Why are scientists shooting mushrooms into space? - Shannon Odell

Explore the unique characteristics that make fungi so resilient, and find out why they may be the key to future space travel.

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Astronauts aboard the space station Mir made a frightening discovery: several species of Earth-derived fungi were found growing throughout the shuttle, blanketing air conditioners and corroding control panels, putting both the station’s integrity and their lives at risk. How had the fungi survived the journey to space? Shannon Odell shares why fungi may be the key to our future on other planets.

Lesson by Shannon Odell, directed by Denys Spolitak.

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[cuber]

We’d be like a colony of space smurfs living in mushrooms.

[markmunroe-hzrf]

One small step for spores.
One giant leap for fungi.

[ghostderazgriz]

Carbon negative, thermal and radiation resistant homes? Sounds more useful here on earth than on another planet.

[jer]

This feels like the pitch for the: "biggest let down of Space horror movie".
We have fungus growing everywhere, "What do we do???" (Then they astronauts just end up cleaning...)

[anonymousmonkey]

somewhere in an alternative universe, some of the fungi would evolve into sentient mushroom folks that call themselves toads, ruled by one of the few surviving descendants of the humans: a young girl called peach.

[letoasterist]

Well, fungi can live in space because there's mush-room.

[princesingh]

Mark Twain said, "Name of all the greatest inventors. Accident." Same is here with us how we interacted with fungi at first step in space and now what potention they may behold for us.

Just Fascinating !😮

[luke_fabis]

Okay, the visual at 2:52 is extremely misleading. For the most part, the fungus IS the mycelium. It doesn't grow like roots down from mushrooms like the way plants grow. The mycelium sends up mushrooms to disperse spores. They're a lot like fruit.

[hb.raafay]

"..and will undoubtedly continue to break the mould."

I see what you did there

[vincentl]

With that survivability and adaptability, invasive strains will be impossible to eradicate.

[freddyorlando]

Perhaps Fungi aren't even native to the Earth it has been an alien invader all along.

[Asterism_Desmos]

Very interesting! Though I wouldn’t trust a habitat made of fungus, but I’m not an astronaut so I don’t think NASA is worried about my opinions 💀

[serenity]

Because everyone loves him, he is a really Fungi.

[germanomagnone]

wow, this space mushroom stuff, sounds like a cross between "travel to the center of the earth" and "trip to the moon" to me.

[Crossfirev]

I now understand why all these historic events are happening, the universe is high on the mushrooms these scientists are shooting into space.

[nerdlingeeksly]

considering fungi were the first flora to blanket landmasses and evolved into the 1st trees, I would say their the perfect candidates to use on a barren alien rock.

[jonathanhoffman]

Amazing. Mushrooms are truly one of the apex life forms of our planet. I feel like it's Mushrooms, us, and trees, in that order

[beeman]

Sounds intriguing, but there is the invasive scenario: Fungi is discovered to be pervasive inside a human-made capsule, covering all surfaces, and so we decide to take it to an alien planet suitable for humans where our earth fungi then spreads out and destroys native species.

[curvingfyre]

Wait, they can use radiation as energy? Like, radiosynthesis?? We could seed these on random planets and they'd start entire new biospheres. Thats nuts.

[RabbitShirak]

No wonder the Orks are so resilient in Warhammer 40k.