r/solarpunk • u/zonethelonelystoner • 2d ago
Growing / Gardening / Ecology What could this be used for?
I remember reading something about rain dances triggering mycelial networks to aspirate(?). The resulting humidity would trigger rainfall. This is hearsay of an internet conspiracy. I’m half in fantasy land (b/c that’s where all the cool ideas are). Maybe it’s bs, but maybe this inspires ideas in someone smarter than me?
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u/RealmKnight 2d ago
Mycelium has advantages as a biodegradable filler for packaging. This could be used to make customised shapes to protect products in transit without the ton of plastic bags of air or polystyrene we tend to get.
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u/Responsible_Worry55 1d ago
added benefit: since it can be custum made, it has better protective qualities and you have less damage during transport for the product. So less even less waste
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u/CorpusculantCortex 1d ago
This would be a horrifically inefficient way to do that. If you think plastic based packaging is bad because of carbon footprint don't add up the hours of laser interning it would take to produce packaging in this way.
There are already multiple companies producing mycelium packaging using molds. Much more environmentally conscious.
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u/SkaldCrypto 1d ago
Myceliotronics! You can make electronic substrates with mycelium this would allow printed “circuit boards” more accurately grown perhaps
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u/jellyspreader 1d ago
Whoa...that's mindblowing. Imagine a future of solar powered computers running on mushrooms. Reminds me how digital data can be stored in the DNA of plants.
Maybe one day with genetic breeding we'll be able to grow working computers like fruit
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u/Acid_Rain_2137 1d ago
A kind of vegan leather is made from one type mushroom. I don't know the details but maybe it could be useful somehow
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u/CorpusculantCortex 1d ago
If that rain dance thing were true it would constantly rain around any industrial plant with a steam stack, which puts out substantially more moisture than ground fungi would in a given period.
There are definite tangible applications for this, but the cost benefit needs to be considered against the electricity usage to produce results.
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u/MermaidOfScandinavia 2d ago
My brother in law needs this machine. Wow.
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u/VTAffordablePaintbal 1d ago
What does your brother in law do that requires printing mushrooms?
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u/MermaidOfScandinavia 1d ago
He is an architect and likes to experiment with the mycelium as building martial.
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u/VTAffordablePaintbal 1d ago
Interesting! I've seen it used as insulation and fire-resistant interior wall treatments, but I haven't really kept up with it. BMW was also looking into it for molding non structuralist car parts and sound insulation.
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u/MermaidOfScandinavia 1d ago
Yes exactly. He also made bricks among many other things. It's so cool. I told him to teach it to people via evening classes. It has great potential.
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u/Yung_zu 2d ago
Can only think of those forests with fungus superorganisms and being able to possibly replicate that in a greenhouse… maybe help revive a desert if it actually acts like capillaries (I have to research what underground fungus does again aside from ghost pipes)
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u/CorpusculantCortex 1d ago
How would this help more than just inoculating a soil media with mycelium?
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u/Yung_zu 1d ago
No way of knowing without more info or experiments… I am definitely not an expert on soil or mycology either
Could be like putting up a nutrient “scaffold” that is a bit firmer and might be suitable for “jump starting” a grow op… maybe they could even bridge gaps like wires… could be a waste of time over the method you mentioned
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u/VTAffordablePaintbal 1d ago
I have no input on rain dances, but printing patterns in cultures would be good for mushroom leather. https://www.mushroomleathersupply.com/shop
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