Defeating such organisms is a practically impossible task, but we have enough defense systems to avoid an apocalypse
In The Last of Us games and series , the Infected fall prey to the Cordyceps fungus . With the resounding popularity of the recent HBO Max production , science representatives began to comment on the subject, confirming that such a destructive infection is not possible to happen (in humans) in real life.
Paul Edward Stamets is one of the big names in mycology and shared his thoughts on The Last of Us Chapter 2 on Twitter. In his words:
“Let's get real. Cordyceps cannot infect humans. But all organisms must eat. There are animals that are predators. There are plants that are predators. There are fungi that are predators. We are all part of a giant food web where we are supported by each other. This is fictional information woven around a theme sprinkled with mycology and that explores mycophobia: the fear of fungi. It is natural for humans to fear that which is powerful but mysterious and misunderstood.”
Stamets further explains that such fungi could actually be the solution to some of the problems we face today. But the big takeaway is that we have no escape from these organisms.
“Cordyceps-like fungi could replace most chemical pesticides with an ecologically rational and economically scalable solution. […] Breaking news: they are everywhere, all the time, and you live with them 24/7. Those same fungi exist under every step you take. Fungi will never be defeated. Our survival depends on a peace treaty with the fungi.”
In the real world, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis (a specific species featured in The Last of Us ) mainly parasitizes insects and arthropods such as ants, centipedes, etc. When it comes to humans, we have enough defense systems to avoid infections (or a potential apocalypse).
#The Last of Us, series#
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