Fungi Saved the World (2014)

http://feedthedatamonster.com/home/2014/7/11/how-fungi-saved-the-world

by bentaber • 9 years ago

95 12 9 years ago

briga• 9 years ago

Wouldn't the high oxygen concentration during that period have done something to counteract the carbon-sequestering effect of Carboniferous trees? I imagine the amount of wild-fires burning would have been significantly higher because of the high oxygen concentration, thus burning off a lot of the dead trees. One way or another the planet is going to maintain an equilibrium.

mabbo• 9 years ago

Maybe, but all evidence seems to point to the equilibrium being at a higher oxygen rate, cooler temperatures, etc.

megaman22• 9 years ago

From what I understand, the prevalence of enormous invertebrates in the fossil record points at a much higher oxygen percentage, since insect and arachnid respiratory systems aren't efficient enough to support bodies that large otherwise.

enkid• 9 years ago

The period lasted 90 million years, so an equilibrium was reached, or all plants would have died due to a lack of carbon in the atmosphere. The equilibrium was just very different from today

Radim2• 9 years ago

George Carlin had a great bit on equilibrium: "Plastic, Assholes!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tncnWp67wQI

There's no equilibrium or value judgement without specifying a time frame. The only absolute, timeless equilibrium is one that cannot sustain physical processes any more (known as the Heat Death of the Universe in physics).

With that in mind, is it surprising that there was such a thing as wood pollution? "Reduce the toxic oxygen, Kill the trees, Save CO2"?

mrob• 9 years ago

two glucose molecules make up sucrose, or table sugar

Sucrose is made from one glucose molecule and one fructose molecule. Two glucose molecules mostly commonly make maltose.

everyone• 9 years ago

Can someone recommend a good pop-sci book that summarizes all natural history? tx!

mr_overalls• 9 years ago

"A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson is really fantastic.

https://www.amazon.com/Short-History-Nearly-Everything/dp/07...

Radim2• 9 years ago

What makes ASHoNE so fantastic is it doesn't shy away from "science is messy; while there is a common quest for objective truth for the most part, it's incredibly convoluted, random, non-linear, and in any case polluted by our apish propensities".

That's what makes the book so relatable.

A fry cry for that worrying pop trend of "Science is so awesome, bro!" that's been picking up lately (which I find superficial and cringy to the point of being a cult).

nn3• 9 years ago

It's not a book, but

http://palaeos.com/

has a lot of great material.

autokad• 9 years ago

i once found a piece of half wood half coal, it wasn't charcoal. I was young and we moved around a lot, so it got los

Fungi Saved the World (2014)

Related Stories