What Can We Learn From a Mushroom?

... How about how to redesign the entire Tokyo subway system - mathematically optimized - in 26 hours?!

Nuclear accident clean-up, oil spill remediation, anti-cancer drugs, insect control... :shock:

http://climatecrocks.com/2011/11/19/the-weekend-wonk-paul-stamets-at-bioneers/

"...we can make toxic chemical pesticides obsolete...we can steer insect migrations away from crops and people...we can control disease vectors carried by insects to animals and plants saving billions of dollars..."

Turkey tail mushrooms studied (and working!) to cure breast cancer.

Absolutely amazing talk!

Edit...

The video is available here - no password required. (Thanks for the heads-up ENIAC!)

http://vimeopro.com/bioneers/2011conferencevideo/video/31616967

AndyH said:

Turkey tail mushrooms studied (and working!) to cure breast cancer.

Absolutely amazing talk!

Click to expand...

Wow! When you go to the link you get this little teaser: "If you haven’t seen one of Paul Stamets talks, or even if you have, – get some coffee, settle in, and prepare to have. your. mind. blown."

The part about turkey tail mushrooms blew mine! (20:37 into the talk)

Amazing isn't it?! I posted the link when I was about 1/3 thru the video, nice cup of chai in hand. It's a good thing too - because I spent the rest of the video with my mouth open :shock: and the tea got cold.

Aspirin originally came from tree bark, the anti-cancer drug Taxol from another bark, and a couple of anti-malarial drugs from yet another. But since I'm only aware of fungus when I'm treating athlete's foot or sauteing portabello chunks, this was an absolutely amazing presentation!

Just the part about the underground network acting like a large brain - and it's ability to more efficiently map the Tokyo subway system - was bloody amazing!

Dont forget penicillin.

That was an amazing talk, but now I'm suspicious since Andy liked it

Herm said:

Dont forget penicillin.

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<shiver> I forget it on purpose - hives and all. :lol:

Herm said:

That was an amazing talk, but now I'm suspicious since Andy liked it

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I love you too, Herm!

Happy Thanksgiving!

More from Paul Stamets - and just as mind blowing.

- The Department of Defense is working on immunizations and treatments for biological agents -- and Stamets has provided pox cures
- Stamets believes mycellium to be sentient. :shock:

Two podcasts and an NPR link:

Interview part 1:
http://agroinnovations.com/podcast/...o-mushroom-mycelium-with-paul-stamets-part-i/

Interview part 2:
http://agroinnovations.com/podcast/2007/07/20/mycelium-running-paul-stamets-part-ii/

Smallpox defense may be found in mushrooms:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4783951

AndyH said:

More from Paul Stamets - and just as mind blowing.

Click to expand...

Appears the video in your original post, from Nov, is now password protected.

AndyH said:

Stamets believes mycellium to be sentient. :shock:

Click to expand...

I think I've read that book before...
=Smidge=

Smidge204 said:

AndyH said:

Stamets believes mycellium to be sentient. :shock:

Click to expand...

I think I've read that book before...
=Smidge=

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Maybe not - did you catch the part in the video linked in the first post about mycelium and the subway map?

ENIAC said:

Appears the video in your original post, from Nov, is now password protected.

Click to expand...

(Thanks ENIAC - found another copy...)

http://vimeopro.com/bioneers/2011conferencevideo/video/31616967

I watched the video and it was very interesting. But for some reason, and I don't know why, my radar went off. So I guess I'll leave it at it's "interesting", but I'm not convinced there's really any there there.

ENIAC said:

I watched the video and it was very interesting. But for some reason, and I don't know why, my radar went off. So I guess I'll leave it at it's "interesting", but I'm not convinced there's really any there there.

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There's enough 'there' there so provide vaccines against and cures for a number of diseases, to allow elimination of many (if not all) chemical insecticides, and take the lead in bioremediating a number of modern problems - including radioactive contamination and oil spills.

Seems like plenty of 'there' even if that's all the 'there' there.

AndyH said:

Maybe not - did you catch the part in the video linked in the first post about mycelium and the subway map?

Click to expand...

Yes, does not imply sentience or intelligence, though. It does not even necessarily require computational complexity or any sort! Complex behavior that seeks local minima/maxima can be achieved with very simple mechanisms.

Last night I had an inkling of familiarity watching the video, and now I've finally remembered what it was! If you're in the mood for a little fantasy I'd like to recommend watching Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Trust me, it's relevant to the topic. :lol: (If you can get the original Japanese version so much the better, since some of the dubbed ones have been cut to hell)
=Smidge=

Smidge204 said:

AndyH said:

Maybe not - did you catch the part in the video linked in the first post about mycelium and the subway map?

Click to expand...

Yes, does not imply sentience or intelligence, though. It does not even necessarily require computational complexity or any sort! Complex behavior that seeks local minima/maxima can be achieved with very simple mechanisms.

Click to expand...

Sorry for my poor example. I don't know what factors trigger Mr. Stamets' belief. From the little bit of reading/listening I've done, maybe he's relying on mycelium's ability to sense and communicate. Maybe he covers it more fully in "Mycelium Running" - I'll report back once the book arrives and I get past looking at the pictures. :lol:

Smidge204 said:

Last night I had an inkling of familiarity watching the video, and now I've finally remembered what it was! If you're in the mood for a little fantasy I'd like to recommend watching Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Trust me, it's relevant to the topic. :lol: (If you can get the original Japanese version so much the better, since some of the dubbed ones have been cut to hell)
=Smidge=

Click to expand...

Thanks! Netflix has a copy (with a western cast) that's in my queue. I'll keep my eyes open for a Japanese version as well.

Smidge204 said:

Last night I had an inkling of familiarity watching the video, and now I've finally remembered what it was! If you're in the mood for a little fantasy I'd like to recommend watching Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Trust me, it's relevant to the topic. :lol: (If you can get the original Japanese version so much the better, since some of the dubbed ones have been cut to hell)
=Smidge=

Click to expand...

Great movie! Netflix has what appears to be an uncut later version released by Buena Vista/Disney. It's the version dubbed by Uma Thurman, Patrick Stewart, and other unknowns . Thanks Smidge!

By the way - I'd seen these test flights before but didn't know the back story.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg9lQR-XsrE[/youtube]

Somewhat related:



It's in eastern Oregon; covers 2200 acres, may be 2400 years old.



http://www.extremescience.com/biggest-living-thing.htm

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/fungus1.html

Considerably more imposing than the "fairy rings" you may see in lawns and
forests in many locations:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_ring