Thread by @PaulStamets

I have just finished watching the second episode of #TheLastOfUs and I have two opinions.

First, I’m a science-fiction fan and I love weaving the creative elements of fungi into the narrative.

But let’s get real. Cordyceps can not infect humans.

But all organisms must eat. There are animals that are predatory. There are plants that are predatory. There are fungi that are predatory. We are all part of a giant food web where we are sustained by each other.

This is fiction weaved info a theme speckled with mycology and exploiting Mycophobia: the fear of fungi. It is natural for humans to fear that which is powerful but mysterious and misunderstood.

So I applaud the writers for seeing this opportunity to take us on a literary adventure into the realm of sci-fi while exploiting the public’s fascination, fear, and joy of fungi.

These mixed emotions make for great writing, and the sets, although apocalyptic, are strangely beautiful as nature digests the cities with flora and mycelium.

Another irony, which I thought was potent, was that the fear of the fungus stimulated humans to bomb the cities to prevent the infection, but in the process, began our global suicide.

Perhaps this is the fungus‘s strategy: to make humans become extinct by altering their reasoning to activate their own annihilation in a futile attempt to defeat fungi.

Clever.

In reality, Fungi offer us today some of the best solutions that are needed for solving many of the existential threats that we face. In fact, Cordyceps-like fungi could replace the majority of chemical pesticides with an ecologically rational and economically scalable solution.

Who knows, a young person watching this series could become our Einstein of mycology and help save the world from the toxins we create.

Breaking news: they are everywhere, all the time, and you live with them 24/7. These very fungi exist under every footstep that you take.

Fungi will never be defeated.

Our survival depends on a peace treaty with Fungi.

Mycologists can help by being the ambassadors….to our friends, the fantastic Fungi !