Living Coffin | Blood Buddy | Parasitic Youth

Happy Halloweekend! To celebrate, we’re looking back at some of the spookiest science from recent issues.

Plus: spoopy edition st3v-o-lantern! 🎃 

-Steve

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Sarcofungus

Living coffins carry humans to the afterlife. Loop grows final resting places from dehydrated mycelium, dubbed “Living Cocoons”.

• Mycelium = root-like structure of a fungus

• Living Cocoon fungi are rehydrated upon burial

• Leading to full earthly absorption in 60 days

Loop claims this will reduce body decomposition from decades to 2-3 years. More testing is needed before we start seeing fungal funerals, but living caskets offer sustainable transport to the great unknown. And way too many “fun guy” jokes.

How mushroom is in the box?

Blood Buddy

Turns out siphoning blood from the young can slow aging. Researchers surgically joined circulatory systems in pairs of mice to study the impact of a youthful boost.

• Pairs: 4 mo. and 2 yrs. old (18 and 50 in human yrs.)

• Joined for 12 weeks, separated, and studied for 2 mo.

• Older mice lived 6-9% longer than control groups

Young mice showed no negative effects as their bodies quickly cleared out any damage caused by aged blood. Further studies aim to identify key anti-aging molecules and bring molecular therapies to humans. Sans finding a blood buddy.

Vampires may have been on to something

“Worker” Ant

Ants found the fountain of youth, but it’s actually a parasite. Ingesting the tapeworm Anomotaenia brevis can triple their lifetime.

• A. brevis provides age-slowing levels of antioxidants

• Infected ants lounge while their colony picks up the slack

• Uninfected caregivers die far sooner than normal

Ideally host-ants live long enough to be gobbled up by a woodpecker where A. brevis matures. Researchers continue to investigate exactly how the parasite forces co-workers to pick up the slack. Ah yes, reminds me of college.

Anyone know when Antony is submitting their slides?

Unnatural Selection

Last week: “Which leaf tastes better?”

The perfect foliage salad mix. We just need some syrup dressing!

st3v on site

Ghost Stories

It was all fun and games until st3v’s costume started floating.

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Catch-up here: 🔬Hungry Caterpillar | ChemoSound | Robo-Bugs

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