1 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind from how Stuff 2 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Hey, wasn't it stuff to blow your mind? 3 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:16,320 Speaker 1: My name is Robert Lamb and I'm Julie Ducla. Julie. 4 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: What is the largest organism? Honor? I'm going to cut 5 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 1: you off. It's a blue whale, all right, we can 6 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 1: just go home now, yep, that's it, all right, Hey, 7 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:27,639 Speaker 1: thanks for listening. Well, okay, most people think it is 8 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 1: the blue whale because it's to be fair, and it 9 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 1: is the largest sea animal, right, yeah, for sure largest 10 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: my mammal by by far larger than any dinosaur that 11 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: we do. We know of two hundred tons blue whale 12 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 1: an extensive length of a hundred and ten feet, which 13 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:48,559 Speaker 1: is pretty massive. Um. And you know, just just to 14 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 1: put that into perspective, two hundred tons is about as 15 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: heavy as eight DC nine aircraft or fifteen school buses. 16 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: A hundred and ten feet is longer than a basketball court. 17 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: And about one hundred people can fit in a blue 18 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 1: whale's mouth. On people, you can have a party in 19 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:08,119 Speaker 1: a blue wheels. You could crawl inside its heart, right, yes, 20 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 1: you can actually, and that that's not an exaggeration. A 21 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 1: human could crawl through its major arteries and hang out 22 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 1: in the heart. I mean, that is that is huge. 23 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 1: What in the world could be bigger than a blue whale. 24 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:21,679 Speaker 1: Like imagine a blue whale going for a medical check 25 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:24,399 Speaker 1: up and like, I'm sorry, your your arteries are clogged, 26 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 1: and they're like, oh, is it cholestaurant. It's like no, 27 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:30,320 Speaker 1: it's um, it's thirteen year olds. They're just clogged the 28 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:32,959 Speaker 1: kids in your arteries, right. I mean, if you're gonna 29 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 1: eat thirteen year olds, just make sure they're not on 30 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: a diet of potato chips and yeah, and of course 31 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: they don't eat thirteen year old they eat very small creatures. Yeah, 32 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 1: something like you know, millions and gazellions. That's not the 33 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: actual stature, but of krill. Yeah, we've talked about before, 34 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 1: like when you have a super large organism. They are 35 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: essentially crowned atop a throne that sits on a pyramid 36 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 1: of bones and the various and these bones represent all 37 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 1: the animals that and and b lower down on the 38 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: pyramid the vegetation that has to has to die for 39 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 1: that animal to live. And the pyramid or blue whale 40 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 1: is pretty vast because it's all these these these tiny 41 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:11,920 Speaker 1: organisms that it eat at the bottom, at the base 42 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 1: of the pyramid. Yeah, but it turns up. But there 43 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: there is an organism much much larger than a blue whale, 44 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: and it's pyramid of destruction is really spread out for 45 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 1: you know, thousands and thousands of acres. Wow, now I'm excited. 46 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:27,920 Speaker 1: What could this possibly be? Is it is it's some 47 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:31,680 Speaker 1: sort of even larger whale. Is it a super whale, 48 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 1: like a godzilla, well, a kin cong whale. I don't know. 49 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: It's it's something enormous, right, yeah, yeah, okay, so yeah, 50 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: we'll just cut to the chase. It is a fungus 51 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 1: amongst us, like a giant mushroom that stands as tall 52 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 1: as the city. Yes, it is a cousin to the 53 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: white button mushroom. You know, there's cut little mushrooms that 54 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: you see in the package of the grocery store. Is 55 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: called Amarillaria a stoier okay, And it's known as honey 56 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: mushroom for its yellowish cap and I think it's got 57 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: a fruity little essence to it. Do not eat any mushrooms, period, 58 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:04,080 Speaker 1: but let us just go I mean, except for the 59 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:06,080 Speaker 1: ones that your mom cooks for you. And gets at 60 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: the grocery store. But I'm saying don't eat any wild 61 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: mushrooms by any means, though apparently the ones we're talking about, 62 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: they are edible for most people. But again, don't just 63 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 1: don't know, don't eat any wild mushrooms because we talked 64 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 1: about mushrooms. Yeah, yeah, thank you that we had to 65 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: mention that we care about your health. But this fungus 66 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:27,800 Speaker 1: actually causes amalaria root disease, which kills you know, wide 67 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:30,680 Speaker 1: swaths of conifers in many parts of the US and Canada. 68 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 1: And so it's easy to spot where it has been 69 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: because death follows and its footsteps. Yeah, but not so 70 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 1: easy to spot where it's going or where it actually 71 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: maybe in other parts. And the reason is because it's 72 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 1: just a really pervasive disease and it's difficult to deal 73 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 1: with because it uses these dead trees as a food base. 74 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 1: But it also will live in the stumps of trees 75 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: that have been cut down because they're dead, right, And 76 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 1: not only that, but it and grow through direct root 77 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 1: contacts and graft with uninfected trees. Okay, so it can 78 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 1: travel on via underground networks to uninfected trees and strangle 79 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 1: those to death by stopping out all of its nutrients 80 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: and then um it also and this isn't isn't quite 81 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 1: as common, but it can propagate through spores. So you know, 82 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 1: you've got spores through the wind that are carrying and 83 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: you know, maybe like a mile later, you know, boom, 84 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: there you have a spot infecting that area. So I 85 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:33,840 Speaker 1: think it's interesting, especially that it can live in that 86 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:37,280 Speaker 1: stump for fifty years waiting for new growth. Yeah, it's 87 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: so long lived. And like exaggerated earlier about a mushroom 88 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:42,599 Speaker 1: as big as a building, its size is not of 89 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:46,120 Speaker 1: that nature. It's it's spread out over long distances. In fact, 90 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: like we're talking acres and acres, Like there's one particular 91 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:54,279 Speaker 1: individual that covered over acres I believe near Mount Adams 92 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:57,720 Speaker 1: in Washington. Yeah, definitely acres and acres. There's one patch 93 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:01,280 Speaker 1: that actually covers two thousand, three hundred eighty four acres 94 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:03,719 Speaker 1: in the soil of Oregon's Blue Mountains. And this is 95 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 1: according to Scientific American their article strange but true, the 96 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 1: largest organism on earth is a fungus. Wow. I think 97 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 1: they really have to embrace that in Oregon, Oregans not 98 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: which which state is Big Sky country Montana believe. Okay, well, 99 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 1: Oregon should be a big mushroom, big fungus country. I 100 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 1: think there are actually fungus fest and I believe this 101 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:26,120 Speaker 1: ties back to the first occurrence of discovering these massive 102 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 1: fungus underground systems come out for Fungus Fest. Fungus Best 103 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 1: Queen Man. I wish I had that sash, But yeah, 104 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:39,400 Speaker 1: I mean this stuff is is pretty crazy. It just 105 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 1: moves from roots system to roots system old roots systems. 106 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: It's some serious fungus. I guess if you could say 107 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: that it has a cousin in the form of our 108 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:51,520 Speaker 1: malaria gallica, which is less easy to find because it 109 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:54,159 Speaker 1: doesn't like wipe out things and it's a path quite 110 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:57,160 Speaker 1: as much. But it's so widely distributed in the rocky mountains. 111 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:58,920 Speaker 1: And again it also you know, it's it's it's in 112 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: the ground. It's feeding on things and uh on hardwoods 113 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: and uh it's pretty widespread too, but it's it's harder 114 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 1: to really pinpoint exactly how big uh those organisms are. Yeah, 115 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 1: and the fungus was actually discovered when a team of 116 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: fortunate forestry scientists set out to map out the population 117 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:20,160 Speaker 1: of this pathogenic fungus in eastern Oregon, and they paired 118 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 1: fungal samples and Petrie dishes to see if they fused, 119 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 1: which is a sign that they were from the same 120 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:27,680 Speaker 1: genetic individual. Yeah, that's the really key thing here. This 121 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:30,720 Speaker 1: is not a population. This is one genetic individual. Right. 122 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 1: It seems like it seems sort of unfair to say, oh, well, 123 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:36,200 Speaker 1: how could this be one organism, But and in fact 124 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:39,920 Speaker 1: it is the same genetic individual. And they also use 125 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: DNA fingerprinting to determine where one individual fungus ended. So yeah, 126 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 1: there's a biology professor by the name of Tom Volk, 127 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:53,360 Speaker 1: And in terms of talking about what constitutes an individual organism, 128 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:57,839 Speaker 1: he says, it's one set of genetically identical cells that 129 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: are in communication with one another, that have a sort 130 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:03,919 Speaker 1: of common purpose or at least can coordinate themselves to 131 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:08,359 Speaker 1: do something. And isn't that very much like you know humans, right, 132 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 1: I mean, you have all these functions in your your 133 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 1: body that are coordinating with one another. For me to 134 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 1: even like be gesticulating with my hands right now, like 135 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 1: I like to do. Yeah, well, we're not as good 136 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 1: about coordinating things, I guess within our own body. Yeah, 137 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 1: But I mean if I mean I think you're talking 138 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:27,440 Speaker 1: about human culture as a whole. No, no, no, I'm 139 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 1: talking about like within my own body, within my own 140 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 1: little meat sack. I have old sorts of signals and 141 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 1: we're all hopefully on the same page and trying to 142 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 1: you know, I'm an individual, right, right, individual organism right, 143 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:40,960 Speaker 1: and see what you're getting. A's like, how many individuals 144 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: make an uber individual? Right? Right? And individual? I met 145 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 1: a individual? I like that. Yeah, And that's important to 146 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:50,080 Speaker 1: note because you would think that, like the mushrooms or 147 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 1: the fungus um, that you think of it as more 148 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:56,680 Speaker 1: like this collection of when in fact, it's one organism 149 00:07:56,680 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 1: working in concert, and that is why it is so huge. Yeah. 150 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:02,600 Speaker 1: We've talked about in the past of microbes in our 151 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 1: gut and bacterial colonies in our body, and how you 152 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 1: break it all down, and it's like, that's what we are, 153 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 1: you know, we are all these tiny communities that make 154 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 1: a larger community than the being itself is engaged with 155 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 1: other beings and it's just an endless maze circle and 156 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 1: the spiral that kind of thing. Now, there are other 157 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:22,239 Speaker 1: particularly large organisms. I found it interesting that a case 158 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 1: can be made for an aspen clone in Utah. This 159 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 1: comprises approximately forty seven thousand stems of roots, sprouts, origin, 160 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:32,560 Speaker 1: and covering up out a hundred and six acres. So 161 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:34,440 Speaker 1: it looks like you look at a picture of it, 162 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:37,800 Speaker 1: and it's called the Pando clone and fish like National 163 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:41,560 Speaker 1: Forest Southern Utah. It looks like a forest. You don't say, wow, 164 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 1: look at that organism. You go, oh, look at all 165 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:45,840 Speaker 1: those trees. They're kind of boring looking, But actually they're 166 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:48,680 Speaker 1: genetically identical their clones. So you can make the argument 167 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 1: that is one organism covering that that's territory, and yet 168 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 1: that still isn't as large exactly. Another big contender, of course, 169 00:08:57,280 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 1: is the or if it's not really a contender, it's 170 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:03,320 Speaker 1: pretty much by this fungus. But the genant sequoias, of course, 171 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:05,480 Speaker 1: can get the pretty huge. They can exceed a thousand 172 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 1: tons and they're they're really impressive to see, but not 173 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:12,040 Speaker 1: as impressive size wise as the fungus. Let's take a 174 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:14,079 Speaker 1: quick break and when we get back, let's talk about 175 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:17,360 Speaker 1: how this fungus communicates this message of hey, let's be 176 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 1: one big organism and take over the world when we return. 177 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 1: All right, we're back, okay, So We've talked about this 178 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 1: fungus how it grows primarily along tree route via hype, 179 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:36,719 Speaker 1: which are fine filaments that matted together in excrete digestive enzymes. Oh, 180 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:39,320 Speaker 1: there you go. How cool is that the fungus also 181 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:43,720 Speaker 1: has the unique ability to extend these flat shoestring like 182 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:48,120 Speaker 1: structures and that bridges the gap between food sources and 183 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:51,200 Speaker 1: expanding the reach of the fungus. Yeah. I saw a 184 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:54,800 Speaker 1: picture of these root like hair like structures and it 185 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 1: looks just like it's kind of like nasty black hair 186 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:01,000 Speaker 1: like maybe you just like unclogged a drain or some things. Yeah, 187 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:03,839 Speaker 1: it's like it's it's pretty much what it looks like. Yeah, 188 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:06,520 Speaker 1: like kind of you know, seaweedy. Yeah, also too, maybe 189 00:10:06,559 --> 00:10:08,880 Speaker 1: not quite as thick, but yeah, the very stringy and 190 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 1: uh yeah, it's not pretty stuff. But it does the job. 191 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:15,520 Speaker 1: And I think it's fascinating that it does that, that 192 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:18,160 Speaker 1: it it all pulls together to extend that reach so 193 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:20,200 Speaker 1: that if there is no food source that can travel 194 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 1: you know, a couple of feet down or fifty yards 195 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:27,959 Speaker 1: down to you know, basically strangle off a tree system, 196 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:31,880 Speaker 1: uh and its roots and get those nutrients for itself. Yeah, 197 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 1: The plant world is a pretty it's a much slower 198 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:38,000 Speaker 1: world than the animal world. It moves at a at 199 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:42,080 Speaker 1: at a much slower pace, but it itself is a 200 00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:45,760 Speaker 1: pretty violent and competitive world. There was a great episode 201 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:50,960 Speaker 1: of Believe It Was Life um the BBC Discovery compunction, 202 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:53,800 Speaker 1: and they did a great job of taking footage of plants, 203 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 1: of vines growing and speeding it up, and you really 204 00:10:56,880 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 1: get to see the plant world more like the pace 205 00:10:59,559 --> 00:11:01,040 Speaker 1: that it is this by putting it more in a 206 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:04,360 Speaker 1: human framework and h and it's just as as cruel 207 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:08,840 Speaker 1: and vicious and competitive as the animal world. You know. Recently, 208 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: I was in Belize and we were inland in the 209 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:15,400 Speaker 1: jungle area of the Lemoni ruins, and there was this 210 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:17,960 Speaker 1: incredible tree, actually there were several of them, but one 211 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:21,600 Speaker 1: with just completely stood out and it was I don't 212 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:24,200 Speaker 1: it was an incredibly tall tree, like hundred feet tall, 213 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:30,960 Speaker 1: but it had been encased by this um vine like 214 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:33,319 Speaker 1: a strangler fig type of thing. Yeah, and it had 215 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:37,600 Speaker 1: grown so thick it had basically created a sarcophagus around 216 00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:40,400 Speaker 1: this tree with all of these very thick some in 217 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 1: some cases like a foot in diameter thick vines coming 218 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 1: down and that tree was dying underneath. It is completely lethal. 219 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:52,079 Speaker 1: But as you said, you know, these things happened really slowly, 220 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:53,840 Speaker 1: and who knows, it could be another fifty years before 221 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:57,120 Speaker 1: that tree dies. But to see that, to see this 222 00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:00,440 Speaker 1: this um, this vine choking off this tree, it's just 223 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:05,560 Speaker 1: it's sort of brought to mind this idea of um, 224 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:09,760 Speaker 1: the the invisible world, you know, happening before our very eyes. 225 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:13,240 Speaker 1: I guess you could say, and size really mattering in 226 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:17,079 Speaker 1: nature because we've talked about morphological limits before, and we 227 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:19,920 Speaker 1: when we think about size mattering in nature, we think 228 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:23,080 Speaker 1: about predation, right, And like you said, you know there's 229 00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:26,400 Speaker 1: a creature standing atop the pyramid of bones, and in 230 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:29,200 Speaker 1: terms of this fungus, it's a bit different, right because 231 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:32,200 Speaker 1: again those bones will be sort of spread out and 232 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 1: there's no one real predator for this fungus other than 233 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:41,960 Speaker 1: it's not but it's very broad. Yeah, it's very easy 234 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:45,000 Speaker 1: to scale. But I mean, you know, of course, again, 235 00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 1: if you if you want to survive, being larger helps, right, 236 00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 1: because you don't want to be eaten by your prey. 237 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:53,800 Speaker 1: But if you're a fungus, you've got your environmental conditions 238 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:56,880 Speaker 1: to contend with, as prey, but you're also the predator 239 00:12:56,960 --> 00:13:00,360 Speaker 1: and your ability to say, pounce on the roots ums 240 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 1: these conifers, while other plants are doing, are very much 241 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 1: in the hight game of like I need. We knew 242 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:06,760 Speaker 1: the sunlight is the key, so I'm going to get 243 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:09,840 Speaker 1: that sunlight. Well, other plants, the plants as opposed to fungus. 244 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:12,520 Speaker 1: But right right, so you still, yes, the size still 245 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:14,120 Speaker 1: doesn't matter because you have to spread out in order 246 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:16,040 Speaker 1: to conquer. All right, Well, we got a little extra 247 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: time on this one, so let's haul out some listener 248 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:21,600 Speaker 1: mail and see what folks have been saying. Crack the seal. Oh, 249 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:28,360 Speaker 1: thank you, Ernie. Oh yes, sorry, not that seale. Why 250 00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 1: I was thinking he's cracking a seal? Like, oh, no, 251 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:35,600 Speaker 1: he's a robot. He has no no, no, he doesn't. Yeah, 252 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:37,960 Speaker 1: I didn't care. All right, So here's a little listener 253 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 1: mail from Jackie. Jackie rites in and says, Dear Robert 254 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 1: and Julie, fascinating thought that tidally locked perpetual darkness. I've 255 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:46,960 Speaker 1: spent the last couple of days contemplating this in my 256 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:50,000 Speaker 1: spare time. I'm particularly enchanted with the idea of everyone 257 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:52,520 Speaker 1: living in the twilight zone, this of course being if 258 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:55,480 Speaker 1: you had a planet that one side is always facing 259 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:57,480 Speaker 1: the sun and the other side is always facing the 260 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:00,240 Speaker 1: outer dark. Um, you would have one side of super hot, 261 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:02,360 Speaker 1: one side it's a this frigid, and then you had 262 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:05,800 Speaker 1: this ring, uh, this twilight zone that would in some 263 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:11,120 Speaker 1: cases be habitable or something good theoretically support robb life. 264 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:14,320 Speaker 1: Jackie continues, Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for 265 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:17,480 Speaker 1: the thought provoking and story inspiring episode, Julie. Your wish 266 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 1: for stories about this has just been granted to keep 267 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 1: up the great and occasionally inspiring podcast. So yeah, I 268 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:27,000 Speaker 1: love it when we can inspire fictional imaginings of what's possible, 269 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:29,040 Speaker 1: you know, in an other world. And and don't be 270 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:30,680 Speaker 1: shy I send it to us. I mean, if you're 271 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:34,280 Speaker 1: wanting someone to look at your stuff, I speak for myself. 272 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 1: I'm more than happy to look at it. Yeah. Yeah, 273 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 1: by all means, here's another one. Daniel writes in and says, hey, dudes, 274 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:42,760 Speaker 1: I'm listening. I kind of want to do it in 275 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 1: a dude voice, Hey dudes, and listening to your Tidley 276 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 1: locked episode. And you asked for an example of another 277 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 1: author who wrote on the subject. I was immediately reminded 278 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 1: of vun to get Sirens of Titans, where on the 279 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:54,320 Speaker 1: tidally lock mercury the intense burning of one half in 280 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:56,400 Speaker 1: the outther cold of the other meat to produce a 281 00:14:56,480 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 1: planet wide vibration. Spoilers aside deepen the planet are creatures 282 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:04,840 Speaker 1: who feed solely from this planet wide humming an excrete light. 283 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:07,720 Speaker 1: They have no eyes or ears, but instead or drawn 284 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:10,480 Speaker 1: to any pulses of the movie. And then he does 285 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:13,280 Speaker 1: a movie trailer, guy, boys, and even a beating heart. 286 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 1: Read it. Time to push the thirty second button back 287 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 1: six or seven times. Keep up the good work. So 288 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:22,040 Speaker 1: that's that's that's cool. Sirens of Titan is the one 289 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:25,200 Speaker 1: that's been on my bookshelf forever, uh Like, I think 290 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:26,600 Speaker 1: it was one of my dad had, and I don't 291 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 1: think he ever read it. I'm trying to continue the 292 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:31,680 Speaker 1: legacy of not getting around to read Sirens of Titans, 293 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:34,160 Speaker 1: I guess, but maybe I should, Maybe I should change that. Well, 294 00:15:34,240 --> 00:15:38,320 Speaker 1: he had me excrete light about my interest is all right. 295 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:40,640 Speaker 1: Here's a little listener mail from Christie. Christie righton says 296 00:15:40,680 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 1: high Julian Robert. I recently heard the Sword podcast and 297 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 1: it hit a note with me. When I was a kid, 298 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 1: my mom used to tell me all about the stuff 299 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 1: she grew up with, lots of antiquated stuff. One story 300 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:53,600 Speaker 1: was a pair of double bladed ceremonial Spanish great swords. 301 00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:59,640 Speaker 1: Wow did you grow up? She told me they were 302 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:02,320 Speaker 1: thing like six to eight feet long with scalloped edges. 303 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 1: I had a hard time believing her until I went 304 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 1: to my grandmother's house and saw them on the wall. 305 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 1: They were just as advertised. Unfortunately, I don't know what 306 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:12,440 Speaker 1: happened to them. Uh and I was ten when I 307 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:15,040 Speaker 1: saw them, so I'm working from long term memory. They're 308 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 1: probably in a museum somewhere. I've read many books about 309 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:21,080 Speaker 1: nights and swords this size being used, but until your podcast, 310 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:23,440 Speaker 1: I had my doubts. Having listened to the podcast, I 311 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:25,560 Speaker 1: understand they didn't weigh as much as they looked like, 312 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:27,720 Speaker 1: but on the wall they look like they waited a ton. 313 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:30,920 Speaker 1: I haven't heard too much listener mail on the subject. 314 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:33,760 Speaker 1: I'm wondering how common the scaloped edges were and if 315 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 1: they were only for ornamentation or served a purpose. I 316 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 1: don't think you mentioned this aspect. Interesting. Thanks and keep 317 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:44,280 Speaker 1: up the great work Christie. Scaloped edges. I don't know that. 318 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:45,960 Speaker 1: I was gonna say. It'd have to see. I mean, 319 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:47,800 Speaker 1: there are a lot of edges that actually had some 320 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 1: ornate etchings in it, and some I don't know the 321 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:53,920 Speaker 1: the shallowness of the scaloping, you know, because that would 322 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 1: certainly affect the way that the sword cut. But who knows. 323 00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:58,880 Speaker 1: I mean, it could be could be that it was 324 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:00,920 Speaker 1: actually in working order. I can't help but imagine a 325 00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:04,880 Speaker 1: sword that is actually edged with scalops, like like fake scalops. 326 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: It would be delicious end scalops. Now I'm just thinking, yeah, yeah, 327 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:14,560 Speaker 1: potato scalops swords. All right. So that's that's all the 328 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:17,560 Speaker 1: listener mail. We have violins and more. We should also 329 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 1: make a quick note if you're listening to this podcast 330 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:22,359 Speaker 1: and you're and you're asking you something, where are the 331 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:26,320 Speaker 1: seven Deadly Sin podcasts? Because we've at this point when 332 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:28,480 Speaker 1: you're listening to this, I think we're like four into it, 333 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:32,199 Speaker 1: and so there are three remaining we are gonna finish 334 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:36,640 Speaker 1: the series, must Uh, Sloth and Anchor. Yeah, and those 335 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:40,360 Speaker 1: are pretty garn exciting sins, right, Yeah, three really exciting 336 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:43,320 Speaker 1: sins coming your way. So expect those in the weeks ahead, 337 00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:45,320 Speaker 1: and while you're waiting for those, feel free to drop 338 00:17:45,359 --> 00:17:48,040 Speaker 1: by our Facebook page where you may like us. 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And then we're also on Twitter. You 349 00:18:15,119 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: can find us there where our handle is blow the Mind, 350 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:21,160 Speaker 1: and you can also drop us a note at blow 351 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 1: the Mind at Discovery dot com. Be sure to check 352 00:18:28,560 --> 00:18:31,720 Speaker 1: out our new video podcasts, Stuff from the Future. Join 353 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:33,840 Speaker 1: the House Stuff Work staff as we explore the most 354 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:36,680 Speaker 1: promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow.