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SALT LAKE CITY — When I watched Paul Atreides hook himself onto a worm and ride it past the onlooking Freman in the new "Dune" movie, I definitely wanted to learn how to do that.
I honestly don't want a creature with that much destructive power around, but I enjoyed learning about how the worms are reflected in creatures on Earth from Michael Werner a "(University of Utah) worm wrangler."
Werner, a biology professor, an expert on nematodes, or roundworms, said, "I've thought a lot about this — because I love Dune, and I love worms," he said.
He said the movie has a lot of real science in it, in addition to the "really cool" worms, which would weigh about 4.4 billion pounds each — much bigger than the biggest animal the Earth has ever seen. Werner said he's not aware of any worms able to grow that large in Utah, but there are some aspects of the worms in Dune that match some of the nematode species on Earth.
Some worms are attracted to rhythm, and the diverse forms of teeth in nematodes make the circle of teeth very plausible, he said, adding that worms can produce compounds, like the Arrakis spice, with "powers" like mate attraction and increasing worm lifespans.
"Can they be used for interstellar travel? Remains to be determined," Werner says.
He said in a statement about the video that "Dune" shaped his worldview as a child and is the best example of science fiction.
"Science fiction allows the reader to explore different aspects of the near possible," he said.
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