A body without a plan
May 17, 2021 11:08 AM   Subscribe

From Its Myriad Tips: the LRB reviews Merlin Sheldrake's Entangled Life, exploring the worlds of mushrooms, lichen, and yeasts — and our relationships with them
posted by They sucked his brains out! (7 comments total) 14 users marked this as a favorite
 
That's awesome, I never knew that Snow Plants (the Sarcodes sanguinea mentioned) were more or less parasites of conifers using fungus as an intermediary.
posted by Dr. Twist at 12:12 PM on May 17, 2021


Related: Twitter video of Merlin Sheldrake eating the mushrooms that sprouted from his book.
posted by wicked_sassy at 1:25 PM on May 17, 2021 [1 favorite]


That link is wild, wicked_sassy, cheers!
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 2:41 PM on May 17, 2021


Sheldrake has a way with metaphors, that’s for sure. (Even his name seems to allude to one.)

For more beautiful/profound fungal reading on mycelial transformation, also check out Alison Pouliot, Long Litt Woon and Doug Bierend.
posted by progosk at 11:31 PM on May 17, 2021


Fungi are used to searching out food by exploring complex three-dimensional environments such as soil, so maybe it’s no surprise that fungal mycelium solves maze puzzles so accurately... Slime moulds are so good at this kind of puzzle that researchers are now using them to plan urban transport networks and fire-escape routes for large buildings.
I'd give that a 'Wow!'
posted by MtDewd at 9:04 AM on May 18, 2021


Nurturing soil fungi and other below the surface beings is what the latest gardening/farming awareness is about: soil regeneration.
By not tilling, by sowing different plants in an area, by keeping the soil covered (with plants) and with sufficient water, you too can become one with the fungi who not only feed the above ground plants, but actually build soil by being the soil.
I love this stuff!
posted by Mesaverdian at 3:02 PM on May 18, 2021


related: merlin is the son of rupert sheldrake, who developed the captivating but widely panned theory of morphic resonance. he's considered a whack-job by most 'legit' scientific critics, nonetheless i found Seven Experiments That Could Change The World fun and thought-provoking.
posted by j_curiouser at 9:57 AM on May 20, 2021


« Older WE ALL QUIT   |   Gowns, balls and underlying racism Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments