January 28, 2004
"Interview with a Fungus" (PDF) is the winner of the 2003 Shell Economist Writing Prize. [Via World Changing.]
Utter rot.
neat find, h.
When not giving interviews, some fungi sing.
How can an article with the word "decadally" in it win a prize for good writing?
I also loved the cute little reference to aphlatoxin as a weapon of mass destruction. Ho, ho, ho.
Singing mushrooms
"He also claims to hear music coming from rocks and trees but prefers mushroom melodies."
At first, I thought of all the obvious mushroom jokes, but then I realised it was a really beautiful idea. I think that sometime, I should go out into the woods, and see if I can hear it.
Ever listen to a tree? Stuff will probably be a bit slow in the northern hemisphere at the moment, but if you put your ear right against the bark of a tree (it seems to work well with one that has a a trunk whose diameter is about as big as your two hands clasped together), you can quite clearly hear the sap pumping and swooshing.
That's sort of melody enough for me.
Suprising that won, especially considering the sponsors. I've maybe been watching too much poker on TV but I'm thinking this is either a "tell" or a "misdirect" on the part of the sponsors. Paul Stamets, the subject of homunculus' most recent link may be a genius. He may also be from the School of P.T. Barnum. I hope the former is truer.
Another Stamets link.
An aside, "Skookum" means "good".
homunculus and vapidave: great links, thanks!
A visionary biologist says mushrooms are potent antiviral and antibacterial agents, as well as key boosters to the human immune system. They also might end up saving the Earth.
Fungi Perfecti
My gob, how young we all were.
*weeps, rings up fungus*
Gah, the main link is dead. Typical. Here's the interview.
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