Episode 3 - Part 2 - The Last of Us - The Interview
07/16/23 • 47 min
In the second of our special two-part episode, we take a deep dive into the world of fungi with mycologist and Teaching Professor Emerita from the University of Calgary, Heather Addy.
What is a fungus?
What is the Cordyceps fungus?
Could the Cordyceps fungus ever evolve to infect humans?
Are there any fungi that are dangerous to humans?
Is there anything that humans can do?
We look at these questions and many others as we look at one of the largest, and most overlooked, organisms on the planet.
Additional Information from Professor Addy:
- The number of fungal species vs plant and animal species: There are an estimated ~ 300 000 species of plants and likely around 7.7 million species of animals (mostly insects!). So, more animals than fungi, likely (although we don't know number of fungal species for sure), but more fungi than plants.
- Fungal pathogens of other animals, specifically white-nose syndrome and the chytrid fungus that is decimating frogs and other amphibians around the world, I mentioned that individual frogs can be treated by transferring them to warmer temperatures for a time (which eliminates the fungal infection from their bodies), which is true. The same treatment would not work for bats infected with white-nose syndrome fungus. The probiotic treatment is promising for protecting bats, this involves spraying the wings of bats with a mixture of bacteria that naturally occur on their wings and that slow the growth of the fungus. There is also a research group working on a vaccine.
References and Sources
A huge thank you to Professor Addy for the taking the time to talk to us and help us to learn more about this fascinating topic!
- https://youtu.be/jM5jf-8ekVA - Could the Cordyceps fungus really take over?
- https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/the-last-of-us-apocalypse-is-not-realistic-but-rising-threat-of-fungal-pathogens-is/ - Yale School of Medicine, “The Last of Us” Apocalypse is Not Realistic, But Rising Threat of Fungal Pathogens Is
February 6th, 2023
Isabella Backman - https://educationnewscanada.com/article/education/level/university/1/1005668/ucalgary-biologist-says-fungus-presents-no-last-of-us-style-threat-to-humanity.html - Calgary biologist says fungus presents no Last of Us-style threat to humanity
University of Calgary
February 17th, 2023
Brennan Black
Interview with Professor Heather Addy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuKjBIBBAL8 - BBC Planet Earth - Ant infected with Cordyceps fungus
- The Last of Us . Created by Neil Druckman and Craig Mazin, performances by Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, HBO, 2013.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuInX_lsI8g - Leaf Cutter Ants - Shadow of the Sun - BBC Earth
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xKeJyvnuWs - CBC Docs - The Evolutionary Story of How Fungi Shaped All Terestrial Life - Including Us
- https://www.ecovative.com/ - Ecovative pioneered the art and science of growing complete mat
In the second of our special two-part episode, we take a deep dive into the world of fungi with mycologist and Teaching Professor Emerita from the University of Calgary, Heather Addy.
What is a fungus?
What is the Cordyceps fungus?
Could the Cordyceps fungus ever evolve to infect humans?
Are there any fungi that are dangerous to humans?
Is there anything that humans can do?
We look at these questions and many others as we look at one of the largest, and most overlooked, organisms on the planet.
Additional Information from Professor Addy:
- The number of fungal species vs plant and animal species: There are an estimated ~ 300 000 species of plants and likely around 7.7 million species of animals (mostly insects!). So, more animals than fungi, likely (although we don't know number of fungal species for sure), but more fungi than plants.
- Fungal pathogens of other animals, specifically white-nose syndrome and the chytrid fungus that is decimating frogs and other amphibians around the world, I mentioned that individual frogs can be treated by transferring them to warmer temperatures for a time (which eliminates the fungal infection from their bodies), which is true. The same treatment would not work for bats infected with white-nose syndrome fungus. The probiotic treatment is promising for protecting bats, this involves spraying the wings of bats with a mixture of bacteria that naturally occur on their wings and that slow the growth of the fungus. There is also a research group working on a vaccine.
References and Sources
A huge thank you to Professor Addy for the taking the time to talk to us and help us to learn more about this fascinating topic!
- https://youtu.be/jM5jf-8ekVA - Could the Cordyceps fungus really take over?
- https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/the-last-of-us-apocalypse-is-not-realistic-but-rising-threat-of-fungal-pathogens-is/ - Yale School of Medicine, “The Last of Us” Apocalypse is Not Realistic, But Rising Threat of Fungal Pathogens Is
February 6th, 2023
Isabella Backman - https://educationnewscanada.com/article/education/level/university/1/1005668/ucalgary-biologist-says-fungus-presents-no-last-of-us-style-threat-to-humanity.html - Calgary biologist says fungus presents no Last of Us-style threat to humanity
University of Calgary
February 17th, 2023
Brennan Black
Interview with Professor Heather Addy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuKjBIBBAL8 - BBC Planet Earth - Ant infected with Cordyceps fungus
- The Last of Us . Created by Neil Druckman and Craig Mazin, performances by Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, HBO, 2013.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuInX_lsI8g - Leaf Cutter Ants - Shadow of the Sun - BBC Earth
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xKeJyvnuWs - CBC Docs - The Evolutionary Story of How Fungi Shaped All Terestrial Life - Including Us
- https://www.ecovative.com/ - Ecovative pioneered the art and science of growing complete mat
Previous Episode
Episode 2 - The Amityville Horror
In December of 1975, newlyweds George and Kathy Lutz moved into a house at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York, setting off what would become one of the most famous haunted house stories of all time. The house, the site of a grisly mass murder, had a history that the Lutzes were not concerned about, but just 28 days later, they were fleeing for their lives with only the clothes on their back. Based on the 1977 best selling novel by Jay Anson, "The Amityville Horror" was one of the most successful films of 1979, but how much of this story is actually true? Using historic newsreel, as well as interviews from Ronald DeFeo Jr. and George Lutz, join us as we explore the true, and maybe not so true, history of one of the most famous houses in the world.
Sources and Credits:
Narrated by: Carissa Willis and Tara Moore
Researched by: Carissa Willis and Tara Moore
Podcast edited by: Carissa Willis
Music by: SoundGalleryByDmitryTaras from PixabayMellor, Lee Dr. Behind the Horror: True Stories That Inspired Horror Movies, Penguin Random House, New York, 2020
Shock Docs - Amityville Horror House - Discovery + / ID
Blistein, Jon. “Ronald DeFeo, Killer Who Inspired ‘The Amityville Horror,’ Dead at 69”, Rolling Stone Magazine, March 16th, 2021
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/amityville-horror-murderer-ronald-defeo-dead-1142644/
https://youtu.be/dM6D4pSausw - News Clip
https://youtu.be/WtNXl_z8Ue8 - Ronald DeFeo Jr. Clip
https://youtu.be/tgaWzCfckHM - George Lutz Interview
The Amityville Horror . Directed by Stuart Rosenberg, performances by James
Brolin, Margot Kidder, and Rod Steiger, American International Pictures, 1979.
Armstrong, Frances J. The Real Amityville Horror, Independently Published, 2017.
Next Episode
Episode 3 - Part 1 - The Last of Us
In the first part of our special two-part episode, we take a look at the hit HBO show and video game, "The Last of Us". Even though the show is not based on a true story, it has led to much speculation about the role that fungi may play in future pandemics. In Part 1, we look at the history of zombies in pop culture, take a look at some "true" cases of zombies, and look at how this latest instalment in the post-apocalyptic genre holds up.
References and Sources
- Music by SoundGalleryByDmitryTaras from Pixabay
- https://www.history.com/topics/folklore/history-of-zombies - The History Channel - The History of Zombies
- https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20150828-where-do-zombies-come-from - BBC Culture - Where do zombies come from? Our contemporary take on the lumbering undead is actually rooted in Voodoo folklore from the Caribbean - Roger Luckhurst
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_of_Us_(TV_series)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_of_Us - video game
- https://zombie.fandom.com/wiki/Why_Zombies_Eat_Brains%3F
- The Last of Us . Created by Neil Druckman and Craig Mazin, performances by Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, HBO, 2013.
- The Walking Dead . Created by Frank Darabont, performances by Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, AMC, 2010.
- Night of the Living Dead . Directed by George A. Romero, performances by Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea, Karl Hardman, Image Ten, 1968.
- Jackson, Michael. “Thriller”, Thriller , Epic Records, 1982, 4.
- BBC Planet Earth - Season 1, Episode 8: Jungles . Directed by Alistair Fothergill, performances by David Attenborough, BBC, 2007.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSJTPbAm-SM - Trailer for “Pig” starring Nicolas Cage
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