Image from livescience.com
If you’re seeking food for thought, munch on this: scientists have discovered a new addition to a family of mushrooms that glow in the dark. In the depths of the Brazilian rain forest, in the dark of the night, biologists found Mycena luxaeterna, bringing the total number of recently uncovered glowing mushroom species up to seven.
Dennis Desjardin and colleagues from San Francisco State University were responsible for this latest find. “When you look down at the ground, it’s like looking up at the sky. Every little ‘star’ was a little mushroom – it was just fantastic”, he indicated to National Geographic.
This kind of find reminds us that art truly does imitate life. Just think; the inspiration for glow sticks, galaxy ceiling stickers, and even the glow in the dark cutlery that we reported on a couple months ago was likely drawn from nature. Whether inspired by fireflies, jellyfish, or mushrooms, glow in the dark art takes its cue from the most magnificent muse of all: Mother Nature.
-Cora Nijhawan
