Just finished this beautiful #book by @MerlinSheldrake on fungi.
Highly recommended!
A short thread on things that struck me from the book.
Highly recommended!
A short thread on things that struck me from the book.
1/ The first obvious but surprising thing is that fungi is neither animal, nor plant.
For a long time it was clubbed into plants, but evolutionary history suggests that’s it’s a domain of its own.
For a long time it was clubbed into plants, but evolutionary history suggests that’s it’s a domain of its own.
2/ Though, surprisingly, it’s closer to animals than plants.
I did not know that.
I did not know that.
3/ Have you ever thought how a bread kept outside gets fungus on it after a few days?
It‘a because fungal spores are everywhere in the air. You’re breathing fungal spores right now.
Fungi produces 50 mega tonnes of spores each each hear - equivalent of 500k blue whales.
It‘a because fungal spores are everywhere in the air. You’re breathing fungal spores right now.
Fungi produces 50 mega tonnes of spores each each hear - equivalent of 500k blue whales.
4/ Another big aha for me was that 90% of plants depend on fungi for being alive.
So, when you go into your garden, look at your plants. They’re in symbiotic relationship with fungus.
Fungus gives plants minerals, while plants give it carbon (from photosynthesis).
So, when you go into your garden, look at your plants. They’re in symbiotic relationship with fungus.
Fungus gives plants minerals, while plants give it carbon (from photosynthesis).
5/ But what *is* fungus?
Most of us know fungus as mushrooms, but they’re just fruits of the real thing. They’re fruiting bodies for animals like us to eat and in process spread its spores.
Most of us know fungus as mushrooms, but they’re just fruits of the real thing. They’re fruiting bodies for animals like us to eat and in process spread its spores.
6/ Fungus can be single celled organism (yeast that brews your beer and bread), or it can be multicellular filamenty beast (called mycelium) that can spread across the forest for kilometers under earth the sand.
8/ The largest fungus - the honey fungus - is actually the largest living thing on the world.
Yes, the biggest living organism is a fungus.
bbc.com/earth/story/20…
Yes, the biggest living organism is a fungus.
bbc.com/earth/story/20…
9/ Fungus are amazing digesters. They can practically survive on anything.
Some species are found inside rocket fuel tanks.
A fungus is rumoured as the first living organism to appear after the Hiroshima bomb.
Some species are found inside rocket fuel tanks.
A fungus is rumoured as the first living organism to appear after the Hiroshima bomb.
10/ And lastly, fungus evolved to impact our mind.
Magic mushrooms can give us hallucinations.
Why would a fungus evolve that capability?
Magic mushrooms can give us hallucinations.
Why would a fungus evolve that capability?
11/ Nobody knows but one of the hypothesis suggests it evolved this to make insects go crazy that feed on it or compete with it for resources.
It’s beautiful because it suggests insects have an experience similar to us.
If they hallucinate like us, they experience like us.
It’s beautiful because it suggests insects have an experience similar to us.
If they hallucinate like us, they experience like us.
12/ That’s it for now.
I can go on and on, but I wouldn’t do justice to the book.
It’s beautiful written, full of insights and most importantly raises more questions than answers.
Do your neurons a favor, go read the book.
I can go on and on, but I wouldn’t do justice to the book.
It’s beautiful written, full of insights and most importantly raises more questions than answers.
Do your neurons a favor, go read the book.
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