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The fungus zombies in The Last of Us are fictional, but real fungi can infect people, and they're becoming more resistantThere is a grain of truth in their yarn. Cordyceps infects mostly insects, taking control of their actions and causing them to help the fungus complete its reproductive cycle - finally sprouting through the body of the insect. Don't click the link unless you have a strong stomach.
Published: February 24, 2023 8.32am AEDT
Gerry Wright
Professor of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University
Many of the people watching The Last of Us are likely there for the zombies.
I love the zombies too, but I'm really there for the fungus.
I've been studying fungi since my PhD work in the 1980s, and I grow more fascinated by these amazing organisms with every passing year.
In the HBO series and the video game that inspired it, a parasitic fungus — a fictitious mutation of the very real cordyceps — jumps from insects to humans and quickly spreads around the world, rendering its victims helpless to control their thoughts and actions. Far-fetched fungal fear-mongering? It's definitely fictional, but maybe not as preposterous as it might seem.
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Read more: https://theconversation.com/the-fungus-zombies-in-the-last-of-us-are-fictional-but-real-fungi-can-infect-people-and-theyre-becoming-more-resistant-200224
Comment: Note they're playing with words here. This new report is saying it's unlikely a foreign power is responsible for an energy weapon attack causing Havana syndrome (likely true). Previous reports weren't speculating on the origin, they were simply saying a plausible cause is pulsed electromagnetic energy. Despite what's written above, it would appear the two reports aren't mutually exclusive. In other words, maybe it's an inside job.
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