What we were seeing was impossible, yet the evidence was there before our eyes. We were looking at life, where no life could exist.
The birds continually nudged toward or away from each other, like a horde of satellites maneuvering for docking. Many of the transient clusters they formed ... seemed immensely complex. There had to be a reason for all this activity... (From Ring, published 1994)
It turns out that there was a reason - but you'll have to read the book to find out! Other works in the "creatures on the sun" genre include Proof by Hal Clement and Sundiver by David Brin.
Read the original article at Solar Tadpoles Wave At Astrophysicists; they also have a very cool solar tadpole animation that demonstrates the uncanny movement that gave birth to the name "tadpoles." Thanks to Fred Kiesche at the eternal golden braid for the tip and some sf background on this story.
(This Science Fiction in the News story used with permission from Technovelgy.com - where science meets fiction.)
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