{"id":19115,"date":"2021-09-09T10:02:08","date_gmt":"2021-09-09T10:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/?p=19115"},"modified":"2023-11-09T12:41:46","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T11:41:46","slug":"neil-degrasse-tyson-och-magiska-svampar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/sv\/blog\/neil-degrasse-tyson-and-magic-mushrooms\/","title":{"rendered":"Neil deGrasse Tyson och den sista gr\u00e4nsen: Magiska svampar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Entangled Life <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Along with co-host Matt Kirshen<\/strong> in a new episode<\/a><\/strong> of their podcast StarTalk, <\/strong>Tyson goes on a deep dive into the magical world of psilocybin mushrooms (and fungi as a whole)<\/em>. Guiding them via Zoom is Britain\u2019s Merlin Sheldrake,<\/strong> ecologist and author of Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tyson, ever curious, pokes Sheldrake about the secrets of magic mushrooms, and the big role they play in shaping modern society as we know it. With burning questions such as: Can mushroom spores survive in outer space? Or seed another planet? How many spores are floating in the air at all times? Can psilocybin mushrooms help fight depression? What about climate change?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on for the answers to these queries and more!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fruiting Bodies of Fungi<\/em> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"neil
via Youtube<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As a refresher, Sheldrake explains that mushrooms are the \u201cfruiting bodies\u201d of fungi. Most live their lives as branching networks of cells known as mycelium<\/strong>. Fungi are more closely related to animals than plants; they inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Yet fungi are also in a kingdom of their own, separate from flora (plants)<\/em> and fauna (animals)<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWow,\u201d <\/em>says Tyson. \u201cWhen I grew up, there was no mushroom kingdom. That\u2019s how old I am.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The First Psilocybin Trip <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So who<\/em> did the first experiments to see if mushrooms could make us trip? They likely came from South America, says Sheldrake:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUntil the earlier part of the 20th century, only a few pockets of humans on the planet knew that some species of mushrooms produced psychoactive compounds. They eat these mushrooms as part of their ritual, spiritual practices. That knowledge then spread to the West. After that point, this handful of <\/a><\/em>tropical species from Mexico<\/em><\/a> <\/em><\/strong>were known to produce psilocybin mushrooms.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As soon as scientists heard about the Mexican species of psilocybin, people began to search for other types across the globe. Today, over 200 species of fungi are known to produce psilocybin. As for how the explorers distinguished the trippy mushrooms? With care, and tons of crushing, it seems:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow do you know? People test them. Psilocybin bruises blue when you crush the mushroom, so you can sometimes have a clue from the color…which ones you might reasonably expect to be trippy.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing Your Own Psilocybin <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tyson wonders if the trippy chemical, psilocybin, has ever been isolated from fungi. Do you have<\/em> to grow the magic mushroom? Or can you just get psilocybin out of someone\u2019s laboratory?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d<\/em> says Sheldrake. \u201cIt was actually first isolated and named by <\/em>Albert Hofmann<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, the guy who discovered LSD. But now, in many of the studies being carried out, they use pure crystalline psilocybin produced in a lab.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s <\/em>easier to grow the mushrooms<\/em><\/strong> than it would be to set up a lab and go through [the process] to isolate the molecule.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"magic
You heard the expert. Growing your own magic mushrooms is EASY!<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Spores in the Air, Everywhere <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Co-host Matt observes how fungi just sort of spontaneously appear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you leave food in the fridge for too long, it gets moldy. I once lived in a pretty rotty shared house where we broke the toilet at a party. And a week later, since no-one fixed it, <\/em>mushrooms were growing out of the carpet<\/em><\/strong>…Coz there must have been spores, originally, for them to land on something and start to grow.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"entangled
Merlin Sheldrake with his book, Entangled Life, now devoured by Pleurotus ostreatus (which he later cooks and eats)<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Just how many spores of fungi are generally in the air all the time? According to Sheldrake, there\u2019s loads<\/em> of \u2018em:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got a number if you want. <\/em>50 million tons of fungal spores<\/em><\/strong> are produced and released into the air every year \u2060\u2014 which is the weight of 500,000 blue whales. And these spores are such a large presence in the atmosphere, that they can [jump on] water droplets that go on to form clouds and rain. So they can change the weather.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mushrooms in the sky? Tyson is shocked:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo it\u2019s raining mushrooms, is what you\u2019re telling us?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Do Mushrooms Eat? <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As you probably know by now, fungi can eat many things. This is why we call fungi the \u2018Great Decomposers\u2019 o<\/strong>f the planet. Without mushrooms and the mycelium that grows underground, our biosphere won\u2019t be able to support itself much longer. Take wood, for example, says Sheldrake:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf fungi didn\u2019t decompose wood, then the Earth would be piled kilometers deep in un-rotted forest.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did you know that fungi can eat things besides wood? Their diet is a lot closer to a movable feast, as you\u2019ll soon discover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[Fungi] can eat all sorts of unusual things. There\u2019s a specialist mold<\/strong> that lives, in Canadian distilleries, off the vapors evaporating from whiskey barrels as they age. There\u2019s a fungus called the Kerosene Fungus<\/a><\/strong> which lives in the fuel tanks of aircraft.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does Tyson make of his new knowledge of fungi?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf they wanted to, they could just be our overlords. From what you\u2019re describing here.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can Mushroom Spores Survive in Space? <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"shrooma<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So! Mushrooms have lived before humanity, and they\u2019ll be here long after we\u2019re extinct. Our fungal overlords have conquered the Earth. But can they thrive in outer space, too? Can mushroom spores even *survive* the vacuum of space? And if so, can we imagine them seeding distant planets<\/a><\/strong> \u2060\u2014 and do a much better job of survival than the human race?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why not, Sheldrake says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFungal spores are really tough, and some of them can survive these extraterrestrial conditions. Other types of fungal organisms, too. <\/em>Lichens<\/a><\/em><\/strong> which are a\u2026combination of fungi and bacteria and algae. They are some of the hardiest organisms known.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd when they\u2019re taken to [outer space], they suspend in the outside of the International Space Station in trays known as the <\/em>‘exposed facility’<\/em><\/strong>. They dry out \u2060\u2014 very quickly, of course, in the vacuum of space \u2060\u2014 but they can withstand radiation and temperature swings. And when you bring them back to Earth, they rehydrate and get on with living. Different parts of the fungal kingdom can withstand these extreme conditions.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tyson asks if fungi need spacesuits. Sheldrake laughs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo. They also tested them in the <\/em>Mars Simulation facility,<\/em><\/strong> where you can put [fungi] in a box and turn on \u2018Mars\u2019. And you can just dial up or dial down the radiation to test them to the uttermost limits of survival.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The great Neil deGrasse Tyson is stunned by this revelation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have a whole new respect for mushrooms now. Goddamn.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did Prehistoric Animals Eat Fungi? <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"mushrooms-growing-from-leaves\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If fungi have been around for billions of years, then did prehistoric animals eat them? Were mushrooms a part of early animal diets?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGeneral consensus,\u201d<\/em> says Sheldrake. \u201cFrom fossils and looking at their DNA, is that fungi have been around for just over a billion years. But mysterious fossils bearing an uncanny resemblance to [mycelium] have been found in deposits dating from 2 billion years ago.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure why animals would neglect these nutritious, delicious organisms growing within easy reach.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tyson wonders if animals would *knowingly* eat a psilocybin mushroom. Do dogs and cats eat psychedelics? According to Sheldrake, it happens far more often than you\u2019d think:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was talking to <\/em>Michael Beug<\/em><\/strong>, who runs the toxicology reports for North American Mycological Association. And he has a number of reports of dogs who watch their owners pick psychedelic mushrooms, and after watching them would also eat [them]. There\u2019s only one example of a cat that repeatedly ate its owner\u2019s psychedelic mushroom, and appeared to be a bit *mushroomed*.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neil deGrasse Tyson is suspicious:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think cats are always eating mushrooms basically. From the behavioral patterns that I\u2019ve seen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can Fungi Control Insects? <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
via Wikipedia Commons<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Like most overlords, fungi species can blur the lines between good and not-so-good. Matt notes that some species of Cordyceps<\/a> <\/strong>(aka the Zombie Fungus)<\/em> can infect insect hosts and compel them to die in very specific locations. For example, infected bullet ants that climb trees and die on the undersides of leaves \u2060\u2014 the ideal location for spores to rot from its skin and infect more ants below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(\u201cThey sound evil,\u201d<\/em> says Neil deGrasse Tyson.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do the Cordyceps fungi relay such clear instructions to its victims? Is walking or climbing really so simple as to be hijacked by a fungus? Sheldrake warns us not to underestimate fungi:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey\u2019re metabolic wizards and can do such extraordinary things. Even if it was a complicated task to <\/em>hijack an insect <\/em><\/strong>and control its behavior with a great deal of precision…I wouldn\u2019t put it past them. You can have, for example, a carpenter ant and a Cordyceps fungus. And the fungus would grow into the ant…into its body, its legs, its cavities. It won\u2019t grow into its brain though, which is interesting.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[The fungi] produces in the ant an irresistible urge to climb upwards \u2014 overwriting the normal instinct of the ant, which is to stay close to the ground for safety\u2026And then, around noon, the ant performs a <\/em>\u2018death grip\u2019<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt grips on the leaf vein where the Cordyceps has special needs. The fungus kills the ant, and grows a stalk out of the ant\u2019s head, and rains down spores on the unfortunate ants passing below.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neil deGrasse Tyson, on the other hand, is petrified:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe movie \u2018Alien\u2019 has nothing on this.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psilocybin in Cicadas <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not just ants, according to Sheldrake. Fungi can also infect cicadas<\/strong>, and cause the backside of the cicada\u2019s body to break off. The male cicada becomes hypersexual \u2060\u2014 despite the fact that its genitals have long since crumbled away. The cicada then spouts spores from the broken \u201cbutt\u201d as it flies around erratically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tyson notes how the northeast of the U.S. is in the middle of a cicada invasion<\/a>,<\/strong> and that the astrophysicist had made a promise online to do his part:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI said I would eat three of them when they finally came.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sheldrake gives a warning:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou might want to watch out because massive spores of fungi overtake these cicadas…<\/em>They produce psilocybin<\/em><\/strong>, and also amphetamine. So, if you eat enough of them, then you might start feeling stranger than you realize.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll hold you to your word, Mr. deGrasse Tyson. It\u2019s a brave sacrifice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Psilocybin Shaped Human Evolution<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most psychonauts are already familiar with the Stoned Ape Theory<\/a><\/strong>. But in case you aren\u2019t, here\u2019s the gist of it. Ingestion of magic mushrooms expanded the primitive human’s mind, inspiring the growth of language and culture to early humans by way of tripping. Sheldrake agrees, to a certain extent:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s clear to me that psychedelics, including psychedelic mushrooms, had a very big impact on human culture,,, <\/em>Terence McKenna\u2019s<\/a><\/em><\/strong> claim, the Stoned Ape Hypothesis, was that eating magic mushrooms had caused the human brain to increase in size\u2026 They grew to four times the size that they\u2019ve grown in the previous 60 million years of primate evolution.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psilocybin has been known to grow nerve branches <\/strong>in dishes and culture. Does it also mean an increase in brain size in early humans?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"glowing
via Unsplash<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are different versions of the Stoned Ape Hypothesis. Some of them suggest that big developments, like <\/em>symbolic language<\/em><\/strong>…arose through psychedelics. I think that\u2019s more plausible.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can imagine…where someone who took magic mushrooms had the idea to domesticate fire, had cooked food. And that allowed our brains to increase in size.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can Psilocybin Give You Brilliant Ideas? <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Neil deGrasse Tyson finally gets it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re saying this chemical [psilocybin] can give you <\/em>brilliant ideas? <\/em><\/strong>The brain barely works as it does. Now you\u2019re gonna toss in some extra chemicals that will alter your perception of reality\u2026 Have you had a deep thought that you\u2019re pretty sure you wouldn\u2019t have had, had you not exposed yourself to psychedelic mushrooms?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes,\u201d<\/em> says Sheldrake. \u201cI think many people can certainly benefit from psychedelic experiences. Which is why it\u2019s exciting to see this <\/em>New Wave <\/em><\/strong>of research into psychedelic compounds pick up steam.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese [psychedelics], they\u2019ve been major parts of traditional human society for a very, very long time. It\u2019s not like this [new wave] is *news* in the <\/em>big picture <\/em><\/strong>of human existence. It\u2019s just this new way…to make sense of these experiences within the frame of modern medical pathology, modern illnesses, and treatment programs.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fungal Networks Can Save the World <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFungi make mycelium. Some of those fungal species produce mushrooms that we see; many of them don\u2019t produce mushrooms\u2026 Some of them will enter trading relationships with plants, plug into plants, and exchange nutrients…Those plants are also promiscuous and plug into multiple fungal networks.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, there\u2019s an explosion of interest in fungal applications \u2060\u2014 including ways in which fungi can help us stop climate change. Sheldrake lists down a few clever ideas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are <\/em>fungal medicines<\/a><\/em><\/strong> that can help humans recover from illnesses, but also help other animals. Mycologist <\/em>Paul Stamets<\/em><\/strong> has done some amazing work showing that fungal extracts can help bees overcome viral pathogens \u2014 and so extend the lifetime of bees and beehives. Which in turn can help us adapt to changing climates, and changing\u2026 pollination schemes.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are also <\/em>fungal materials built using mycelium<\/a><\/em><\/strong> which can help disrupt polluting plastics industries\u2026 [Mycelium] can create sustainable materials for use in buildings. But also in clothing, in a kind of leather-like material.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
New meat substitutes using fungi as a protein base<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are fungal foods. New ways we can grow protein as delicious <\/em>meat substitutes<\/em><\/strong>, using mycelium. Which would relieve our dependence on meat farming.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mushroom Overlords <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Twas a mind-blowing experience, indeed, for the astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson<\/strong> to learn all about magic mushrooms \u2060\u2014 and the world of fungi as a whole \u2060\u2014 straight from a fungi expert. Who knew fungi played such a massive role in the planet\u2019s survival? And when asked for any bits of wisdom he\u2019s gleaned from this \u2018mycelial madness\u2019, mycologist Merlin Sheldrake <\/strong>hit the bullseye:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese fungal networks are astonishing, and raise questions about how life works\u2026 <\/em>The Cosmic Web<\/em><\/strong>, the structure of the universe, is now thought to be made up of big filaments of gas and galaxies arranged in clusters together. I would say, \u2018As below, so above\u2019, when thinking of these fungal networks and the structure of the universe.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"figure
via Unsplash<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, Merlin,\u201d <\/em>asks Tyson. \u201cWhen the mushrooms become our overlords\u2026 (I think he\u2019s practicing for that. They might keep him as their pet, and eat the rest of us)\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sheldrake laughs and replies: \u201cThey\u2019ve already infected me.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(You and us both, Merlin. We’ve got shroom fever!)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you love psychedelics? Check out our latest TikTok video right here!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
@welovepsychedelics<\/a>

This week is the anniversary of Woodstock 1969. Simpler times ???? #woodstock<\/a> #woodstock99<\/a> #mindfulness<\/a> #lovelanguage<\/a><\/p> \u266c Will to Live – Jacob Yoffee<\/a> <\/section> <\/blockquote>

\u201cThe result is shared overlapping networks of plants and fungi. That\u2019s what is referred to by the <\/em>Wood Wide Web<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong> \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n