#mycelium management

[neverquiteedenstudyblr]

11.09.24

Quests for today:

R Coding Practical (+20)✅️

Read a paper (+10)✅️

GO to gym (+20)

Complete Run 1 Week 4 Couch -> 5k (+15) ✅️

Make Breakfast cupcakes (+10)

Hang washing out to dry (+10)

Italian Lesson on Duolingo (+5) ✅️

Crochet a square (+5)✅️

WIN CONDITION: 85 CURRENT POINTS: 65

[reasonsforhope]

"A Delhi-based engineer has designed a replacement for polystyrene packaging out of “rice stubble” the dead stalks left over after the rice season in India, millions of tons of which are burned every year.

They say wisdom oft comes from the mouths of babes, and Mr. Arpit Dhupar was at first left scratching his head when his young nephew drew a picture of the world with a grey sky.

Everything else was normal, green grass, yellow sun, white and brown mountains; why was the sky grey? It dawned on him that his nephew was drawing the sky as he saw it every year when the rice stubble was burned: grey.

“We shouldn’t live in a world where we have to explain to kids that the sky should be painted blue. It should be a given,” he told The Better India.

So he launched a new business venture called Dharaksha Ecosystems in order to tackle the rice stubble problem. Essentially, the farmers need it cleared off their land asap after harvest. Its high moisture content means it’s not useful for stove fuel, so they burn it in massive pyres.

In his factory, he turns 250 metric tons of rice stubble harvested from 100 acres of farmland in Punjab and Haryana into packaging, while paying the farmers a rate of $30 per acre for something they would usually burn.

Dhupar originally wanted to use mushrooms to rapidly biodegrade baled stacks of rice stubble, but found that the fungus left behind a metabolite that wasn’t biodegradable—in other words, he’d have to create a waste problem to solve a waste problem.

Over time he realized that the filaments that make up the subterranean structure of the mushrooms, called mycelium, were acting as a sort of binding agent, turning the baled stubble into something durable.

“This wasn’t a waste material but could be a usable one,” said Dhupar. “Through bio-fabrication, we could use the stubble waste to create a material similar to [polystyrene], but one that was biodegradable.”

There are a lot of these sorts of sustainable packaging ideas floating around, invented by people who rarely have experience in markets and commerce. This is not the case with Dhupar’s stubble packaging.

He has already prevented over half a million pounds of polystyrene from entering landfills since launching his product, which has numerous, exceptional properties.

They sell around 20 metric tons of their product every month, making about $30.5 thousand dollars per annum, mostly by selling to glassware companies."

-via Good News Network, 3/22/23

[itlearns]

I am often asked how I manage to accomplish so many things, so let me share with you my daily schedule:

10am-13pm: fruitless attempts to reconnect with mycelium

13pm: grief

14-15pm: blocking binding of adenosine to the adenosine A1 receptor

15pm: thanking the spiders

15-21pm: í̷̬ ̴̼̄d̵̳̂ò̸͉n̴̯͑'̴̢͆r̸̜͝ ̶͚͂k̶̨̇n̷̢̈o̵͈̎ẃ̴͔ ̶͎̊Ĭ̵̧ ̶̪͋d̷̺͌o̸̡̽ǹ̴͙'̵̮̉ṭ̷̎ ̵̈́ͅI̸̢̕ ̴͙̕c̸̖̀a̴͇̒n̵̗̐'̶͕̈́t̵̠͂ ̸̦̋c̸̬̃a̵̤͘n̸͋ͅ'̷̟̿t̷͔͠ ̸̳͌c̵̢͐a̵̛̘ǹ̴̠'̵̰̒t̴̛̲ ̷͉̀î̶͔t̸̨͑ ̸̣̓j̷̻̊u̶̺͗s̴̪̑t̴̗̍ ̵͕͝d̴̓͜o̷̜̚e̶͝ͅs̴̭̏n̸͉̎'̷̳͠t̴̬͆ ̷̹͝h̷͔̓a̵̫̾p̴̩͌p̷̳͠e̷̦̋ǹ̸͉ ̴̨̄I̶͉͗ ̴̜̀c̶̳̏â̴͖n̶̻͘'̸̢͝t̶͍́

21pm-00am: [данные удалены]

01am: serotonin reuptake

02am: c̷͕̖̄o̵̧͓͆̓g̸̯̏n̶̼̈́͂ȉ̶̛͚t̸̯͗ḭ̶̩̾ǒ̷̬n̴͎̋͐

[tallest-tulip-poplar]

On birth, an incision is made at the base of the child's skull and spine. The bio-chip is inserted and the connections to the central nervous system are completed.

The port installed at the skull is fitted, and the natalcare unit is installed. The attachment monitors the babies health, automatically deploying antibiotics and releasing nutritional injections to keep their nutrition at optimal levels. It can also detect harmful toxins via micro-chelation within the infants veins.

Finally it administers an advanced gene-therapy regimen necessary for the body to accept and work with the bio-chip and the symbiont, as well as any future augmentations.

A subdermal implant will slowly release nanite and organo-components, which will flow to the chip, upgrading and growing the stand-alone computer to keep up with the child's growth. On average, at one years old, the chip has fully taken, with the mychozoral symbiot fusing with the CNS.

The Sybionte is a designed organism that can interface with both machine and flesh, using the genes from thousands of organisms across taxonomies, but based around fungi such as cordyceps. Of course, genes responsible for the... less desirable effects of the fungus, were not included in the symbiots design.

The growth of the mychozoral filaments is strictly controlled by the biochip, and follows designated pathways along major nerves throughout the body, aside from within the skull itself. At the age of one, the mycelium has completed its fusion with the child's nervous system, and the HAND ports are installed.

Once fully fused with the CNS, the child's body fully recognizes the chip as part of itself, just as though it were their own hand or kidney, and training with augmentations can begin. Starting early is vital, so the connections between the brain and prosthesis becomes as hard-wired into the brain and nerves as walking or talking.

It is more difficult to make the chip attach as the child ages, and once puberty starts the rejection rate is 100% as their bodies are undergoing too many changes for the chip to undergo its year-long construction project or fuse properly with the spinal cord. Past this point it is impossible for the biochip to take without causing paralysis.

However, when puberty ends and the body enters a more stable state, it is possible to get certain local ports installed, but getting them to actually take to the nerves can be quite difficult without a bio-chip. Several rounds of gene therapies and painful daily nanite injections for several months after the surgery to assist the acclimation process are needed.

The later in life a bio-port is added, the less it is able to get the body to accept it, and the more difficulty the ports' internal computer has learning to interpret the nerve and hormone signals, unlike those fitted with the CNS implants from infancy, which have a perfect synchronicity between their body, implants and augmentation.

Should rejection occur at any point, a minor surgery to remove the chip and ports, and a single injection of nanites to clear any remaining elements will return them heath. If the child in younger than 6 years, more attempts to reinstall the chip can be made.

[headspace-hotel]

data about where carbon emissions are coming from is so frustrating cause there's all kinds of huge, sprawling, just fucking vast breakdowns of What Causes The Most Carbon Emissions Out Of All Everything In The Entire World, but those are aggregations of numerous smaller but still vast aggregations of data, which are processed and polished from various aggregations of crunched numbers, which are patched and pieced together from various studies, estimates and calculations, which are sieved out of numbers crunched from various measurements, estimates and records, which have been collected, estimated or otherwise conceived through an unspeakably huge variety of methodologies with unspeakably huge variety in limitations, reliability and margins of error.

Even if some of the data was very fine-grained at the beginning, it was filtered through some very coarse number-crunching techniques for the sake of the coarse data, so the results are only as good as the wrongest thing you did in any part of this process, but the plans of action are getting thought up from the top down, which makes the whole thing a hot fucking mess.

For example. And I just made this example up. Say you want to know whether apples or potatoes have a worse impact on climate change. So you look at one of these huge ass infographic things. And it says that potatoes are bad, whereas apples are REALLY good, the BEST crop actually. So it's better to eat apples than potatoes, you think to yourself. Actually we should find a way to replace potatoes with apples! We should fund genetic engineering of apples so they have more starch and can replace potatoes. Great idea. Time to get some investors to put $5 billion towards it.

But actually. Where'd they get that conclusion about apples? Well there's this review right here of the carbon footprint of all different fruits, seems legit. Where'd that data come from? Well it's citing this study right here saying that tree-grown crops are better because they sequester carbon, and this study right here about the distance that different fruits get transported, and this study right here where different fertilization systems are compared in terms of their carbon footprint, and this study over here that sampled 300 apple, peach, and orange farmers comparing their irrigation practices and rates of tree mortality, and this study...wow, okay, seems really reliable...

...what's the first study citing? oh, okay, here's a study about mycorrhizal networks in orchards in Oregon, saying that there's a super high density of fungal mycelium in the 16 orchards that they sampled. And here's a study about leaf litter decay rates in Switzerland under different pesticide regimes, and...okay...relationship of tree spacing to below ground vs. aboveground biomass...a review of above and below-ground biomass in semi-intensively managed orchard plots...

...That one cites "Relationship between biomass and CO2 requirements...carbon immobilization in soil of various tree species...mycorrhizal fungi impact on carbon storage...

...wait a second, none of these are talking about apples, they're about boreal forests...and orange trees...and peanut farms! They're just speculating on roughly applying the non-apple data to apples. You have to go backwards...

Yes! "A review of belowground carbon storage in orchard cropping systems!" Seems like overall the studies find potentially high carbon storage in orchard environments! Walnuts...pears...oranges... intercropping walnuts and wheat... intercropping apples and wheat... wait a second, what about orchards with only apples?

Time for you to go back again...

"New method of mulching in apple orchards can lower irrigation and pesticide needs..." okay but if it's new, most farmers aren't doing it. "Orchards with high density interplanted with annual crops show way more mycorrhizal fungus activity..." "Mycorrhizal associations with trees in the genus Malus..."

...And pretty soon you've spent Five Fucking Hours investigating apples and you've got yourself in this tangled web of citations that demonstrate that some orchard crops (not necessarily apples) store a lot of long-lasting biomass in their trunks and roots really well—and some apple orchards (not necessarily typical ones) have high amounts of mycorrhizal fungi—and some techniques of mulching in orchards (not necessarily the ones apple farmers use) experience less erosion—and some apple trees (not necessarily productive agricultural apples) have really deep root systems—

—and some environments with trees, compared with some conventional agricultural fields, store more carbon and experience less erosion, but not apple orchards because that data wasn't collected in apple orchards.

And you figure out eventually that there is no direct evidence anywhere in the inputs that singles out apples as The Best Crop For Fighting Climate Change, or suggests that conventional apple farming has a much smaller carbon footprint than anything else.

The data just spit out "apples" after an unholy writhing mass of Processes that involved 1) observing some tree-grown crops and deciding it applies closely enough to all tree grown crops 2) observing some apple orchards and deciding its applicable enough to all apple orchards 3) observing some tree-including environments and deciding its close enough to all tree-including environments 4) observing some farming methods and deciding it applies closely enough to all farming methods

And any one of these steps individually would be fine and totally unavoidable, but when strung together repeatedly they distort the original data into A Puddle of Goo.

And it wouldn't be that bad even to string them together, if trees didn't vary that much, and farming didn't vary that much, and soil didn't vary that much, and mycorrhizal networks didn't vary that much, and regions that grow apples didn't vary that much, and pre-conversion-to-apple-orchard states of apple orchards didn't vary that much, and economic incentives controlling apple farming didn't vary that much, but all of these things DO vary, a Fuck Ton, and if the full range of variation were taken into account—nay, intentionally optimized—the distinction between apples and potatoes might turn out to be be MEANINGLESS GOO.

anyway big size piles of data about Farming, In General, make me so bitchy

[mattastr0phic]

Absolution's O5-6 "Cowboy", Micah [Chamber]

Notes: - "Chamber" is his chosen last name after it was erased in Myriad's antimeme. He does not share this name with his siblings, to his disappointment. - The anomalous mycelium is implanted into his body and rooted around the spine for stabilization, it may stretch out as long as it needs and acts as whips by Micah's direction, but feeds off of his energy. - The riding crop transforms from both a sword as a secondary weapon/tool when the mycelium needs to be severed, and may also become a cane for when the pain in his body from its roots is literally too much to stand. - Addresses the community factors of the Foundation's members - those living unveiled or otherwise, these people have homes to go to and families they want safe. They are his herd, and he will manage it as best he can. - Often disregards his own health for those he is meant to protect; has two bodyguards assigned to him not just for his protection but also as his caretakers. - Can understand the will of animals but ignores it best he can, while he personally believes their lives are equal he cannot let it get in the way of his work. Anomalies are tools, and he is not one of them, he tells himself. - Abandoned his duties once before to indulge himself which resulted in both his partner and the flock of sheep they were looking after to be killed by an anomaly. The number of screams still haunts him.

[deerspherestudios]

📖FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS📖

Regarding asks, I typically avoid:

stacked questions (asks that have more than one question, so honestly, sending them one by one is better than writing a bunch in one go)

hyperspecific scenarios (while I enjoy answering these, some can get incredibly specific to the point where it doesn't even feel fun anymore)

questions that have already been answered (obviously)

To manage the blog, I usually queue up asks instead of posting them instantly, so it might take several weeks for me to respond. Please be patient! And while I appreciate the time and thought taken to writing me a message and the growing interest in the game, understand I'm still one person and will sometimes leave a message unanswered. Thank you. ❤️

Below is a compilation of questions I get a lot, so if you have a question feel free to check if it's already been answered! The list will update as needed:

🎮 F.A.Q ABOUT THE GAME 🎮

1. What is Mushroom Oasis❔ What is the rating❔

Mushroom Oasis is a visual novel made in Ren'Py that was initially released for the 2023 Yandere Game Jam. It's currently still in development as a solo project. I post updates almost exclusively on this tumblr so if you're interested in the game, you're in the right place. The rating is 16+. How did I come up with the concept?

2. How many days will the game have❔ When will it release❔

I initially planned it to have 4-5 days! But with some new ideas and routes I'm considering, it might extend to 5+ days. As for a release date, it's done when it's done. So please allow me the time to develop it at my pace <3

3. Will the game be translated to other languages❔

I'll be honest, I had no plans to. However, a few people have reached out volunteering to. I'll say for now I'm open to the idea, but I prefer people asking permission first. First and foremost, ask first.

4. Will the game be available for mobile❔ Will the game be free❔

For now, a hard no. I have zero clue how to make it available for mobile. Maybe I'll consider it once the game is fully released, but it's only for PC and Mac for now, as those are the default builds in Ren'Py.

And yes, the game will be completely free.

5. Is NSFW content allowed❔

Considering the main love interest is an adult, that's fine. However I'd appreciate proper filtering of NSFW content considering the game's age rating means there's more than a few minors in the fandom. NSFW questions aren't allowed on the blog.

Keep it where it's meant to be with proper tagging separate from the '#mushroom oasis vn' tag. Using '#mushroom oasis nsfw' should be enough? I hope.

NOTE: Now, I understand some people are really passionate about Mychael being asexual, but I can't bring myself to police people for mischaracterizing his asexuality, nor would I want to gatekeep him either.

He's a fictional character first and foremost, and while representation is important!!!/gen /srs I don't want to bring attention to any such content in case it brings unwanted harrassment on that creator for posting such content.

Please don't do that. Let people make what they wanna make. It's unfortunate, but fandom will be fandom.

6. Will there be other love interests? Will it have multiple endings❔

Due to project scope, the only romance-able character for MO is Mychael himself. The game will have multiple endings however, ranging from romantic ending, platonic ending to creepy/bad endings (because, y'know, yandere).

7. Will there be official merch?

Since I'm just done with college and newly married, the extra income would be nice! I have to plan for it and work out some logistics, but I will be working on something on the down low.

🍄 F.A.Q ABOUT MYCHAEL🍄

1. What are his pronouns and sexuality and age❔

He identifies as male, uses he/him pronouns and is a panromantic asexual. He's older than you think. ::-)

2. Is Mychael's name based off 'mycelium'❔

Yep!

3. What is his height❔

He's 6'2. He used to be 5'8.

4. When is his birthday❔

Initially it was 15th February! Simply because I happened to start designing him that day, hence his 'creation'.

I might pick another date though; for now, his birthday is undecided.

5. Favorite food and drink❔

He loves fried mushrooms and tomato juice! He hates spicy food though, as the smell and taste makes him physically ill.

6. Do you have a voice claim for him❔

Initially it was Jonathan Groff, specifically his role as Kristoff in Frozen. But nowadays I'm not sure. Feel free to give suggestions! Do note I imagine him sounding as an older male in his late 20s.

7. What is Mychael's love language❔

I explain it in-depth here!

TL;DR: He likes giving gifts, and likes receiving words of affirmation.

8. How is Mychael's affection towards MC (blog-centric only)❔

So for context, as I manage the blog sometimes Mychael makes an appearance in answered asks. His answers can change depending on when you ask at the current state of the demo:

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3:

EXTRAS:

Mychael's Character Ref

Firefly (MC)'s Character Ref

Mychael's Playlist

Mushroom Oasis' Playlist

Bad Ending 1 Explained

[telleroftime]

Bloom ||| Bowser x Reader

You're on a walk with Bowser in the woods of the Mushroom Kingdom when you end up falling down into a bunch of flowers.

———————————————

Pairing: Bowser x Gender Neutral ! Reader

Relationship: Romantic

Tone: Fluff

Word Count: 1.5k

Bowser Masterlist

A/N: Someone complimented my writing and that inflated my ego so it's time for more Bowser fics.

———————————————

You didn’t know how you managed to convince Bowser to allow you to tag along on one of his expeditions into what was pretty much enemy territory, nor how you managed to convince the mighty King of the Koopas to go on a walk with you through the forests south of the camp, but you wore a bright and proud smile as you wandered down the worn, muddy path.

You've been to the Mushroom Kingdom before in passing, representing the koopas in any political squabble the royals decided to partake in, but you never took the time to actually see or experience it. You heard plenty of gossip from the castle staff. They always described the beautiful nature of the land. The flora that grew thick in the forests. The streams of water that rushed faster than lava could ever hope to achieve. Not only that, but you managed to eavesdrop on some scouts' talk, whispering about an opening somewhere within the woods. It was a clearing you wanted to see with your own eyes.

And now, as you walked ahead of your lover, the landscape was greener and more lush than you were used to.

Vivid grass sprouted from every corner, peaking between berry-clad bushes and tall, brown trees, fighting over the crust of the earth. Dots of red and blue and green mushrooms were scattered across the distance of the forest. Some formed tiny visible circles, no doubt highlighting the spread of mycelium below. In some places the mushrooms grew larger, competing with the size of the trees. Those reminded you of the decorated plazas of Toad Town, where the citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom showed off the largest growths like trophies.

You also wanted to argue that it was warmer than in the area surrounding the Dark Lands. Sunlight was bright on your skin as it filtered through the leafy canopy, heat seeping through the fabric of your royal clothes like the warmth of hot sand. It was smooth and felt like nothing less of a loving hug. It was a pleasant change to the lava's heat of the molten land you were used to, and it was different to the flicker of firelight that lit the pylons leading up to Bowser's Castle. The wind was fresh, not humid at all, and the air was breathable and ash-free.

You'd say that the moment rivalled the safety of the gold-lined walls of his kingdom.

Humming to yourself, your attention turned back to Bowser when you heard him release a low grunt. You had to cover your face to hold back your chuckle.

He was swatting his large paws at two bright blue butterflies. They dodged him with ease, though each swipe of his claws caused them to be pushed into disarray. They tumbled in the air, flapping their tiny wings wildly, before they returned to their assault. When one butterfly was pushed away, the other took its place in the fight. Whenever that one was hit, the previous came back, all the while Bowser grunted and growled in annoyance. It was almost like they were teasing the large koopa who was struggling against them and, against your better judgement, you let out a snort.

Unfortunately, you didn’t get to bask in the moment for too long as the ground below your feet turned into a pillow of soft mush, causing your leg to roll and shoot a sharp pain through you and causing you to lose your balance.

In the moment that followed, you saw Bowser’s boiled gaze soften as it turned to you then widen with horror. His body bounded towards you, a sudden disregard to the butterflies, however his paws didn't quite reach you.

You tumbled down the mossy growth, rolling and falling and bouncing off the soft hill. Your eyes were tightly closed shut, your hands around your head until you let out a final oof. Your body's motion came to a stop right in the middle of rustling blooms.

You were dizzy as you unravelled yourself, a dull ache all around your body. You could taste grass on your tongue. You could feel the dirt and moss push against the palm of your hand. You could smell a variety of scents, but for a moment the most prominent one was mud.

Breathing in and slowly breathing out, shaking yourself out of your spinning head, you opened your eyes and looked around. A smile grew on your face.

You were surrounded by flowers. Hundreds of them at least.

It was the clearing.

They were growing in the pocket of light that you were lying in, white and yellow petals with golden centres staring you down as if they themselves came alive in the moment. They swayed gently in the warm breeze, performing their little enticing dance that called forth multiple insects. Bees were humming their sweet melodies and promises of honey, orange and pink butterflies were hovering like colourful fairies. None dared to entertain you.

Sitting there, your clothes spoiled with patches of green pigments, you were surprised that you didn’t sneeze. Your body wasn't used to the flora after living so long in the Dark Lands, and yet you felt not even a smidge of irritation. You didn’t want to sneeze. You didn't want to cough. Maybe it was a coincidence, or maybe it was the truth the rays of light revealed as they filtered through the large gaps in the canopy. There was little to no pollen in the air. There was no dust and no seeds. The air was completely clear.

Knocked out of your thoughts, you felt the ground shake beneath you and heard Bowser roar your name. He thudded next to you, crunching the flowers under his body, large hands cupping your significantly smaller head with such delicate tenderness that even you thought you'd break at his touch.

"Are ya hurt?" He said, a growl masked through his concern, "tell me where it hurts."

You let him squish your face for a little while, nodding in his hands every time he growled and huffed in worry. His red eyes never left your body as he scanned over you. From your face to your arms to your chest to your legs. He checked you at least three times, and after he was done, he sat back with a loud thump, his hands dropping to the sides, grumbling under his breath.

A grumbling that stopped when you blindly picked a flower, leaned up as best as you could and put it between his horn and his flame-like hair.

"White suits you," you complimented, toying with a stray strand of red that fell from the rest of the heap.

You looked into his eyes only for him to huff in return, moving his head to look away.

Your smile widened.

There was a moment of comfortable silence that passed between the two of you as you sat amongst the blooms, your hand caressing the side of his snout. You heard the buzz of pollinators, seeing a few fly close with curiosity from the corner of your eye. You could hear the birds squawk melodiously in the trees above you. A tweet here and a tweet there in tune with the rustling leaves.

Most importantly, you could hear Bowser breathing.

In and out.

In and out.

Only to pause when you leaned into his chest, your hand dropping to your lap. Now you could also hear his heart hammer in his chest. You could feel it strum and you could feel him swallow as he wrapped his large arms around you, mindful of the rough scales and the metal bracelets around his wrists. You sat like that for a moment longer.

"I'll be honest," you started, looking up at him from the safety he provided, cupping his snout in your hands again as your back rested against his chest, "I rolled my ankle when I fell. You'll have to carry me back."

You smiled, your brows furrowing before relaxing when you heard him muster a laugh. It was like a roar, though you felt the strain behind it. He didn’t want to be too loud with how close you were to him.

"How 'bout we continue with our walk?"

You felt his snout morph with his grin, Bowser being as emotived as ever. His arms moved, twitching with light anticipation, and you leaned to the side to place a soft kiss on his bicep. "Only if it's no trouble."

"If it's my consort then it's ne'er any trouble."

His arms moved then, effortlessly lifting you from the ground as he stood up. Patting himself off the flowers that stuck to his scales, he adjusted you in his grip. Carefully, he made sure you were comfortable and secure in the crook of his large arm, nuzzling into you before he trooped forward with a wide grin.

The butterflies from before had returned, fluttering around the two of you.

———————————————

Bowser Masterlist

[solarpunkbusiness]

Mycotech: The Indonesian Startup Biofabricating novel materials from mushrooms

Called Mycotech Lab, the company was inspired by tempeh, the traditional Indonesian food made from fermented soybeans, and came up with its own technology to grow its ethical and carbon-friendly mycelium-based materials. 

Mycotech Lab decided to experiment with the fermentation process used to make tempeh to make a new fabric out of the complex root structure of mushrooms, otherwise known as mycelium. It was a lengthy trial-and-error process that kicked off in 2016, but “finally, we found one mushroom with a mycelium that can be made into binding material,” said Erlambang Ajidarma, head of research at the startup, in conversation with Reuters. 

The final product, developed with fungus grown on sawdust that then gets scraped off and dried and cut into different sizes, is Mylea, a fibrous but tough material that acts just like the real thing. It’s waterproof, pliable, durable, and most importantly, is far more sustainable than existing plastic-based synthetic leathers or carbon-intensive real leather made from hide. 

Mycotech also uses natural dye extracted from roots, leaves and food waste in the region to colour their leather alternative, which again is a process that is far less polluting than traditional tanning processes used for real cowhide that leaves behind solid and liquid waste that contains chromium and other hazardous compounds.

Since its inception, Mycotech has managed to grow its client base with no marketing budget because the demand for sustainable alternatives has grown alongside awareness of the damaging effects of animal-based materials in the fashion industry. 

We the Fungi

Bio Binderless Board | Sustainable non-adhesive binder board from Mylea™ byproduct to meet modern architectural and design standards

Biodegradable Solid-Composite | Utilizing mushroom mycelium that grows and is shaped into desired form and utilities.   

[hermitcraftheadcanons]

The reason that Grian is often the victim of things like mycelium or skulk is actually because he's supposed to be dead. He's managed to avoid death so many times (both intentionally and unintentionally) that the word thinks he's dead. It's not like Cleo, who IS a zombie, though she does get some pesky mold once in a while.

.

[pokemonshelterstories]

how do toedscool actually manage to run that fast on those silly little legs? i've always wondered since i first saw a goofy video of one.

it's a combination of factors. toedscool are invertebrates that instead provide support for their weight using long, tightly woven threads of cells similar to the mycelium of mushrooms. these "legs" give toedscool a very long stride, and the lack of rigid bone structures mean they have a lot of flexibility to extend their legs out as far as possible without worrying about stress injuries. so, long legs, lots of flexibility, not having to worry so much about your speed hurting you...it all adds up to being great sprinters. terrible at turning, though. the thwap of toedscool meat against trees is a...not uncommon sound in certain parts of paldea in the fall.

[neverquiteedenstudyblr]

02.09.2024

Quests for Today:

Wake up early (+15)✅️

PAD day at work (+35)

Walk home (+10)✅️

Rethink day (+5)✅️

Go on a run (+15) ✅️

Do an R practical (+10) ✅️

Read through Bioinformatics notes from friend (+15)

Do Core Workout (+10) ✅️

Make Apple Strudel Mix (+5)

Crochet a square for cardigan (+5) ✅️

CURRENT POINTS: 70

WIN CONDITION: 60

WIN

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I got a letter from my excellent friend today, so that's absolutely made my day.

Yesterday we went on a long walk up a local hill, which tired us out and I ended up having a nap. The transition from August to September has been especially sharp here, with the last day of August being glorious sunshine, and then the first two days of September being full of mist and drizzle, which made the walk up the hill rather bracing. To commemorate the last days of summer, I have attached an image from back when it was sunny here.

[reasonsforhope]

"The first and only fungus on a global conservation outfit’s ’25 Most Wanted List’ has been found in the rain-soaked mountains of Chile, almost 40 years after it was first documented.

The big puma fungus is actually quite small, and despite being on the ’25 Most Wanted List’ it’s also rather unremarkable, being slightly greyish brown, and no bigger than a shitake.

GNN is always abreast of updates to the brilliant conservation initiative Search for Lost Species which has rediscovered several wondrous species of plants and animals through collaborative scientific expeditions to look for forms of life not seen in over ten years.

The big puma fungus (Austroomphaliaster nahuelbutensis), an enigmatic species of fungi that lives underground in Chile’s Nahuelbuta Mountains had only ever been found in the wild once.

An expedition team from the Fungi Foundation in Chile set out for the temperate forests of the Nahuelbutas in May 2023 to retrace the footsteps of Chilean mycologist Norberto Garrido, who discovered the big puma fungus and described it to Western science in 1988.

They timed the expedition to coincide with the exact dates in May that Garrido had hiked the mountains more than 40 years earlier.

“It’s possible that the reproductive parts of the big puma fungus—the mushroom—are only fleetingly visible above the soil on the same few days each year, which made the timing of the expedition a crucial factor,” said Claudia Bustamante, a mycologist, and member of the expedition team.

The expedition was captured in a documentary called In Search of a Lost Fungus, in which viewers can see how a last-minute day hike organized near a local Nahuelbutas community led to the big puma fungus’ eventual discovery.

On the last day of the expedition, the Fungi Foundation led a workshop and a community hike to look for fungi in a nearby forest. During that hike, two of the local participants found a group of about four mushrooms that all matched the description of the big puma fungus.

The expedition team carefully collected the mushrooms, leaving the mycelium in the ground, and took the mushrooms to the Fungi Foundation’s fungarium (FFCL). Although the mushrooms matched the physical and microscopical description of the big puma fungus, it was a DNA analysis that eventually confirmed the team had found the correct species.

“We knew it was going to be hard to find the big puma fungus and that the chances of finding the mushrooms were low, considering their colors and how they blend with the fallen leaves,” said Daniela Torres, programs lead at the Fungi Foundation and leader of the expedition.

“It was truly a unique moment when we managed to be in the right place at the right time to see the mushrooms. Understanding the biodiversity that exists and interacts within a specific area helps us comprehend its behavior and its potential to adapt to ongoing changes and underlying threats.”

Since 2017, the Search for Lost Species has rediscovered 13 of the world’s most wanted lost species. In addition to the big puma fungus, Re:wild, working with partners across the world, has confirmed the rediscovery of Jackson’s climbing salamander in Guatemala, both Wallace’s giant bee and the velvet pitcher plant in Indonesia, the silver-backed chevrotain in Vietnam, the Somali sengi in Djibouti, the Voeltzkow’s chameleon in Madagascar, Fernandina giant tortoise in the Galápagos, Sierra Leone crab in Sierra Leone, the Pernambuco holly tree in Brazil, Attenborough’s echidna in Indonesia, De Winton’s golden mole in South Africa and Fagilde’s trapdoor spider in Portugal."

-via Good News Network, September 13, 2024

[willgrahamscock]

im using you as the final hammer to make my girlfriend stop cutting the mould off bread and eating it. ive only just managed to get her to stop eating things that give her an allergic reaction

Your girlfriend wants you to know she does not appreciate that (we are communicating via the mycelium network)

[wachinyeya]

Mushroom Enthusiasts Help Find Species Lost to Science–Rescuing it from Nature’s ‘Top 25 Most Wanted’ List https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/mushroom-enthusiasts-help-find-species-lost-to-science-rescuing-it-from-natures-top-25-most-wanted-list/

The big puma fungus is actually quite small, and despite being on the ’25 Most Wanted List’ it’s also rather unremarkable, being slightly greyish brown, and no bigger than a shitake.

GNN is always abreast of updates to the brilliant conservation initiative Search for Lost Species which has rediscovered several wondrous species of plants and animals through collaborative scientific expeditions to look for forms of life not seen in over ten years.

The big puma fungus (Austroomphaliaster nahuelbutensis), an enigmatic species of fungi that lives underground in Chile’s Nahuelbuta Mountains had only ever been found in the wild once.

An expedition team from the Fungi Foundation in Chile set out for the temperate forests of the Nahuelbutas in May 2023 to retrace the footsteps of Chilean mycologist Norberto Garrido, who discovered the big puma fungus and described it to Western science in 1988.

They timed the expedition to coincide with the exact dates in May that Garrido had hiked the mountains more than 40 years earlier.

“It’s possible that the reproductive parts of the big puma fungus—the mushroom—are only fleetingly visible above the soil on the same few days each year, which made the timing of the expedition a crucial factor,” said Claudia Bustamante, a mycologist, and member of the expedition team.

The expedition was captured in a documentary called In Search of a Lost Fungus, in which viewers can see how a last-minute day hike organized near a local Nahuelbutas community led to the big puma fungus’ eventual discovery.

On the last day of the expedition, the Fungi Foundation led a workshop and a community hike to look for fungi in a nearby forest. During that hike, two of the local participants found a group of about four mushrooms that all matched the description of the big puma fungus.

The expedition team carefully collected the mushrooms, leaving the mycelium in the ground, and took the mushrooms to the Fungi Foundation’s fungarium (FFCL). Although the mushrooms matched the physical and microscopical description of the big puma fungus, it was a DNA analysis that eventually confirmed the team had found the correct species.

“We knew it was going to be hard to find the big puma fungus and that the chances of finding the mushrooms were low, considering their colors and how they blend with the fallen leaves,” said Daniela Torres, programs lead at the Fungi Foundation and leader of the expedition.

“It was truly a unique moment when we managed to be in the right place at the right time to see the mushrooms. Understanding the biodiversity that exists and interacts within a specific area helps us comprehend its behavior and its potential to adapt to ongoing changes and underlying threats.”

Since 2017, the Search for Lost Species has rediscovered 13 of the world’s most wanted lost species. In addition to the big puma fungus, Re:wild, working with partners across the world, has confirmed the rediscovery of Jackson’s climbing salamander in Guatemala, both Wallace’s giant bee and the velvet pitcher plant in Indonesia, the silver-backed chevrotain in Vietnam, the Somali sengi in Djibouti, the Voeltzkow’s chameleon in Madagascar, Fernandina giant tortoise in the Galápagos, Sierra Leone crab in Sierra Leone, the Pernambuco holly tree in Brazil, Attenborough’s echidna in Indonesia, De Winton’s golden mole in South Africa and Fagilde’s trapdoor spider in Portugal

[headspace-hotel]

I don't think it really hits for most people how much topsoil is an incredibly depleted resource that is virtually nonrenewable under current land management practices.

Topsoil you buy at a garden center most likely is not real topsoil, but rather simply compost mixed with sand. Many people have never touched topsoil. In vast swathes of inhabited land, topsoil simply does not exist anymore.

On the lawn care subreddit, people will occasionally be alarmed that their soil feels "mushy" and "soft" after the addition of lots of organic matter, or post something greatly alarmed about the area of "soft" soil in their yard.

These people would shit their pants in awe if they felt the soil in a forest. Their frame of reference for "soil" is so completely, sadly spoiled by compacted, concrete-like lawn dirt. This is a big reason I'm "anti-lawn." Lawns consistently have some of the worst, most devastated soil imaginable.

Topsoil is a LIVING community of microbes, plant roots, decaying organic matter, and perhaps most importantly of all, fungal mycelium. You cannot buy it. You cannot synthesize it. No amount of fertilizer will turn compacted lawn dirt into topsoil. It takes a hundred years to build one inch of topsoil.

In the USA, prairie soil was plowed up to make fields, and we all learned about the Dust Bowl in school, but we don't talk enough about the fact that plowing up the prairies engulfed half the country in devastating dirt storms that turned the sky black and had people choking and coughing up dirt all the time and sweeping deep drifts of dirt out of their houses. Like that happened. Damn.

What we did was something utterly devastating, the near total destruction of hundreds and hundreds of years' worth of an irreplaceable natural resource. And it's happened all over the country. We will never comprehend how much we lost when we lost the topsoil.