Interesting facts about cordyceps The Last of Us And can a person become infected with this terrible virus? Cordyceps infection in The Last of Us disassembled by a real fungus expert. The video game-based HBO series takes apocalyptic fiction to new heights by depicting an infection caused by a fungus called cordyceps that is destroying civilization in stunning fashion. The series' opening scene introduces a group of scientists in the 1960s discussing the possibility of such an infection, lending realism to the series' horrifying premise.
Now mycologist Paul Stamets has taken to Twitter to give his take on the dreaded Cordyceps infection featured in the HBO series.
In a ten-part thread, Stamets praised the show's use of mushrooms as a powerful enemy, saying, "I applaud the writers for seeing an opportunity to take a literary adventure into the realm of science fiction while capitalizing on the public's fascination, fear, and joy of mushrooms."
The mycologist also defended the mysterious organisms, saying, “In fact, fungi offer us some of the best solutions today that are needed to address many of the existential threats we face,” ending the topic with a somewhat chilling remark: “Fungi will never be defeated . Our survival depends on the peace treaty with Fungi." Stamets believes that although fungi in The Last of Us were used well, the infection presented in the series is not realistic and will never pose a threat to humanity.
Why Cordyceps in "The Last of Us"so scary
Cordyceps infection in The Last of Us causes the fungus to take over and control human bodies, creating an army of infected subjects as it spreads from person to person. Of course, the idea of losing control of one's body is always scary, but in the series it's made even more frightening by the appearance and behavior of the infected, who end up turning into clickers. Their aggressive and erratic movements, their ability to tap into the hive mind via ground-based tendrils, and their use of echolocation add to the science-backed horror factor, despite the unlikely occurrence of such an event.
How are Clickers different from Zombies?
Although the game The Last of Us has drawn many comparisons to the popular zombie series, the series presents an entirely different beast than the walking corpses that populate many other sci-fi epics. There are a few similarities - zombies are also often presented as the result of a worldwide infection, as in The Walking Dead. Additionally, zombies are often very difficult to kill unless you use a headshot, and will attack people and often feast on them.
However, in The Last of Us from the very first scene, it becomes clear that due to the healing properties of mushrooms, the host of the organism is not able to decompose as it captures its body, unlike zombies. While zombies are often depicted as rotting, slow-moving creatures, Infected and Nutcrackers are fast, agile, able to communicate with each other, and can even evolve into fearsome Bloats, making them even more dangerous than the classic fantasy enemy they look like. Fortunately, Stamets stated that the terrible infection in The Last of Us is not something viewers should worry about in real life, despite the episode's mundane nature.
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