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The fungus among us

Undeveloped fertile heads of Cordyceps entomorrhiza emerging from body of larva of beetle in the family Cerambycidae
Ian Redding
/
Getty Images
Undeveloped fertile heads of Cordyceps entomorrhiza emerging from the body of larva of a beetle in the family Cerambycidae.

The HBO television adaptation of the video game The Last of Us takes place after a global pandemic caused by a fungal infection. Which sparked the question: how much should we be afraid of fungal infections in our world today?

This hour, we learn about the real-life fungal infection of ants that inspired the video game, and we discuss the role of fungi in our world. Plus, we talk with a local mushroom farmer and an author who writes fungal fiction.

GUESTS:

  • William Beckerson: Post-doctoral research Fellow with the National Science Foundation
  • Patricia Kaishian: Mycologist and visiting assistant professor of biology at Bard College
  • Chris Pacheco: Owner of Seacoast Mushrooms in Mystic, Connecticut
  • Jeff VanderMeer: Author of a number of books, including the Southern Reach Trilogy, which includes Annihilation; he recently co-founded The Sunshine State Biodiversity Group

The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

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Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.

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Lily is the senior producer for The Colin McEnroe Show. She first worked at Connecticut Public as an intern in 2014. She has previously worked for WBUR, KUNC and as a producer for the New England News Collaborative's weekly show Next. Lily can be reached at ltyson@ctpublic.org.
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