• Mostly_GristleEnglish
    arrow-up
    180
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 month ago
    link
    fedilink

    Did the mushroom learn to control a robot, or did the scientists figure out how to connect a robot to a mushroom in such a way as to make the regular processes happening inside the mushroom trigger a set of robot legs? Because the article makes it seem like the mushroom is intelligent and has agency, and was thus far only lacking the proper robot body in order to express that; but the video makes it look like the legs were all pumping in unison, and the resulting movement was more or less coincidental.

    • LadyAutumnEnglish
      arrow-up
      122
      arrow-down
      0
      ·
      1 month ago
      link
      fedilink

      The article actually explains that the mushroom is essentially being hijacked for some of its sensory abilities, like light and heat. The mushroom is connected to an electronic circuit. The electronics make decisions about what to do based on the mushrooms’ sensory observations.

      It’s a clickbait title, but the article does clarify.

        • TowardsTheFutureEnglish
          arrow-up
          26
          arrow-down
          0
          ·
          1 month ago
          link
          fedilink

          Right? Why lie. Using mushrooms as a living sensor is cool as hell. Mushrooms can span miles through mycelium with multiple fruiting bodies. If you could take input from one body and get information from all the fruiting bodies that could be a cool way to get aggregate data across an area with little effort. Especially since mushrooms can grow in irradiated or otherwise dangerous locations.

    • lowleveldataEnglish
      arrow-up
      30
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      1 month ago
      link
      fedilink

      The mushroom learned to ride a Gundam with the determination of revenging humans for the damage we have done to mother earth. Trust me bro I’m the scientists.

    • 2pt_perversionEnglish
      arrow-up
      27
      arrow-down
      0
      ·
      1 month ago
      link
      fedilink

      It just using mushrooms as a sensor. The mushroom senses light, that causes an electrical response in the mycelium, electronics sense that electric signal and use it as a trigger to perform whatever.

      The cool part comes from these living components added to robots having the potential to be better and cheaper than the regular tools we use for the job but unfortunately no sentient mushroom robots to party with yet.

    • N3Cr0English
      arrow-up
      11
      arrow-down
      0
      ·
      1 month ago
      link
      fedilink

      I would more think of the fungus from The Last Of Us. This fungus really exists (maybe not to this scale pictured) and it controls ants after infecting them. It directly controls their muscles, while growing a fruit body out of the ant’s head.

      The fungus senses light and humidity. Therefor it climbs plants up and down. The ant is just a vehicle, like a robot body.

      • francisfordpoopolaEnglish
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        0
        ·
        1 month ago
        link
        fedilink

        Damn. Why didn’t you say that sooner. Now I understand how it works! Thank you.

      • BalooWasWahooEnglish
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        0
        ·
        1 month ago
        link
        fedilink

        Or that fungus that makes the snails look like they’ve simultaneously become interested in the rave scene and inflation.

    • DudeDudensonEnglish
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      0
      ·
      1 month ago
      link
      fedilink

      If you dumb it down enough that’s exactly what humans do with our legs

  • The Snark UrgeEnglish
    arrow-up
    79
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    1 month ago
    link
    fedilink

    They should give the robot suction cup feet so it can walk on my-ceiling-um. Myceli- er, nevermind.

    • itsathursdayEnglish
      arrow-up
      30
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      1 month ago
      link
      fedilink

      Almost stuck the landing on that one, I guess you didn’t give yourself mushroom, but points for being a good spore(t).

  • ZMonsterEnglish
    arrow-up
    22
    arrow-down
    0
    ·
    1 month ago
    link
    fedilink

    How could Last of Us get any scarier? Make all the infected also the corrupted machines from Horizon Zero Dawn. Awesome.

  • OptionalEnglish
    arrow-up
    22
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 month ago
    link
    fedilink

    Seasons don’t fear the reaper

  • DiplomjodlerEnglish
    arrow-up
    14
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 month ago
    link
    fedilink

    “Mushroom given robot body” is a better story than “cordyceps mutated”.

  • melroy
    arrow-up
    12
    arrow-down
    0
    ·
    1 month ago
    link
    fedilink

    They watched too much StarTrek discovery.

  • paridoxicalEnglish
    arrow-up
    11
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 month ago
    link
    fedilink

    I, for one, welcome our new robotic fungal overlords!

  • TheGrandNagusEnglish
    arrow-up
    10
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 month ago
    link
    fedilink

    Soon it will be the mushrooms frying us in garlic butter