Cool article. I like the parallels you've drawn between Cordyceps and social media, and I love your inclusion of the Attini farmer ants.
If you did not already know this, you might be interested to know that why humans (and other vertebrates) do not have something like parasitic zombie fungus cordyceps when so many invertebrates do is because we have adaptive immune systems. Our immune systems with our B- and T-cells can develop a "learned," "memory" immune response to things like fungi, but invertebrates largely cannot. Fungi are, in general, terrible at surviving against a vertebrate immune response, which is why dangerous fungal infections in people are so rare (*unless they're badly immunocompromised) even though fungi arguably make up the majority of living mass on planet Earth.
The brain parasite that can live in humans that you cite, Toxoplasma, is better able to survive against vertebrate immune responses because it's already adapted to live in other vertebrates--but it doesn't largely make them sick (*unless they're very immunocompromised.) The effect sizes for the behavioral changes you mention in people infected with Toxoplasma are tiny, so it's controversial whether Toxoplasma actually enhances risk tolerance or aggression in people. This is again because of our awesome adaptive immune responses.
Individual ants, as invertebrates, don't have an adaptive immune response, but perhaps a colony of ants, as a superorganism, does. Individual ants don't seem to have much capacity to learn or make decisions, but the superorganism that is the colony may.
Humans have the advantage of being able to respond to a parasite on both an individual and a social level. I think this is both true on the level of an individual adaptive immune system vs. a fungus, and on the level of an individual mind vs. a digital parasite.
"extract data and replace thoughts with advertisements"
Sometimes just a few good words stand out proud and shiny. Well done Gunnar! 👏
I think The Matrix movies are still the best representation of the human/tech dilemma we face. Which of us is wise and strong enough to give up the (symbolic) juicy steak and woman in the red dress (or whatever our object of desire might be) in favor of mundane "reality"?
Of course the hive mind can go either of two ways: universal bliss or universal flame wars. But if we get it right everybody will want to join. Then we'll have the brain power to conquer space and assimilate other life forms until we've taken over the entire galaxy. In our hunger for new meat we'll then need to hack time and keep travelling back assimilating the same races ever earlier. We are Borg...
"I hear stories of young people consciously rejecting smart phones and online life, and finding ways to connect in person – but they’re salmon swimming upstream."
Wait but don't salmon successfully swim upstream all the time to spawn? Am I missing something or is this analogy the opposite of what the author wants? 🤔
Hi Gunnar, glad to have found your writing here! So much going on in this piece and I look forward to your other writing! These are the topics I think about too. About your comparison re: ant colony as an organism vs. humanity as an "organism" --- I wonder if the difference is a certain threshold of consciousness and whether it's more distributed (in ants) or more centralized (in humans). Of course, humans have extended mind aspects too, but there's more that's happening in a centralized form, if we use complexity as our benchmark.
There’s definitely something to that. An ant colony has no centralized decision-making. A lot of it is relatively ‘simple’ interactions and feedback loops leading to emergent ‘behaviors’ of the colony. Human societies too have distributed elements (culture, etc.), but also individual, centralized decision-making. There’s also the stronger interdependence in ants, in the sense that the different castes need each other to survive (and for the colony to survive). Which leads us to the unit of selection debate in biology, and that requires an entire post on its own 😉.
Cool article. I like the parallels you've drawn between Cordyceps and social media, and I love your inclusion of the Attini farmer ants.
If you did not already know this, you might be interested to know that why humans (and other vertebrates) do not have something like parasitic zombie fungus cordyceps when so many invertebrates do is because we have adaptive immune systems. Our immune systems with our B- and T-cells can develop a "learned," "memory" immune response to things like fungi, but invertebrates largely cannot. Fungi are, in general, terrible at surviving against a vertebrate immune response, which is why dangerous fungal infections in people are so rare (*unless they're badly immunocompromised) even though fungi arguably make up the majority of living mass on planet Earth.
The brain parasite that can live in humans that you cite, Toxoplasma, is better able to survive against vertebrate immune responses because it's already adapted to live in other vertebrates--but it doesn't largely make them sick (*unless they're very immunocompromised.) The effect sizes for the behavioral changes you mention in people infected with Toxoplasma are tiny, so it's controversial whether Toxoplasma actually enhances risk tolerance or aggression in people. This is again because of our awesome adaptive immune responses.
Individual ants, as invertebrates, don't have an adaptive immune response, but perhaps a colony of ants, as a superorganism, does. Individual ants don't seem to have much capacity to learn or make decisions, but the superorganism that is the colony may.
Humans have the advantage of being able to respond to a parasite on both an individual and a social level. I think this is both true on the level of an individual adaptive immune system vs. a fungus, and on the level of an individual mind vs. a digital parasite.
Great additions, Doctrix, thanks!
(Beyond adaptive immunity, endothermy might also protect mammals, at least against some fungal infections.)
Good addition! Yes, our cozy, toasty internal temperature is too toasty for a lot of fungi, and bacteria.
"extract data and replace thoughts with advertisements"
Sometimes just a few good words stand out proud and shiny. Well done Gunnar! 👏
I think The Matrix movies are still the best representation of the human/tech dilemma we face. Which of us is wise and strong enough to give up the (symbolic) juicy steak and woman in the red dress (or whatever our object of desire might be) in favor of mundane "reality"?
Thanks, Baird.
Those movies are classics for a reason, indeed!
Of course the hive mind can go either of two ways: universal bliss or universal flame wars. But if we get it right everybody will want to join. Then we'll have the brain power to conquer space and assimilate other life forms until we've taken over the entire galaxy. In our hunger for new meat we'll then need to hack time and keep travelling back assimilating the same races ever earlier. We are Borg...
Have you read “The Girl With All the Gifts” by M. R. Carey?
Ah, that's a good call, should've included it. (I've seen the movie. Is the book better?)
I’ve not seen the movie but I quite liked the book.
Gosh your mind. Incredible.
That just made my whole week, Abigail. Thanks!
Great piece Gunnar! I have an idea for a fiction piece in my drafts titled “Humongous Fungus Among Us” and you are giving me ideas.
Thanks, Annie. Glad to be of assistance.
Fantastic article!! !! Loved the sci-fi ending and I did click on all the links. Getting ready to read more... Nice work!
I appreciate that - thank you!
"I hear stories of young people consciously rejecting smart phones and online life, and finding ways to connect in person – but they’re salmon swimming upstream."
Wait but don't salmon successfully swim upstream all the time to spawn? Am I missing something or is this analogy the opposite of what the author wants? 🤔
Don’t overthink it!
(If we’re charitable, we might allow that she simply meant it takes a lot of effort, but the reward may be good?)
Hi Gunnar, glad to have found your writing here! So much going on in this piece and I look forward to your other writing! These are the topics I think about too. About your comparison re: ant colony as an organism vs. humanity as an "organism" --- I wonder if the difference is a certain threshold of consciousness and whether it's more distributed (in ants) or more centralized (in humans). Of course, humans have extended mind aspects too, but there's more that's happening in a centralized form, if we use complexity as our benchmark.
Thank you, Sharon!
There’s definitely something to that. An ant colony has no centralized decision-making. A lot of it is relatively ‘simple’ interactions and feedback loops leading to emergent ‘behaviors’ of the colony. Human societies too have distributed elements (culture, etc.), but also individual, centralized decision-making. There’s also the stronger interdependence in ants, in the sense that the different castes need each other to survive (and for the colony to survive). Which leads us to the unit of selection debate in biology, and that requires an entire post on its own 😉.
yes yes! Funny how I already know exactly what you mean by that…. I spent a while studying complexity science too, which is EVERYTHING in my opinion
Salmon always swim upstream! (HTH!!)
For they must!
Ohhhh I am about to eat mycelium root. It is delicious. No one even realizes I am not serving them meat. I'll start calling it Fairy Ring Roast.
Note* Cant let gifted child read this type of thing, yet.
Bon appétit!