Can mushrooms save the world? In a manner of speaking, yes, according to renowned mycologist Paul Stamets. We must first come to understand the language through which fungal networks communicate with their ecosystem.
Mushroom mycelium represents rebirth, rejuvenation, regeneration. Fungi generate soil, that gives life. The task that we face today is to understand the language of nature.
My mission is to discover the language of nature of the fungal networks that communicate with the ecosystem. And I, in particular believe nature is intelligent. The fact that we lack the language skills to communicate with nature does not impugn the concept that nature is intelligent, it speaks to our inadequacy of our skill-set for communication.
We have now learned that there are these languages that are occurring in communication between each organism. If we don’t get our act together and come in commonality and understanding with the organisms that sustain us today, not only will we destroy those organisms, but we will destroy ourselves.
via Ecovative
Today the internet brings interesting stories about mushrooms. The above, and also this.
Photojojo founder, Amit, has found a 10/10 bone marrow donor match! (10/10 is really good!)
Thank you to everyone who has run a bone marrow drive or sent a note of support. You guys rock.
Here’s a note from Amit below.
Many of you have asked, so here’s what’s going on with me.
WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE
- 8/1979: Born. Grew up in CT, built a killer eraser collection, fell in love with computers.
- Left college to start a company. Fell hard. Fled to India for 3 months.
- Started 2nd company. Learned to be an adult. Fell in love with NYC.
- Moved to SF, discovered burritos & some of my fave people on Earth.
- 9/2011: Got diagnosed with Leukemia!
- Cried. Went through 3 cycles of chemo. Hurt. Thought hard about what I want out of life. Grew up a second time.
TODAY
… After over 100 drives organized by friends, family, and strangers, celebrity call-outs, a bazillion reblogs (7000+!), tweets, and Facebook posts, press, fundraising and international drives organized by tireless friends, and a couple painful false starts, I’ve got a 10/10 matched donor!
You all literally helped save my life. (And the lives of many others.)
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Tomorrow, I’ll be admitted to Dana Farber in Boston for 4-5 weeks.
First I’ll get a second Hickman line to allow direct access to my heart (for meds and for nutrients if I’m not able to eat). Over the next week, the docs blast my body with a stiff chemo cocktail to try and eradicate all traces of cancer cells. In the process, the immune system I was born with, and my body’s ability to make blood, are destroyed.
Next Friday, I get my donor’s stem cells by IV. I start on immunosuppressants to prevent my body from rejecting them (I’ll be on them for 12-18 months). For these weeks I’ve no immune system, so I’m severely vulnerable to viruses and bacteria. My hospital room and hallway become my world.
Meanwhile, the stem cells make their way to my bone marrow and, with some luck, start producing platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells. At this point, my blood type changes to the blood type of my donor. And my blood will now have my donor’s DNA, not my own.
This is science fiction stuff. I can hardly believe it’s even possible, and there’s lots of chances for things to go wrong. It’s frightening.
AFTER THE TRANSPLANT
Recovery to a new state of “normal” takes about a year, but there’s a few storm clouds hovering:
- My immune system is new, like a baby’s. I’m prone to getting sick.
- Just as with any organ transplant, there’s a chance of rejection. Except in this case, it’s my blood that’s the foreign body, and it touches every organ. They call it graft-vs-host-disease and it can cause health issues and organ complications for the rest of my life.
- Successful transplant or not, Leukemia can relapse. Stubborn mofo.
Overall, 75% of AML transplant patients survive year one, 50% make it through year five. My odds are a little better since I’m young.
THE GREAT NEWS
I’ve got a long road ahead. But I’ve got a donor & amazing family & friends. A few months ago I didn’t have many options. Today I have a plan.
I am alive. I start tomorrow. Wish me luck!
Thank you.
I’ve been searching for inspiration and ways to stay motivated today. Amit’s story strikes the strongest chord.
As a film industry professional, I do NOT support SOPA. Don’t take away our right to free speech on the internet because the music and movie businesses are fucking dinosaurs on the brink of extinction. My downloading a song for free once in a while isn’t going to make your company’s CEO go starving, so chill and your laws off my LOLCATS!
Carsten Nicolai, Creators Project. I wanna make videos like this about people like this.
Posted January 16, 2012 at 11:46am
Every year, Christmas break marks a tidal wave of “when we were younger” photos being uploaded to people’s Facebook accounts while they sit in their parents’ houses and look through old family albums. You know what we’re talking about — photos of babies in bikinis and retro-looking toddler bros in oversized sunglasses.
Well John and Richard Ramsey (aka the Ramsey Brothers), whose YouTube account is usually used to house their sketch comedy videos and commercial parodies, decided to do everyone one better this year and upload some of their old home movies. But they took things a step further and added their own director’s commentary to the clips.
More: ‘Home Video Commentaries’: Brothers Give Directors’ Commentary For Their Old Home Movies
Not where you saw.
We’ve seen a lot of 365 projects, but David Talley’s really took it to the next level, well done.
Super cool photo set. Makes me wanna make the most of the coming year.
