Mushrooms Could Save the World

. . . and not the way you might think.

Guess which image is of nerve cells and which is of the mycelium, a network of fungus that scientist Paul Stamets says blankets our planet? For the answer, check out his TED talk.

Stamets says the mycelium is sentient, that it serves as a conduit for a multidirectional transfer of nutrients among plants, that it re-routes when damaged like a natural internet, and that the Earth essentially invented the computer internet for its own benefit so that we (at least some of us), as the top organism, could work on allocating resources to protect the planet's biosphere. After hearing some of the details in his talk, you may actually start to believe him.

(The pic of nerves cells was manipulated solely to match the color of Stamets' slide.)