What if we told you that the terrifying nightmare depicted in the hit TV show ‘Last of Us’ could become our reality? Mycologists have disclosed to DailyMail that the scenario may be true. Nothing is more terrifying than when fiction becomes reality.
For those of us who haven’t watched the program, it depicts an apocalyptic future in which a mind-controlling fungus crosses the species barrier, from ants to people, as a result of climate change. The result is terrifying pandemonium.
According to a researcher at Manchester University’s Manchester Fungal Infection Group, the scenario isn’t all that far-fetched.
According to Norman van Rhijn, the show “took inspiration from scientific proof and basically sensationalized it a little bit.”
Another Mycologist, Joo Arajo of The New York Botanical Garden, adds that this mind-controlling fungus, also known as cordyceps, previously evolved to jump inside ants.
“The cordyceps was in beetles and then jumped to ants because both happened to be (in the same) tree trunk.”
What is preventing it from leaping into humans? Not a lot. It may not happen in our lifetime, but “never say never,” according to Norman van Rhijn.
He argues that for the human population to be infected with the zombie fungus, our species’ immunity would have to alter.
What is now safeguarding us is our temperatures. The fungus can endure temperatures as high as 80 degrees Fahrenheit. (yellowtail.tech) Our bodies are substantially hotter, at roughly 98 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cordyceps may not be a problem at the moment, but other fungi are. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced its first-ever list of health-threatening fungi in October 2022, including 19 that pose the greatest hazard.
Zombie show ‘Last of Us’
The Last of Us is a 2013 post-apocalyptic action-adventure video game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony. The plot revolves around Joel and Ellie, two survivors of a fungi-zombie apocalypse. The Last of Us has received critical acclaim for its plot, characters, and exploration, and has won multiple prizes for its writing.
The Last of Us was just turned into an HBO TV drama, which will premiere on HBO Max in January 2023. Pedro Pascal plays Joel, and Bella Ramsey plays Ellie. In India, the show is available on Disney+ Hotstar.
