywa operates on a different level - she's a planet-wide consciousness, not a member of a species. But using a brain is still a useful anology, I think, to understanding. It's a 'brain' made up trees and the connections between them - which I have no problem in believing would be a Pandoran version of fungus. That's the hardware, if you will.