"In the kingdom of life, fungi form their category as broad as animals or plants. All terrestrial life, all recognisable life, would be without fungi inconceivable. But they haven’t received a kingdom’s worth of attention," says Marlin Sheldrake, mycologist and author of "Entangled Life". Fungi live most of their lives not as mushrooms but as branching networks, fusing cells. Mycelia networks are able to form persistent physical connections between different organisms. "They lead us to view the living world as made up of many interconnected players,” Sheldrake remarks.
According to him, definitions of intelligence tended to put the human mind at the centre of enquiries. Most of the definitions of intelligence involved brains or brained animals."Fungi are intelligent, can solve problems, adapt to changes in their environments, and make decisions. The way they manage their lives is puzzling."
Merlin Sheldrake: "Fungi remind us that you don't have to have a brain to solve problems."
Fungi are tasty but can be disgusting, and some are parasitic. Merlin Sheldrake, the author of "Entangled Life" and a speaker at the GDI’s 2nd International Food Innovation Conference, gave us an insight into the world of mushrooms.
15 July, 2022
by
GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute