Today I Learned @kbin.social inkican @kbin.social 1y ago

TIL Fungi in Chernobyl appear to be feeding off gamma radiation and are growing towards the reactor core.

thebiologist.rsb.org.uk Eating gamma radiation for breakfast

Tom Ireland explores the exciting possibilities of fungi that appear to use deadly radiation for energy and growth

Mycology @mander.xyz Awa @mander.xyz 1y ago

Eating gamma radiation for breakfast

thebiologist.rsb.org.uk /biologist-features/eating-gamma-radiation-for-breakfast

32 comments

I, for one, welcome our new radioactive fungal overlords.
- They’re not so bad. I know one, real fungi.
Melanin is how.
- That took me by surprise. I had no idea melanin protected from radiation like it does from the sun.
  
  The sun is a giant ball of radiation
- @Spacebar Would that mean that potentially people with high amounts of melanin in their skin would likely be safer during the aftermath of a nuclear accident/attack????
  
  @inkican
We just need to let it grow until it fills the New Safe Confinement. Then, in a century, when the NSC is due to be replaced we'll be off the hook thanks to the nuclear shroom.
Protomolecule?
- My first thought, too. That scene is pure horror in both the show and book!
- Come to think of it, the fediverse does kind of remind me of the ring gates.
- Or Prax's invention.
I read this, with great excitement, to my husband. He listened in terror.

I think those are the only two responses.
- Seems right. My first question was "Is that just interesting? Or deeply problematic?"
  
  Both?
- haha exactly what happened here
Excellent. It has been years since I heard about these things. Sounds like they are thriving.
Life, uh, finds a way
- Honestly, if any life was going to beat radiation, I’m not surprised it’s mushrooms. They are amazing.
  
  Also, I wonder if they have Mulberry trees in Chernobyl because I can’t kill those things it axes, poison, or digging them up. I bet they’d fare well too.
and this is how horror movies start.
- I was going to say, I think I've seen this sci Fi.
- It wouldn’t be so horrifying if they mushrooms were just growing around it - we’d be like “yeah, mushrooms are resilient.” It’s the “growing towards” part that makes it so unnerving, like it has a plan.
  
  Plants regularly "grow towards" their energy source. I don't know why fungi would be different, as it's apparently a good evolution strategy. Get closer to what gives you energy.
Eukaryotic life: Cancer is a bug in the programming left over from our primitive single celled days.

Slime molds: Cancer is a social construct, actually.
- This made me snort out my soup from my nose. Thank you.
This is a writing prompt if ever I've heard one.
I'm sure that's fine.
Shroom SMASH!
The protomolecule. Let me know when the whole plant lifts off and crashes into Venus.

32 comments