The film “Proteus” highlights the intricate and complex nature of radiolarians, which are single-celled microorganisms with intricate silica skeletons. It talks about the significance of the radiolarians as both scientific discovery and artistic inspiration as their elegance and visual captivity embodies the unity of science and art. Ernst Haeckel’s role as both a scientist and an artist is interesting because at first glance the radiolarians look like they were drawn by a talented artist, but Haeckel’s ability to merge scientific accuracy with creativity in these illustrations is very impressive. His illustrations serve both scientific and artistic purposes and blur the boundaries between both these disciplines. This prompted me to rethink the traditional separation of the two and think about their dual role instead. Proteus discusses a lot of issues related to Haeckel’s inquiries aside from radiolarians. Haeckel possessed a large collection of biological specimens from various regions, including colonial expeditions, and this, to me, raises questions about cultural appropriation and the ethical treatment of indigenous knowledge and artifacts. Haeckel’s actions could be seen as exploitative if not conducted with proper respect. It is also important to note that a lot of this research was taking place at a time when ethical standards for scientists were evolving continuously and new discoveries were consistent. Creating our own sculptures of the radiolarians recorded in Haeckel’s drawings is interesting because it’s an exploration of how human creativity can be reimagined and how we can reinterpret our own scientific observations to connect the past with the present, and science with art.