Mushrooms thrive on Radioactivity

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Wilfried Heil
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Mushrooms thrive on Radioactivity

Post by Wilfried Heil »

Melanin containing mushrooms from the wall of the Chernobyl reactor show enhanced protein synthesis in a radiation field.

This is not the April issue and the article seems to be well done.

>http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchArt ... ne.0000457
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Carl Willis
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Re: Mushrooms thrive on Radioactivity

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Are these fungi edible, or are they "toadstools" (poisonous)?

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Wilfried Heil
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Re: Mushrooms thrive on Radioactivity

Post by Wilfried Heil »

Cladosporium is a black mold or mildew which grows on damp walls, dead leaves and in the back of the fridge. It is ubiquitous.

Apparently its growth is enhanced by ionizing radiation. Maybe by neutrons? You can test them when they show up in your cooling water tank. Fungi withstand ~10^4 Gy, which would be considered radiation hardened in electronics.
Q
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Re: Mushrooms thrive on Radioactivity

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it tends to hold up rather well to chlorine as well. we have black mold show up at work a lot (i'm in the water treatment business) and it takes some pretty high levels to kill it off.

Q
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Richard Hull
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Re: Mushrooms thrive on Radioactivity

Post by Richard Hull »

I just purchased some copper indium diselenide solar cells on glass substrates. (hamfest)

In the info I have gathered. These cells actually increase their output after high radiation field bombardment, especially neutrons, and can self repair at room temperature! Apparently, both mineral and vegetable things can thrive in a radiation rich atmosphere.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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