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Fungus expert Paul Stamets questions whether the Cordyceps infection featured in HBO’s The Last of Us could spread to humans in real life.
The last of us‘ Cordyceps infection broken down by a real fungus expert. The video game-based HBO show takes apocalyptic fiction to new heights by depicting an infection caused by the fungus known as Cordyceps, which is bringing civilization to a breathtaking halt. The first scene of the series shows a group of scientists in the 1960s discussing the possibility of such an infection, adding a touch of realism to the series’ chilling premise.
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Well, mycologist Paul Stamets took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the harrowing Cordyceps infection being featured on the HBO series.
In a ten-part thread, Stamets praised the use of mushrooms as the show’s powerful enemy, saying, “I applaud the writers for seeing this opportunity to take us on a literary adventure into the realm of sci-fi, while engaging the public’s fascination.” exploit. Fear and delight in mushrooms.” The mycologist also defended the enigmatic organisms, stating, “In reality, mushrooms offer us today some of the best solutions needed to solve many of the existential threats we face,” ending the thread with the somewhat chilling observation that “Fungi will never be defeated. Our survival depends on a peace treaty with Fungi.” is and will never pose a threat to humanity.
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Why Cordyceps Infection is So Scary in the Last of Us
The Cordyceps infection from The Last of Us causes the fungi to take over and control human bodies, creating an army of infected individuals that spreads from person to person. Of course, the idea of losing control of your body is always scary, but on the show it gets even scarier thanks to the look and behavior of the infected, who eventually become clickers. Her aggressive and unpredictable movements, her ability to enter a hive mind due to the vines layered across the ground, and use of echolocation reinforce the horror factor with a scientific basis to back it up, although such an event is unlikely to actually occur .
How clickers differ from zombies
Although The Last of Us has drawn many comparisons to popular zombie media, the series presents a very different beast from the walking corpses that populate many other sci-fi epics. There are a few similarities – zombies are also often portrayed as the result of a worldwide infection, as in The Walking Dead. Also, zombies are often extremely difficult to kill unless a headshot is used, and they will attack and often feed on humans.
However, The Last of Us makes it clear from the very first scene that, unlike a zombie, the organism’s host is incapable of decaying when its body is taken over, due to the medicinal properties of mushrooms. While zombies are often portrayed as decaying, slow-moving creatures, infected and clickers are fast, agile, and able to communicate with each other, and can even develop massive flatulence, making them even more dangerous than the classic sci-fi foe they resemble. Luckily, Stamets hinted at that The last of us’ A gruesome infection is nothing for viewers to worry about in real life, despite the show’s grounded feel.
More: Why clickers sound like this in The Last Of Us
Source: Paul Stamets