The Horrifying Reality of Cordyceps Explained

/ @nsfscience
Following the success and interest in cordyceps spurred by the hit television series "The Last of Us," Dr. Cathie Aime, a mycologist with the U.S. National Science Foundation, delves into the fascinating world of cordyceps - a special order of fungi that primarily infect insects. She explains how the spore of a cordycep comes into contact with its host, penetrates and begins to fill and grow the host cavity, and ultimately digests the nonessential parts of the host.
#Cordyceps #Fungi #Infections #HostInsects #Mycelium #Phallus #Mushrooms #Ecosystem #Autonomy #EndOfTheWorld #NonVertebrateHost #HumanAutonomy #ChemicalWarfare #MicrobialWorld #Fascinating #Fundamental #DecomposingDeadMatter #EnrichedOrganicEnvironment #Symbiotic #DeadMatterSoil #Imagination #TheLastOfUs
00:00 Dr. Cathie Aime
00:13 What Are Cordyceps?
00:50 Controlling the Host
01:21 Feeding Cordyceps
01:46 Fungal Cells
02:25 Zombie Fascination

[@aaron.debattista]

It's interesting how traditional fantasy zombies i.e. some necromancer dude awakens a guy with magic, is not nearly as terrifying as what's being described here.

[@StygianEmperor]

rather than fantasy zombies, fantasy ghouls are much closer to sci fi zombies

[@antongoykhman]

Everyone, you can all relax. Even if the Cordyceps adapted to higher temperature such as human temperate range it will still not work. The more complex the organism is, the more complex systems it has and the more obstacles Cordyceps will have to overcome. It simply does not work like that.

[@txjellybean3772]

I am sure that IF it's even possible...they have already created it and have it stored in a tube ready to use a will

[@thunderhollow4779]

Depends on how much it evolves. We've seen what evolution is capable of, time will tell maybe.

[@samm7098]

Would biological research experiments make this possible? If someone was mad enough to try?

[@sofifeii]

global warming?

[@balavrata]

@@thunderhollow4779fortunately that’s not how evolution works. species evolve to strengthen their survival rate so cordyceps consistently failing to infect a human host would not lead to cordyceps evolving to survive within a human host.

[@nicholasallan7714]

She didn't mention that cordyceps are the life and soul of the party, seeing as they're such fun guys...

[@valentinapascal327]

You will not believe, but because I have used Cordyceps my Barrett’s esophagus disappeared. It was not detected any more after 2 years.

[@Samo_Wings]

Soooo interesting
Thanks for the upload!

[@NSFScience]

Glad you enjoyed it! We're filming another interview today discussing fungal infections & evolution. Stay tuned.

[@DianaMacias07]

So should we take cordyceps? For energy and health??

[@jsalsman]

Dr. Aimee is fantastic!

[@stevieg6418]

Welp...have just been drinking a drink of cordysept and chicory...I hope it goes well for me 😐

[@NSFScience]

Good luck!

[@jimmyerobinson1439]

What is the benefit???

[@teeess818]

Just fight it If you get a sudden urge to climb a large tree or Empire State Building 😬

[@aileenpeck8605]

Me too lol

[@susieford3954]

Yum! Me too!

[@Stephon723]

The sense of urgency that the music creates as she's talking all of this lovely nerdy national geographicism is hilarious.
Last of Us on the easier setting on the Playstation is an EERIE, CREEPY, very dark, despair producing experience. I couldn't deal with it on the higher difficulty level..

[@llascar81]

So would this be the same that some company sells in the form of a tea for "blood glucose control"?

[@j.vrodriguez7938]

So... it is possible? this would be really terrifying!

[@grundy6311]

Very interesting video!! In the show, the scientist in the opening scene says that if the planet warmed up the fungi would adapt to suit a warmer temperature. Is that possible in real life?

[@usarolls6008]

I beg nothing like that will happen. I’m terrified of Zombies.. :(

[@honeyFoxx420]

100°water temperature in Florida

[@teeess818]

And healthy 🙌

[@mbekka1]

تبارك الله احسن الخالقين

[@Dante95240]

There be fungus among us! What aboutcandida, from what ...yeast?

[@Joel-xf9tl]

Awesome. And we want to start eating insects. 😮

[@jjk2one]

it produces amino acids and enzymes

[@kundaliniairport]

That's me .. CORDYCEPS

[@NoHobbes]

Terrifying

[@PoppinlikeJr]

Funjus or Fungus? Funji or Fungi? She is blatantly saying it wrong here and there is a proper way to say it. Nevertheless, good lesson, quite interesting.

[@benji_san]

FUN-JAI

[@rollinlikeariver7756]

You could write a good fiction book based on this premise!
Meanwhile the biggest problem with CordyCeps is getting ripped of wasting money on weak supplements that don't do much.

[@freddiereadie30]

This is both gruesome and nutritious at the same time.

[@spikedpsycho2383]

Anatomical humans been on earth 100,000 years
No fungi pandemic....

[@gregwestmen4902]

Not yet...

[@wagomus4323]

The liberals are turning my kids into zombies!

[@Lalujamama5]

they'll make one soon😂

[@debhartley716]

The show you were referring to is The Last of Us
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_of_Us_(TV_series)
And the fungus is called Cordyceps

[@Ians111]

Funji or fungi 🤷‍♂️

[@NiMareQ]

This is the next evolution step of a distributed brain cell system.

[@sadgittarian9269]

fun jeye

[@DarkSpells87]

This mycologist kinda reminds me of Ibu Ratna from The Last of Us show.

[@forestevans5453]

“Funjuy”

[@lachellegreen5977]

Doctors are funny this who they sent to lie when it can help your health is funny. They try so hard to make sure we dont find out about heathy plants to live

[@XxNinjaLimeXX]

Wat? What are you talking about?

[@DubstepHeroDH]

Spooky Shizzle