In a groundbreaking study published in Current Biology, the profound impact of fungi on climate change mitigation has come to light. This research has shed new light on the crucial role played by fungi in consuming a significant portion of the world’s annual fossil fuel emissions. These findings emphasize the importance of recognizing fungi as an integral component of carbon modeling and conservation efforts. This article delves into the fascinating world of fungi and their underground networks, highlighting their essential role as a subterranean “carbon bank” and the potential risks posed by human activities.

The Hidden Heroes: Fungi and Carbon Emissions

Fungi, often associated with mushrooms sprouting above ground, have long been overlooked in climate change discussions. However, this recent study reveals that fungi possess remarkable abilities to mitigate carbon emissions. Specifically, they consume more than a third of the world’s annual fossil fuel emissions, making them significant players in the fight against climate change.

Mycorrhizal Fungi: The Underground Networks

Beneath the surface lies a vast network of mycorrhizal fungi, intricately intertwined with plant roots. These symbiotic relationships between fungi and plants create a mutually beneficial exchange. The fungi provide plants with essential nutrients, while the plants supply the fungi with carbon dioxide generated through photosynthesis.

This underground network acts as a critical carbon sink, storing vast amounts of carbon dioxide, thereby preventing it from entering the atmosphere. The intricate mycelial networks of fungi spread far and wide, connecting numerous plants in a complex web of carbon sequestration.

Fungi as a Subterranean “Carbon Bank”

The ability of fungi to absorb carbon dioxide and store it underground has earned them the nickname of a “carbon bank.” This underground carbon storage is crucial for maintaining a balance in the carbon cycle and mitigating climate change. By storing carbon dioxide, fungi help regulate atmospheric concentrations, reducing the impact of greenhouse gases.

Fungal Disruption and Carbon Storage Risks

Despite their pivotal role, human activities such as agriculture, mining, and industry can disrupt delicate fungal networks. These disruptions pose significant risks to the stability of carbon storage in underground fungal systems. As human interventions increase, the potential for disturbance grows, jeopardizing the vital role that fungi play in climate change mitigation.

The study estimates that globally, plants pump approximately 13 gigatons of carbon dioxide into underground fungi each year. However, the disruption caused by human activities threatens this natural carbon sink, potentially leading to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and exacerbating the effects of climate change.

Conservation Efforts and the Future

Recognizing the importance of fungi in climate change mitigation is crucial for conservation efforts. By safeguarding and restoring fungal networks, we can maximize their carbon sequestration potential and promote the stability of carbon storage systems. Integrating fungi into carbon modeling frameworks and conservation strategies is essential to develop sustainable approaches to combat climate change effectively.

The recent study emphasizes the pivotal role played by fungi in mitigating climate change. These remarkable organisms consume a substantial portion of the world’s annual fossil fuel emissions, acting as a vital but often overlooked component of carbon modeling and conservation efforts. Through their underground networks, mycorrhizal fungi form a subterranean “carbon bank,” efficiently sequestering carbon dioxide and reducing its impact on the atmosphere.

However, the disruption caused by human activities poses significant risks to the stability of these fungal networks, jeopardizing their capacity for carbon storage. It is imperative to raise awareness about the importance of fungi in climate change mitigation and implement conservation strategies to protect and restore these essential underground networks. By recognizing and valuing the role of fungi, we can work towards a more sustainable future, combating climate change one carbon molecule at a time.

1. What caused the Cordyceps virus in The Last of Us?

In the fictional world of The Last of Us, the Cordyceps virus is caused by a mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus, which primarily infects insects in reality. In the game’s narrative, the Cordyceps fungus has undergone a catastrophic mutation, enabling it to infect and spread among humans, leading to a devastating global pandemic.

2. Why can’t Cordyceps infect humans?

In reality, Cordyceps primarily affects insects and other arthropods, but it does not naturally infect humans. The biology and physiology of humans differ significantly from that of insects, making us immune to the Cordyceps fungus. While the game portrays a fictional scenario where the Cordyceps virus has mutated to infect humans, it is important to note that this is purely a work of fiction and does not reflect real-world scientific possibilities.

3. Is The Last of Us based on a fungus?

Yes, The Last of Us draws inspiration from the Cordyceps fungus, a real fungus that primarily affects insects and other arthropods. The game’s fictional world imagines a mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus that can infect and spread among humans, leading to a post-apocalyptic scenario. However, it is essential to remember that The Last of Us is a work of fiction and takes artistic liberties in its depiction of the Cordyceps virus and its effects on humans.

4. Can humans be infected by Cordyceps?

In reality, humans cannot be infected by the Cordyceps fungus that primarily affects insects. The Cordyceps fungus has co-evolved with specific insect hosts and has developed a specialized relationship with them. While there are many different species of Cordyceps, none of them naturally infect or harm humans. Cordyceps supplements available in the market are cultivated and processed in controlled environments, ensuring they are safe for human consumption and do not pose any risk of infection.

In a remarkable breakthrough, researchers at Cornell University have developed innovative software that opens up new possibilities in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). The Breakthrough Listen Investigation for Periodic Spectral Signals (BLIPSS), led by Akshay Suresh, a doctoral candidate in astronomy at Cornell, aims to detect repetitive patterns emanating from the core of our galaxy, the Milky Way. This blog post explores the groundbreaking research conducted by Cornell University and the role of their software, based on the Fast Folding Algorithm (FFA), in revolutionizing the hunt for intelligent life beyond our planet.

Understanding the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: The quest to find signs of intelligent life beyond Earth has captivated the human imagination for decades. BLIPSS takes a unique approach by focusing on periodic signals, which can be indicative of directed transmissions from advanced civilizations. While natural astrophysical objects like pulsars generate periodic signals, the researchers recognize the potential of human-generated periodic transmissions to stand out against the background of non-periodic signals, all while consuming significantly less energy.

The Role of Fast Folding Algorithm: BLIPSS utilizes a cutting-edge search method known as the Fast Folding Algorithm (FFA), which offers enhanced sensitivity to periodic sequences of narrow pulses. This algorithm, introduced for the first time in the field of SETI through BLIPSS, allows the researchers to process over 1.5 million time series in just approximately 30 minutes. This efficient and open-source software serves as a science multiplier, significantly expanding the capacity to analyze data and identify potential techno-signatures.

Benefits of the BLIPSS Software: The adoption of the FFA-based software developed by Cornell University brings several advantages to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence:

1. Enhanced Sensitivity: The FFA allows for improved sensitivity to periodic signals, enabling researchers to identify potential techno-signatures that may have gone undetected using previous methods. This heightened sensitivity increases the chances of detecting signals from advanced civilizations.
2. Efficient Data Processing: BLIPSS software utilizes the FFA to analyze an extensive amount of time series data rapidly. By reducing the processing time to approximately 30 minutes, researchers can efficiently process large datasets, accelerating the pace of discovery.
3. Open-Source Collaboration: Cornell University’s software is open-source, allowing for collaboration among researchers and enabling the broader scientific community to contribute to the analysis and improvement of the FFA algorithm. This collaborative approach fosters innovation and ensures the continuous refinement of SETI techniques.

The research conducted by Cornell University’s BLIPSS team, led by Akshay Suresh, represents a significant milestone in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. By pioneering the use of the Fast Folding Algorithm in SETI research, the team has demonstrated the potential of this cutting-edge software in detecting periodic signals emanating from our cosmic neighborhood.

The enhanced sensitivity and efficient data processing offered by the software provide valuable tools for scientists to explore the possibility of intelligent life beyond Earth. With open-source collaboration at its core, the BLIPSS project serves as a stepping stone towards further advancements in SETI research, bringing us one step closer to uncovering the mysteries of the universe and our place within it.

When it comes to prestige, both Cornell University and Harvard University are highly regarded institutions. However, it’s important to note that perceptions of prestige can vary among individuals and across different fields of study.

As for the admission process, it is difficult to make a direct comparison regarding which university is easier to get into. Both Cornell and Harvard have highly competitive admissions processes, and they consider various factors such as academic achievements, extracurricular activities, personal essays, recommendation letters, and standardized test scores.

Admission rates can fluctuate from year to year and can vary across different programs within each university. It’s worth noting that Harvard’s overall acceptance rate is often lower than Cornell’s, but this does not necessarily indicate that Cornell is easier to get into. Each university has its own unique applicant pool and sets its admission standards accordingly.

In summary, both Cornell and Harvard are prestigious institutions, but the perceived prestige may differ among individuals. As for admission, it is challenging to determine which university is easier to get into as it depends on various factors and can vary from year to year.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have made a groundbreaking discovery, revealing that virtually any material can be transformed into a continuous electricity-harvesting device from atmospheric humidity. By incorporating nanopores smaller than 100 nanometers in diameter, these engineers have unlocked the potential to generate clean electricity from thin air. This exciting research, published in the journal Advanced Materials, paves the way for a future in which ubiquitous clean energy is available everywhere.

Harnessing the “Air-gen Effect”:
Xiaomeng Liu, the lead author of the paper and a graduate student in electrical and computer engineering at UMass Amherst, expressed their enthusiasm, stating, “We are opening up a wide door for harvesting clean electricity from thin air.” According to Jun Yao, the senior author and assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, the atmosphere contains an immense amount of electricity. By considering clouds, which consist of charged water droplets, the researchers drew inspiration to develop a human-made, small-scale cloud that consistently and predictably produces electricity.

The key lies in what Yao and his colleagues have termed the “generic Air-gen effect.” This effect builds upon their previous work in 2020, where they demonstrated the continuous harvesting of electricity from the air using a specialized material composed of protein nanowires generated by the bacterium Geobacter sulfurreducens. Subsequently, they realized that the ability to generate electricity from the air, known as the Air-gen effect, is not limited to a specific material but rather a particular property: having nanopores smaller than 100 nm.

The Role of Nanopores:
The mean free path, which represents the distance a water molecule in the air can travel before colliding with another water molecule, is approximately 100 nm. Recognizing this parameter, Yao and his team designed an electricity harvester based on this principle. They created a thin layer of material filled with nanopores smaller than 100 nm, allowing water molecules to pass from the upper to the lower part of the material. Due to the small size of each pore, the water molecules collide with the pore’s edge as they traverse the thin layer. Consequently, the upper part of the material accumulates more charge-carrying water molecules than the lower part, establishing a charge imbalance akin to that observed in a cloud. This ingenious concept effectively creates a battery that operates as long as humidity exists in the air.

Advantages and Future Prospects;
Yao emphasizes the simplicity and novelty of this idea, noting its vast potential for diverse applications. With the flexibility to utilize various materials, cost-effective and environment-friendly fabrication becomes feasible. Moreover, unlike other renewable energy sources such as wind or solar, which are dependent on specific conditions, the electricity harvester powered by humidity operates continuously regardless of time, weather, or location. This 24/7 functionality opens up new possibilities for clean energy availability.

Additionally, due to the three-dimensional diffusion of air humidity and the minuscule thickness of the Air-gen device, thousands of these devices can be stacked on top of each other, exponentially increasing energy generation without occupying significant space. A network of Air-gen devices holds the potential to deliver kilowatt-level power, making it suitable for widespread electrical utility usage.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst research team’s discovery of harvesting electricity from air humidity through nanopores represents a significant breakthrough in clean energy generation. Supported by esteemed institutions such as the National Science Foundation, Sony Group, Link Foundation, and the Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS) at UMass Amherst, this research opens doors to a future world where clean electricity is universally accessible. The possibilities are limitless, with potential applications in various environments, contributing to human health

The research article:

1. Can energy be pulled from the air?

Yes, energy can be extracted from the air through innovative technologies. One such breakthrough discovery has been made by engineers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. By utilizing nanopores smaller than 100 nanometers in diameter, they have developed a method to continuously harvest electricity from atmospheric humidity. This remarkable achievement demonstrates that almost any material can be transformed into a device capable of extracting energy from the air.

2. How can we generate electricity through air?

Electricity can be generated from the air using a revolutionary approach called the “Air-gen effect.” Researchers have found that if a material possesses nanopores smaller than 100 nanometers, it can create a charge imbalance when water molecules from the air pass through these tiny pores. By designing a thin layer of such material and allowing water molecules to collide with the edges of the nanopores, an electrical charge is generated. This concept mimics the charge accumulation observed in clouds, effectively producing a battery-like system that continuously generates electricity from atmospheric humidity.

3. Is it possible to have electricity in the air?

Yes, it is indeed possible to have electricity present in the air. The atmosphere contains an abundance of electrical energy, with water molecules carrying charges. While capturing electricity directly from lightning, for example, remains a challenge, researchers have discovered a way to reliably and continuously harness electricity from the air. By leveraging the “Air-gen effect,” which involves creating nanopores smaller than 100 nanometers in a material, it is now feasible to extract electricity from the humidity in the air.

4. Can you harness atmospheric energy?

Absolutely! Harnessing atmospheric energy is becoming a reality with advancements in technology. The development of the “Air-gen effect” enables the extraction of electricity from atmospheric humidity. By using materials with nanopores smaller than 100 nanometers, it is possible to create a charge imbalance when water molecules in the air interact with these pores. This breakthrough allows for the continuous harvesting of electrical energy from the atmosphere, offering a promising avenue for clean and sustainable power generation.