Stumbled across an article some months ago which details just how weird fungi can be. Researchers have discovered a type of fungi that is existing in the deathly bowels of Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor Ukraine (remember that horrific disaster in the 1980's?). Not only is this fungi existing in this death zone but is actually thriving....harnessing the energy from radiation and transforming it into another type of energy that is allowing it to grow!!
This magnificent fungi is jet black and jam packed with melanin. Using the process of photosynthesis as a model, the researchers investigating this fungi came up with a hypothesis that the melanin pigment was converting radiation into energy, just like chlorophyll (green pigment in leaves) does with the suns energy. They coined it funnily enough "radiosynthesis".
Fungi is fascinating and obviously pretty weird and clever. So please take the time to read this amazing article "Silent Spring" : http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/features/print/2095/silent-spring?page=0,0
And just to show you how clever fungi really is, feast your eyes on another interesting article outlining how fungi can clean up depleted uranium in the wake of modern warfare :http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/1987/cleaning-depleted-uranium-with-fungi
Amazing stuff!
Peace and Light
Briony xo
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