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.
-
Mushrooms will save the world!
-
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*
-
Mushroom! Mushroom!
-
Gah, the main link is dead. Typical. Here's the interview.
-
When Fungi Ruled the World