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mancinedinburgh OP t1_j6y14pl wrote

I think the point behind yet another gimmicky-sounding project is that it would mean less foreign microbes from humans/Earth contaminating the moon or Mars. Also, apparently this particular fungus makes a biomass building material (which can easily be transported into space) that is “stronger than concrete” when mixed with a certain type of algae. Who knew?

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masonel77 t1_j6yo2pc wrote

I think it all depends on scaleability. There was lots of hype around Pleurotus species being able to decompose certain plastics or petroleum products (can’t remember which) and as enthusiastic as people were it’s just not a scaleable idea and lost steam within a few years (I think they realized Cyanobacteria are a better bet for large scale bioremediation, anyways).

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ToothlessGrandma t1_j6z1ik3 wrote

Is anyone really concerned with putting microbes on the moon. It's a lifeless rock.

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Zeshicage85 t1_j6z5ies wrote

Not about the moons ecosystem of course. But I would always be careful about what you introduce to a place with higher levels of radiation. Not to mention if something becomes a problem up there it's not like a trip back to earth is cheap or easy.

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Lurlex t1_j6z85zi wrote

This concept, combined with that image, strongly brings Morrowind to mind. I would totally be on board for a Morrowind-like mushroom colony on Mars. They would even have red dust during storms.

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T9chnician67 t1_j72aq59 wrote

Hey, if you didn’t see the post I scrolled by ten minutes ago, Morrowind is apparently free for Amazon Prime right now. I just got launched back to when I was 12 playing the game for the first time and being scared of going into caves and shit.

I’m older now, and mostly only get fidgety, gibbering and anxious about underwater exploration and parts of games where you’re free floating in space.

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Chroderos t1_j6zl0gs wrote

Kind of makes sense. Mushrooms can be grown in the dark at relatively low temperatures on organic waste. They’d be a highly efficient food and material source on another planet or on a nuclear wintered Earth.

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PineappleLemur t1_j70ghsn wrote

Mushrooms as a food source is some of the worse thing caloric wise... The amount of mushroom someone needs to eat to be full is stupid.

It's only good as flavor/texture enhancer it has little to no nutritional value.

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otoolem t1_j74zjxc wrote

Do they taste like shit? Yo' know, flavor wise...?

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fibothinks t1_j6zlcda wrote

No they won't. The idea that people will give up any kind of luxury is just absurd to me. We'll figure out how to live in the tundra and underwater before we live in mushrooms on another planet.

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GrandmaPoses t1_j7002pg wrote

The wealthy will make off-planet housing a status symbol. That’s going to require workers, and they’re going to be the ones living in the mushroom shitholes. You won’t see people living on other planets until they can make it luxurious. Like Dubai and those fake-ass islands.

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PeakEnvironmental711 t1_j71emj6 wrote

I must disagree. If I had the chance to be the ones starting the colony on Mars, you bet your ass I would give up everything for that. It would suck at first but to think of myself as pioneering for the future of humanity? You bet I would

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thisimpetus t1_j722kbb wrote

Well this is just a strawman argument; the article wasn't proposing mass human migration to mars.

Astronauts are people.

Beyond which nothing precludes doing both of those things, nor eventually having sufficient industry on Mars to provide luxury.

Nevermind the possibility of generations raised in less luxury who don't have to give it up because they never had it. I mean honestly I could sit and draft caveats to this comment all morning.

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fibothinks t1_j76ffmm wrote

Oh, please do!

It's not a serious argument and doesn't deserve that kind of energy, friend. Do as you please.

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Inevitable_Area2292 t1_j6zq7mc wrote

And why can’t I have MyceliumHut™ today? On earth? Pleassseeee

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RecoveringGrocer t1_j6zy644 wrote

We’re all really just part of the long term colonization plans of the mushroom hegemony.

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FuturologyBot t1_j6y5fb0 wrote

The following submission statement was provided by /u/mancinedinburgh:

I think the point behind yet another gimmicky-sounding project is that it would mean less foreign microbes from humans/Earth contaminating the moon or Mars. Also, apparently this particular fungus makes a biomass building material (which can easily be transported into space) that is “stronger than concrete” when mixed with a certain type of algae. Who knew?

Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/10rwjdm/future_humans_living_on_the_moon_and_mars_may_one/j6y14pl/

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Theduckisback t1_j701wq7 wrote

Cool, Shame what will happen to all the poor saps stuck on earth though.

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trapped-in-the-dunya t1_j702crm wrote

Can we put homeless into homes before we put homes on Mars please?

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TheAmateurletariat t1_j70bod3 wrote

Why not both?

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trapped-in-the-dunya t1_j70gh4i wrote

Because it seems easier for humans to figure out how to put a home on Mars, then it is to put more homes here on earth. Consider it a challenge to mankind's intellect.

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Wang_Fister t1_j70qvx6 wrote

Best we can do is mulch the homeless to provide a substrate for the space-shroom holiday homes of billionaires.

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TheAmateurletariat t1_j70i0lg wrote

I don't think that's at all true. It's not like all of our scientists can only collectively work on one thing at a time, or that breakthroughs in one area can't affect others.

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trapped-in-the-dunya t1_j73osmw wrote

That's a valid point. The scientists are focusing their abilities to solve the logistics of it but, solving this issue might help with solving another. Teams of individuals will need to come together to solve the issue of how to populate an area in a place that is (without human intervention) uninhabitable. The idea that I was hoping to put forward was that this effort would be more rewarding to society and humans as a species if it were directed towards solving the fundamental problem of homelessness in general.

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ImminentZero t1_j70d2zu wrote

Fuck Mars, can you just grow me a shed for my garden please? Gotta be cheaper than buying one at this point.

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470vinyl t1_j70eei1 wrote

Maybe houses will be cheaper on other planets. Here’s hoping I can afford one as opposed to New England.

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PoSlowYaGetMo t1_j70f9cx wrote

The structures we can build may make sense, but our survival in these things? Unless we conquer the health deficits due to lack of gravity, its not practical.

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Some-Ad9778 t1_j70qq5q wrote

Mars is going to be on some mario shit. The lower gravity will mean you can jump higher and turtles will be faster

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AB232_ t1_j712g5e wrote

And when I take mushrooms I live in Mars…crazy world we live in.

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