Fungi's Electronic Discourse
Finnegan Flynn
| 23-01-2024
· Plant Team
According to media reports, humans are considered brilliant beings communicating through language.
However, recent research led by a computer scientist suggests that fungi, such as mushrooms, may also "speak" in a way similar to humans.
The study reveals that fungi living on the forest floor can send electronic signals to each other, forming clusters of signals similar to words. However, further exploration is needed to determine whether these signals have language-like functions.
The research conducted by scientists from the University of West England indicates that fungi may communicate through peak-style electronic signals, similar to human language. Although mushroom fungi appear as individual entities, their lower parts are connected through mycelium, similar to how coral animals are connected underwater.
When fungi discover new food sources, the number of electric pulses through the mycelium, often compared to the neurons of fungi, significantly increases. This suggests that fungi might communicate subtly using this "language" to inform peers about new food sources or potential threats. The peak-style electronic signals observed in fungi closely resemble human language.
Four types of fungi were involved in the study: the popular edible needle mushroom, the medicinal cordyceps, the tasty split gill mushroom, and the luminescent ghost fungus.
The research demonstrates that all four fungi exhibit distinct peak electronic signals emitted through the underground mycelium, similar to how human nerve cells transmit information. Scientists hypothesize that fungi communicate through peak-style electronic signals, encoding these peaks into sequences resembling words.
The distribution of "fungus words" aligns closely with the distribution of human language, with a vocabulary size of up to 50 words, of which 15 to 20 are the most commonly used. Language complexity varies among fungi, with split gill mushrooms forming the most complex sentences, followed by cordyceps, while needle mushrooms and ghost fungi have simpler communication patterns.
In further studies, scientists discovered that the emitted electronic signals significantly increase when fungi encounter danger or find food. When fungal mycelithey cast um touches wood, it sends out numerous signals, as if urgently notifying distant companions: "There's food here; everyone come quickly."
However, it is crucial to note that the ability of mushrooms to honestly "speak" is still a hypothesis. The research is based on the assumption that mushrooms communicate verbally. Only with the premise of "mushrooms speak" can the encoded sequences of "mushroom words" be translated. No concrete evidence supports this hypothesis, making it premature to conclude that mushrooms have their own language.
Extensive research is required to determine whether the peak-style electronic signals emitted by fungi indeed constitute a form of language or communication. Nonetheless, the objective existence of electronic signal peaks and their encoded sequences implies that they hold some other significance, even if not a language.
In this study on mushroom language, scientists have revealed the possibility of fungi communicating through peak-style electronic signals, forming patterns resembling language. While we cannot yet confirm whether mushrooms are honestly "speaking," this discovery prompts contemplation on the diversity of communication in the natural world.
Future research will further explore whether genuine language communication exists among mushrooms, offering a new perspective on the fascinating aspects of life in the natural realm. In this enigmatic plant kingdom, there may still be many secrets waiting to be uncovered, fostering awe and curiosity about the mysteries of nature.