The Horrifying Reality of Cordyceps Explained

   / @nsfscience  
Following the success and interest in cordyceps spurred by the hit television series "The Last of Us," Dr. Cathie Aime, a mycologist with the U.S. National Science Foundation, delves into the fascinating world of cordyceps - a special order of fungi that primarily infect insects. She explains how the spore of a cordycep comes into contact with its host, penetrates and begins to fill and grow the host cavity, and ultimately digests the nonessential parts of the host.

#Cordyceps #Fungi #Infections #HostInsects #Mycelium #Phallus #Mushrooms #Ecosystem #Autonomy #EndOfTheWorld #NonVertebrateHost #HumanAutonomy #ChemicalWarfare #MicrobialWorld #Fascinating #Fundamental #DecomposingDeadMatter #EnrichedOrganicEnvironment #Symbiotic #DeadMatterSoil #Imagination #TheLastOfUs
00:00 Dr. Cathie Aime
00:13 What Are Cordyceps?
00:50 Controlling the Host
01:21 Feeding Cordyceps
01:46 Fungal Cells
02:25 Zombie Fascination