Fungal Aliens: Exploring the Possibility of Fungal-Based Extraterrestrial Life

Fungi and protists are ancient and diverse-so could alien fungi be more common across the galaxy? Join us as we explore the possibility of fungal life spreading through space via spores.
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Credits:
Fungal Aliens
Episode 468a; October 13, 2024
Produced, Narrated & Written: Isaac Arthur
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound epidemicsound.c...

[@DontTrustThemSnakes]

Ask long as the fungi can make red go faster we all good

[@cryptomancer2927]

Da hoomies neva suspek a thing.

[@Halak014]

@@cryptomancer2927 That this comment has a ''Translate to English'' is too funny :)

[@Firetiger93]

I have no idea what you said

[@cryptomancer2927]

@@Firetiger93 Stay outs of our convosashun hoomies! This is for da bois.

[@nicolascolchero726]

​@@cryptomancer2927 The inquisition will be notified of the existence of xenos-loving traitors on the comments of this video. The emperor protects!

[@splitprawn]

Best one yet. Am growing my own garden of fungi and studying the mycelium network for my plants. The hyphae link my plants together and serve as a common communicator or translator between plants of different species. 🍄 🍄

[@seanhewitt603]

@@splitprawn I have michorrizae (fungus) and miicrobial support staff helping my cyborgs produce oxygen.

[@ngantnier]

With how maasive the neetworks get I wouldn't be surprised if they have more complex thoughts than us.

[@YouWinILose]

Check out Anton Petrov's video on music aiding plant growth - the new discovery is that the music may actually be stimulating fungi that are aiding the plants! Incredible stuff!

[@noname18305]

Bro is a paypig

[@DaveTucker-ip3pg]

Fungal hive minds using chemicals to communicate has always been an interesting trope of Sci fi

[@partciudgam8478]

And fungal chemicals in mind are real life answer to that.

[@shooey-mcmoss]

I AHM THE MONUHMENT TO ALL YOUR SINS

[@InfiniteLoop]

wasn't the body snatcher supposed to be a fungi originally?

[@ngantnier]

There's a fungal hive mind using electrical communication under our feet.

[@michaelpettersson4919]

I do not care how realistic hiveminds are, Hollywood have done that troupe to death now. Here are some Hollywood "Sci Fi" troupes they are no longer allowed to use: *No space movie Clickbate. Space movies are to place in space not dallying about on Earth for almost the entire movie. *Alien worlds are NEVER to be set in a desert unless it is Dune or Star Wars. Too many cheap "Mad Max in space" JUST STOP IT. *Nope, you are NOT allowed to scrap the hot robot girl. *No more bioships. The aliens build their ships. They are mechanical, not living creatures. *And again NO hiveminds. *Btw the aliens have in their distant past invented tailoring, they wear clothes.

[@dapootisbird3608]

Hopefully, they don't believe that "DERE IZ NO SUCH SING AZ ENUFF DAKKA"

[@seanhewitt603]

"Zuch zingss az" I'm an expert in mocking accents...

[@Fanny-Fanny]

​seanhewitt60 what, like Orc?

[@TheCrazyCapMaster]

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH

[@earGO]

Boys need equal amount of choppa as well

[@seanhewitt603]

@@Fanny-Fanny orcs are make believe...like stormtroopers or Jesus...

[@PsionNovastar]

“Alright recruits, we’re working with the Shrooms on this job. Management won’t let me hear the end of it if I don’t say this: Do not lick, nibble, or bite the Shrooms. It’s rude and YES they have a psychedelic toxin. And do not ask them about Dakka, shootas, or any other reference to the mushroom men from that old British war game Warhammer 40k. HR is tired of the complaints.”

[@ivoryas1696]

@commiedeer Heh. I forgot WH40k was British lol... if I knew in the first place. 😅

[@1LLog1K]

*_🌈 Imagination 🌈_*

[@taytonclait]

Man, these Orktober posts just pop up everywhere ;) I really love the fluff for Orks, the idea that they literally restore bioactivity to a planet stripped dead by Necrons and weaponize that action is so cool. And its a party for them doing it. Thanks for another great video

[@ruileite2634]

I hope Nintendo doesn't copyright strike this episode on the Mushroom Kingdom.

[@ian5395]

A pair of Italian plumbers about to knock on the wrong door

[@MattDamon-tl3qw]

booo

[@huh-cb1rk]

#nintendo

[@sarahhaley7458]

The Mycenaeans should sue

[@Eldagusto]

Wow mycorea is probably my very favorite hypothetical civilization this channel ever made. Big considering bangers in the past .

[@karimblix4378]

We need moar

[@Eldagusto]

@@karimblix4378 100000%

[@starblaiz1986]

"The mushroom folk lived in peace and harmony with the reptillians for thousands of years, until one day the great red-hatted demon known as Mar'Ioh came along and began crushing the skulls of any mushroom folk or reptillians who did not bend the knee to his demon princess Pea'Che. While many Mushroom folk would eventually bend the knee, the reptillians led by King Cuepar were able to form an underground resistance force. Now they cling to the edge of survival as the tyrany of the demon princess Pea'Che grows ever stronger. Their only hope is to capture the demon princess for long enough to study her weakness and find a way to banish the demons once and for all in order to return peace and harmonay to their world. But each time they try, the great red hatted demon Mar'Ioh manages to track them down and return the demon princess to their great fortress, as King Cuepar and the other members of the resistance bearly escape the encounter with their lives."

[@eugenerowland1262]

Sounds like a Tom Baker Dr. Who episode. The Ascension/Rebellion cycle revolves for billions of cycles until the Tardis arrives. Once discontinued, extinction follows. Eternal darkness until new spores evolve over geologic time frames. Enter Gallifrey, stage right.🤔

[@chasjetty8729]

Thanks again friend.

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

Always welcome

[@Grevnor]

Oort Cloud? More like Ork Cloud.

[@mikkachu7824]

loving the joke openings

[@pvtj0cker]

Eating the alien increases your size by 75% for a short duration.

[@littleredpony6868]

Some pills make you bigger, some pills make you smaller While the pills your mother gives you don’t do anything at all

[@ccvcharger]

Eating the green ones grant you an extra life.

[@pvtj0cker]

@@littleredpony6868 Your mother wishes she took a particular pill.

[@thesenate1844]

Its very possible a global fungal network would not just use simple neurons, but would evolve the bio equivalent of fiber optic cables and have information highways that can send messages globally at near lightspeed. A sentient animal species could have an internet before ever inventing agriculture

[@JuntosXlaLibertadMileyBuIIrich]

But would they be able to share memes and shitpost?

[@doltsbane]

No mention of HP Lovecraft's Mi-Go or William Hope Hodgson's story "The Voice in the Night" or even its Japanese film adaptation "Matango" aka "Attack of the Mushroom People"? How soon they forget their mycelial network.

[@EidolonKaos]

Isaac knows so much about space there's not mushroom for anything else in his mind.

[@vampiricagorist6979]

Seekng that “6 kindgoms of life” chart made me feel old. I remember being taught there were only 5. When did they update it? I remember learning a whole song about the 5 kingdoms of life back in middle school in the early 10’s

[@thesenate1844]

Archaea are usually lumped in with bacteria, despite being just as distinct genetically as eukaryotes are

[@jackMeought-fr8vl]

We all did it last week, were you not invited to the meeting?

[@aminalism]

It was first proposed in 1977 but took a while to make its way into common use and textbooks. Which of the latter your school had probably defined what you learnt there. Monera was split into eubacteria and archaea in the most common 6 kingom model. There are other models too, some with as many as 8 kingdoms.

[@tomkerruish2982]

Heck, I think we only had three back in 1982. No separate unicellular; just animals, plants, and fungi.

[@vampiricagorist6979]

@@aminalism That’s very interesting. This is a very interesting rabbit hole of science info you’ve led me into. Many thanks!

[@shadowflame2247]

always love seeing videos from one of the best scifi channels on the site :D

[@pikpikgamer1012]

To be honest the organic fission reactor reminds me of Shin Godzilla who used such a feature, the film even speculates that blood could convect near the surface to dissipate heat.

[@lightlegion_]

It's impressive how fantastic your content is!

[@Mattropolis97]

I love the Futurama brain slug at 3:20

[@cryptomancer2927]

I honestly thought he was going to say that the reason everyone loved the ambassador had something to do with mind altering spores... I think I've been watching too many 40K and other grimdark videos.

[@erichtomanek4739]

Never befriend a fungal alien whose first name is "Cordy."

[@kevincrady2831]

Why would you say something so mean about someone so nice...and why am I climbing this tree?

[@erichtomanek4739]

@@kevincrady2831 It really got under your skin .....

[@gusty7153]

ive seen enough articles talking about the close similarities of animal and fungus cells to contemplate whether or not animals are already a type of fungus or related in some way at the cellular level

[@potato-ld1uj]

Soo what's the conclusion?

[@gusty7153]

@@potato-ld1uj what do ya mean? that was just speculating the possibility that fungus and animals might be more closely related than previously assumed

[@thesenate1844]

​@@gusty7153Its well known that fungi are more closely related to animals than plants. Their last common ancestor waa unicellular, both evolved multicellularity independently

[@gusty7153]

@@thesenate1844 ah cools

[@jbear3478]

Or would fungi be a type of animal?

[@jhwheuer]

“She was a real fun gal”…. Possibility squandered.

[@Fanny-Fanny]

@@jhwheuer I once got a "fun gal" infection... she was worth it though...

[@Marcus_Postma]

Doesn't quite hit the same as fun guy, probably because of the pronunciation. It just doesn't roll off the tongue the same way.

[@Fanny-Fanny]

@@Marcus_Postma oh I dunno, the 'fun gal' sure rolled off my tongue without any problem. And back onto it,for the record

[@Italianjedi7]

I love that Isaac is slowly turning into a sci fi writer

[@peacefulfungoloid8624]

I'm making my own fungoloid race, They have an optimistic scientific society. And they have developed come mega structures to share with any friendly spices they come across.

[@Chrisspru]

is it infectious friendship?

[@4124V4TA-SNPCA-x]

Interesting! I have a very similar example in one of my bigger clade but they are more like trees and protective Island-Oasises for other life. Hence _They Are_ the megastructures themselves.

[@peacefulfungoloid8624]

@@4124V4TA-SNPCA-x cool

[@peacefulfungoloid8624]

@@Chrisspru they let any and all allies and friends live their own lives, these mushroom people I've created just like sharing they incredible tech.

[@MarshallTheArtist]

Is melange friendly enough?

[@brianback3865]

Alpa centauri was one of the best video games ever made.

[@paulsaja5822]

I'm watching this while waiting for cloud cover to pass at Lowell observatory in Arizona. I've been listening to you for years and a bit over a year ago I decided to study astrophysics and engineering physics to do my part in making the future happen. You are an inspiration to all and a big part of what encouraged me to do this. What is your advice to someone who wants to go to grad school for physics?

[@VisiblyPinkUnicorn]

The greatest martial art of their kind is undoubtedly Kung Fung.

[@secretbassrigs]

YOu mean Fung FU

[@g.bryant8806]

Fung Fu was right there.

[@secretbassrigs]

@@VisiblyPinkUnicorn Kung Fu 🦠2 is coming

[@skrv8588]

The Blorg are friends. Friendship is non negotiable. -Mercedes Romero, probably

[@syzygyygyzys4708]

wait till they go 'Waarghh'!!!

[@Driftking305forlife]

Gork and Mork would approve this Waaagh 😂

[@somethinglikethat2176]

Gork* sorry, not trying to be that guy.

[@cannonfodder4376]

Informative sci-fi sunday episode with some bonus world building at the end. Fantastic work, Isaac.

[@burlingtonhighsociety5499]

Hey man, I loved this episode and the connection to Alpha Centauri! Great link! The narrarive of that game is so clever. Anyways, I just wanna say I'm a big fan of your show, and you've won my respect. Cheers from Canada! You do good work that makes people happy!

[@fungalcoffee]

I can confirm that the ambassador is a fun guy, really sharp wit and a great story teller.

[@RigoMonroy-vj1mt]

Underrated unironically

[@greatpanjandrum]

Dude I love your accent and your content is thought-provoking and interesting.

[@christophervu8097]

That’s it, that’s the best intro.

[@DanielGenis5000]

What a great episode! Thanks so much, Isaac!

[@Gilotopia]

Loving the images in this one

[@j.z.5678]

Missed opportunity to give Toad from Mario Bros some shine.

[@Eldagusto]

Ahh Alpha Centauri, which is now available in Steam.🧐 This is a naturally very pretty episode. Fungi can be such a pretty them to explore.

[@thesenate1844]

Very underutilized in sci fi. Even authors trying to make them "alien" usually base them off squids and crustaceans.

[@RockRanchCowboy]

You made my day. One of my favorite games of all time.

[@Eldagusto]

@@RockRanchCowboy took forever to be accessible again. Don’t know why it took em this long.

[@bbirda1287]

Literally seeding a galaxy with fungoid lifeforms ahead of humans arriving, much more hardy than fragile and resource intensive human cargo. With DNA hard drive colonization instructions. Mind blowing. Thanks for this. I wonder how fast they would be able to travel, so hundreds of years a slow colony ship could arrive at a partially terraformed planet.

[@donovanteale6502]

Some of the entomo fungi I study survive easy a year on a bug meal. Some of the hyper parasite fungi that eat the fungi that eat the buv even longer. The spores potentially can last a long long time. Much more efficient than mammals or even tick metabolism

[@davidbrennan660]

The gag at the start is worth its weight in the channel’s missiles…..or Fungi from Yuggoth.

[@Shatterverse]

And then humans discovered the mushroom people and discovered that their mycelium supermind tasted _amazing_ sauteed or raw on salads.

[@SpecialEDy]

Happy Arthursday! If you're a Fungi listening to this, hopefully you find yourself a Fungirl to settle down with.

[@xavier84623]

Beautiful story time Isaac

[@bigsciguy2004]

Interesting that the way different kingdoms store energy are really so similar. Starch and glycogen are essentially the same thing (sugar) stored in different ways. Fascinating

[@donovanteale6502]

And then come the slime molds to complicate it all lol

[@michaelporzio7384]

I can't top the cold open for this, Isaac is not only learned in the ways of science but a comedic genius.

[@elispiegel7875]

I'll take any opportunity to plug this series, but the Children of Time series by Adrien Tchaikovsky has some very cool and scary extraterrestrial slime mold life in the 2nd book, and a really interesting exploration of consciousness of that life in the 3rd book. It's not independently intelligent fungus based life, but it is very very cool

[@WTFoolproof]

right now is a good time to gather choice edible fungi in the midwest US. very good nutrition and easy to find and ID safely. If you can tell a fox from a dog from a coyote then you can ID the most popular mushrooms. i harvest pigments from fungi for dye making. some fungal compounds are extremely complex chemically, far more than would be needed for coloration . in fact many do not seem to be used by the organism to make the color of the fungi, or at least the colors that can be made by me using it. my point(?) is that the radiovoric fungi uses melanin to block the radiation (and posibily to absorb/eat?) and that is the same pigment we humans use in our skins for UV protection. my favorite fungus fact is that fungus can grow around or inside of animal cells; they can also interpenetrate our cells without obvious harm.

[@splitprawn]

That's fascinating information. Please continue to share more. Wish I could post images of the mushrooms I am growing. Edible. 🍄 🍄

[@eloyjimenez7657]

Thanks sir Isaac Arthur

[@uranus2970]

Can you make a video about life that runs on electric energy as in it consumes electric energy to survive? Would that even be possible?

[@reporeport]

god bless you, Isaac Arthur

[@everything_Burnz]

That’s some super creative use of AI, usually I consider employing AI to be a bit of a cop out, other times it reminds me of the potential inherent to it and inspired by the execution. Kudos to the anthropomorphized mushroom near the six-minute mark. And much more!

[@manzanito3243]

Fascinating. Love it. Make more videos please.

[@partciudgam8478]

The radiotrofic fungi pn Chernobyl's elephant foot room could be labeled as photosyntethic (although photons they find tasty we would consider lethal)

[@Smileyrat]

I now look forward to the new stelarus fungal species update in a few months.

[@nexusoflife]

This is one of my favorite speculative evolution topics to think about. I can easily see complex animal like fungal organisms evolving.

[@zutai1]

would think a fungal alien we would meet in a station, would be one piloting an animal of some kind, while growing a kind of moss on its surface. with the fungal parasite being able to change the animal to be able to communicate with many kinds of aliens, even if it naturally could not. there would be a worry of being the next fungal host to it's children, but i assume there would be encounter suits to match the need :P

[@michaelk5825]

Michael Levin has done some amazing work where he compares microbial activities to calculating or even consciousness.

[@jamesa6693]

The Henson razor add threw me for a second. I generally just listen but happen to glance and see Isaac shaving. A few second later I was like wait, doesn’t Isaac wear a full beard…..full beards do make for quick easy shaves.

[@Fanny-Fanny]

I once suffered from a "fun gal" infection. Totally worth it though, she was a lot of fun... best clam jousting this side of Orion.

[@ishill85]

relevant username detected, also britishness.

[@ccvcharger]

Clam jousting? Well, that’s definitely a new one for me.

[@Fanny-Fanny]

@@ccvcharger maybe you are not endowed with a 'clam'?

[@ccvcharger]

@@Fanny-Fanny alas, it is true. I do not have a clam with which to joust.

[@Fanny-Fanny]

@@ccvcharger that is a shame, but hopefully you can be content watching me and my fellow sisters enthusiasticly taking part in this ancient and sacred sport, while you sit to the side and wave your flag vigorously to show your appreciation.

[@byrdhemenway369]

Love all ur videos so so so so epicly cool thank u for all ur works

[@petersmythe6462]

Keep in mind regarding mobility, Animals have Collagen and Elastin. Something that Fungi don't really have. Evolving independent mobility would be a big molecular ask.

[@michaelpettersson4919]

On the other hand, an alien that we consider to be fungal in nature would still just be an approximation. Unless pansperima are in play that alien fungal creature are not bound by our definitions.

[@yeahnaaa292]

I just have to express right now: Nature & Science are so 🔥🔥🔥....And Arthur - Arthur fkn rrrrrRocks⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️

[@kingsilvergrass8751]

this is a fun episodes for Mycologist everywhere, thanks once again Arthur.

[@generalnawaki]

I wonder if the flood could be considered partially fungal.

[@paulsmart4672]

@@generalnawaki The flood is 98.7% space magic, by mass.

[@MasoudNyoni-g8o]

Thanks isaack anthur for sharing this idealisms movement of allien si unit

[@dwightmitchell5109]

i remember writing a post apocalyptic story where the antagonists are fungals that evolved on earth after global nuclear devastation. the struggling remnants of humanity are finally growing and prospering and the fungal hivemind focuses on crushing them. i just remember that the diversity of fungi inspired some really nasty enemies

[@caiusmadison2996]

This would actually be terrifying, because fungus can poison, take control of the host, or even parasitic-like infections can occur in us with fungus found here. If the wrong types of that are what they are made of, then we'd be in deep trouble.

[@BarbarosaAlexander]

Another great video to listen to while making art on Nerd Craft Sunday. Thanks!

[@williansnobre]

18:57 that is what I assumed the mushroom "statues" from the manga Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou were. These mushrooms would slowly geow and start to take human shape but as far as I know that is all that was ever shown. I assumed that it was a fungal based machine/lifeform slowly rebuilding itself and one day it would wake up with the restored memories of soneone.

[@lgjm5562]

Those mushroom caps are fruiting bodies. So to be more accurate, images of Fuenos should show those caps on the OTHER head. ;)

[@Kapitaen_Flauschbart]

Orcs are fungal based too ^^

[@jkb2016]

Where's that zoidbergian footage at 17:45 from?

[@tonyportcullis488]

Myconids are a friendly lot. Met one particular one named Stool while on one of many expeditions into the underdark. Helpfull but sometimes bothersome, nice never the less.

[@jasonclow6962]

The game Alpha Centauri was amazing for its time, and still really fun. I wish they would come out with a new edition. It's been 25 years.

[@lgjm5562]

So the Avatar planet is a big fungal cover?

[@saxmo8024]

Very cool episode and concept. Kept getting flashbacks of the movie avatar, lol.

[@T.Ty7]

I gotta say, the alien B-roll has gone from silly CGI to slightly uncannily terrifying the past few ears

[@brunocesarcerqueira2525]

A next theme could be how a civilization with wings and that already flies (for example, the Overlords from Childhood's End, or the Thanagarians from DC) could develop technologically and socially. Would they evolve faster or slower? Maybe because they already fly, it takes longer to develop cargo vehicles, or planes and balloons because they consider them unnecessary, because they already cover great distances flying?

[@Infantryvet156th]

Speaking on the topic. I've always questioned whether or not it's possible that an intelligent microscopic lifeform could exist. At least something much smaller than or even much much larger than life currently known to exist? When I look at the stars outside. I'm overwhelmed with questions within my mind. There is just no telling what's out there. But I certainly enjoy thinking about it.

[@Roxor128]

If you're going to plug your appearances on other channels, don't forget to include links in the description! Your appearance could be a hundred videos down the upload list by the time a potential viewer hears about it.

[@Bobboby-v9t]

That opening joke was so good.

[@Easilytriggered]

Do you lecture outside of the US ?

[@vladneacsu]

I love your WH40K references!

[@Kargoneth]

The fungal animations were fascinating.

[@ImaPseudonym-go6oy]

From one fan of SMAC to another, you are seen, Isaac.

[@notlessgrossman163]

Piers Anthony wrote about it in his novel Omnivore

[@jaydub2546]

Those scientists that got the mycelium to control the robot legs is crazy. Imagine if they overtook a human shaped robot and learnt to control that?

[@heertje01]

the concept of mycelial networks in (sub)space on Startrek Discovery was kind of interesting

[@InfiniteLoop]

ok, it is too early, I heard Ottertroph at first and I think only some seals and whales are Ottertrophs. anywho, great video, fungus aliens are cool, and this is well thought out.

[@alan2here]

Chemoautotrophic mammal, sitting around a table, drinking delicious petrol soup.

[@alan2here]

When visiting earth they found that cooking oil has a sufficiently similar molecular structure, leading to imports back to their home planet for individuals who use less energy in their lifestyle and have exotic tastes.

[@mitchelljacky1617]

First time seeing your videos! Dude, my girlfriend has the same speech patterns you do! That's neat!

[@foracal5608]

A great video and here is to Korea to come

[@DEMONOFLOVEANDDEATH]

Bless Isaac

[@davidvangerner7241]

Imagine how the orks from warhammer 40k evolved from fungus to enjoying all out war

[@jhwheuer]

Bioengineered

[@napoleonfeanor]

They were artificially created as bio weapon

[@htoniiscy-ujas1544]

​@@jhwheuer THE OLD ONES bioingeneria!

[@adambrain8365]

Yes inquisitor, these people here.

[@somethinglikethat2176]

​@@htoniiscy-ujas1544 The Old Ones (same ones responsible for the Eldar).

[@DMAIRS]

Krorks gonna be mad at the dumb bois(orcs)

[@injunsun]

Isaac, you said, "...there is nothing stopping fungi from developing mobile aspects." Actually, there is something stopping them: necessity. The became sessile, because they did not need to move. They lost any type of sensory organs and potential nerves, because those are only needed if an organism can move. Slime molds are riding that line, almost acting like a living stomach-brain, but have the sensory capacity of underground hyphae, merely turning efforts toward chemically sensed resources, or away from stressors. For fungi to develop mobility, they would need to need it. I can't imagine a scenario where they could leave their niche, because **We animals are already effectively mobile fungi.** How would you differentiate an alien "fungal" sapient being from a mere animalian one? We mobile fungi merely have our digestion sequestered "inside" us, on the part of our skin that goes between our mouths and buttholes. That said, the idea of ordinarily sessile fungi learning to control mobile species... We have that already. Cordyceps freaks me out. If it ever managed to become symbiotic, rather than parasitic, the direction of the evolution of its host species would be dramatically altered. Imagine large ants, able to be larger due to fungal adaptations for respiration, where their brains were mostly fungus, only a tiny bit ant. Meanwhile, plants developing mobility would be a possibility. They would convergently evolve to being in some ways like animals, including advanced sensory apparatus, and a brain or nerve net of some sort, to convert all of that sensory data into something useful. While a forest as super-organism is cool, and that it might in some way act like an intelligence is intriguing, again, it has no need to physically move. Protists could evolve into complex forms if environmental pressures pushed them to it. They are effectively already mobile "plants." I could easily see protists gaining functions, senses, multicellularity, etc.. I could also see us one day figuring out how to add chloroplasts to ourselves, to at least help with energy needs, while not able to do it entirely, even nude, due to surface area restrictions. Thanks for distracting me from my pain, and letting me just think for a bit.

[@Mantelmannjoe]

Also a plus in being a mushroom species is: If you paint your spaceships red, you are going faster!