Max G. Levy: Psychedelics, mind control, radiation-eating: The secret superpowers of fungi

Psychedelics, mind control, radiation-eating: The secret superpowers of fungi

The diverse fungal kingdom, which includes everything from baker’s yeast to edible mushrooms to foot infections, has long defied assumptions. Scientists estimate that somewhere between 2 and 12 million species of fungi remain undiscovered— either because they’re microscopic, live hidden within other species, or for other unknown reasons. Max G. Levy digs into the vast and wild world of fungi. [Directed by Petya Zlateva, Compote Collective, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Big Banda Soundscapers].

Fungi are extraordinary organisms with powers ranging from mind control to radiation-eating. Although there may be up to 12 million undiscovered fungal species, their visible roles already shape life on Earth, from enabling plants to colonize land to storing a trillion metric tons of carbon—ten times more than the Amazon rainforest. Some fungi partner with plants, others manipulate insects, and a few even thrive in radioactive ruins by harnessing gamma rays as energy. Their hidden networks quietly propel ecosystems, revealing just how little we know about the living world beneath our feet.

Fungi Rewrite the Rules of Survival and Symbiosis

Fungi make up a vast, mysterious kingdom, with millions of species still unknown to science. Some mushrooms can manipulate animal minds, survive nuclear radiation, and even convert deadly energy into life-sustaining fuel. Underground fungal networks help plants thrive and may lock away a trillion tons of carbon, outpacing the Amazon rainforest. The fungal world is far stranger and more essential than it appears at first glance.