In this weekly series, Life's Little Mysteries rates the plausibility of popular science fiction concepts. Warning: Some spoilers ahead!
Narrators of nature shows often speak of Earth as a "living planet." To an extent, the metaphor is true: Biological beings do indeed swim, crawl and fly through our world's uppermost layers of ocean, land and sky. Plant life covers much of the Earth, and bacteria and viruses suffuse its soils, waters and even atmosphere.
But all that is still a far cry from the literally living, conscious planets that make appearances in many sci-fi and fantasy stories. Take Mogo in the "Green Lantern" DC Comics series, for instance. This planetary entity can change its climate and grow foliage in desired patterns on its surface at will.
Given the almost overwhelming evidence of ET visitation on Earth, I'd say it's a fact. To read more, click here.