What Could Survive An Atomic Bomb?

According to popular myth, cockroaches would inherit a post-nuclear disaster world. But it looks like the real winners might actually be fungi. In 1999, fungi were found to be thriving in highly radioactive conditions inside the Chernobyl reactor. These fungi are rich in melanin, yup, the same stuff that gives you a tan in summer. While radiation causes cell damage and mutations in most living creatures, melanin-rich fungi are actually attracted to the stuff.

And it seems the spherical nature of the melanin acts as a shield, but it also allows energy to be absorbed from the radiation, enhancing the fungi’s growth. These fungi may one day help clean up radioactive waste or even lead to the development of new cancer treatments. But if there is a nuclear accident in the meantime, don’t panic right away. That mushroom cloud might not be what you think it is.

Hey, everyone, that is just a little segment I voiced for an Aussie TV show called Catalyst. And actually, I have been traveling with this TV show for the last five weeks, in case you have been wondering where I was. And, in fact, I have been traveling with two other people, Anya and Simon.

Ok, so we are doing Catalyst on the road, which is actually a road trip from Perth to Melbourne, and we have had an amazing time including things like ... >> Cave diving. >> And >> Catching Malawi. >> And land sailing on a salt lake.

So we have done some incredible stuff, and that is all going to go to air in Australia on ABC-1 starting in February. If you want to check out their YouTube channel, you can look at it ... I will put an annotation here. You can click this and go to their YouTube channel. And if you are really nice to them, maybe they will post some of this episode, some of these episodes on their YouTube channel.

Besides that, I will be back in Sydney after Christmas, and then I will make some more Veritasium-style stuff, so stay tuned for that. That is disgusting. I cannot believe this. Ahh.