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Fungus in Chernobyl nuclear disaster zone has mutated to 'feed' on radiation (2024)

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73 points thunderbong | 3 comments | 12 Nov 25 15:08 UTC | HN request time: 0.63s | source
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datadrivenangel ◴[12 Nov 25 15:16 UTC] No.45901233[source]▶
Life finds a way.

We're going to see an increase in plastic metabolizing bacteria as well, so eventually our plastics will 'rust' and degrade faster.

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chistev ◴[12 Nov 25 15:19 UTC] No.45901272[source]▶
I was going to ask about plastic eating microbes in my comment. Even metal eating microbes. I wonder how we'll handle that when they start destroying the foundation of civilization. Lol
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amelius ◴[12 Nov 25 15:32 UTC] No.45901429[source]▶
We might soon need silicon-eating microbes.
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HPsquared ◴[12 Nov 25 15:40 UTC] No.45901514[source]▶
Very hard to do because silicon dioxide (aka quartz / glass) forms an inert physical barrier to prevent further oxidation. Kinetics and diffusion say no!
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1. johnisgood ◴[12 Nov 25 17:43 UTC] No.45903162[source]▶
Can you elaborate on this? Nothing could get through that barrier? Like is it impossible for fungi to do that?
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2. throwanem ◴[12 Nov 25 17:57 UTC] No.45903359[source]▶
HF-secreting microorganisms with a tropism for a material extremely common in the human environment? No way that could go wrong.
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3. johnisgood ◴[12 Nov 25 18:01 UTC] No.45903426[source]▶
I'm not asking if it could go "wrong", which is a matter of perspective though.