[Aroid-l] OT: Fungi that eat ionizing radiation?

From: Steve Marak <samarak at gizmoworks.com> on 2007.05.24 at 04:03:08(15699) A bit off topic, but I know others on the list like these things too ... A post today on one of the bulb lists I follow gave a link to a "fascinating-if-true" paper on the possibility that some fungi can use ionizing radiation as a direct energy source in a way similar to plant's use of visible light. An abstract is at: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-05/aeco-erd051607.php and the full paper seems to be available online at PLoS ONE at: http://www.plosone.org/doi/pone.0000457 Ok, it's not exactly "The Blob", but the part about melanized fungi colonizing the walls of the damaged Chernobyl reactor has at least a bit of those old 1960's science fiction "B" movies about it. If it were April 1, I'd assume it was a joke ... but I admit I hope it's true. Steve +More -- Steve Marak -- samarak@gizmoworks.com _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

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