Excellent Who knew fungi was so fun? A Mysterious Mold by Avery Daniel Fortean Phenomena contest entry

In the depths of radioactive Chernobyl, scientists have found an organism in which is “feasting” on the radiation. Though the discovery of Cladosporium sphaerospermum was merely by chance, the scientists involved noticed the black fungi had appeared in the areas in which the radiation levels were the highest. There is much speculation as to whether or not the black fungus can be used in other ways— in which I’d imagine could, speculatively— be used with radiation treatments for cancer as well as creating a better way to conduct space travel.  The black fungus uses melanin to protect itself from radiation. While most organisms can’t exist within such dire conditions, this form of black fungus quite literally thrives within radioactive places— as it has been stated the fungi eats the radiation and transforms it into harness-able power in the form of growth. This says to me the sky isn’t the limit for these little fungi, as a major issue within space travel has been mitigating the naturally occurring radiation from stars.  This black fungi could mean a lot to humanity moving forward. I, for one, welcome any sort of advancement we can make as a people. And while most sources online say scientists are attempting to use this to master space travel, I personally think a good use of the black mold could indeed help with radiation treatments of all kind, which could eventually mitigate the damage done by the field of radiology: meaning radiation treatments may not be as detrimental in the future.  Though I’m well aware the technicians don’t purposely subject people to radiation, there could be a better way, moving forward, to more safely do treatments of the sorts. New discoveries are always welcome, and I hope scientists can find a plethora of uses for Cladosporium sphaerospermum. Welcome to the team strange black fungi!  Author Notes I know I’m hardly a scientist, but I do enjoy a good research rabbit hole. It’s much better than the rabbit holes I typically climb down, but no, I’m not Alice!

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