Could a fungus ever really turn us all into mindless zombies?
Instant Genius is a bite-sized masterclass in podcast form. And in this episode, we’re talking about the strange science of fungal infections.
The World Health Organisation recently released a report stating that fungal infections currently kill around 2 million people a year and that they present a growing threat to human life.
For anyone who has been watching HBO’s fungal zombie TV series The Last of Us this may be cause for alarm. But how big is the threat of fungal infections, how well-equipped are we to deal with them and could a fungus ever really turn us all into mindless zombies?
We speak to Dr Rebecca Drummond, Associate Professor of Immunology and Immunotherapy, at the University of Birmingham. She tells us about the fascinating lifecycles of fungi, the threats they pose to human life and why we should be doing more to protect ourselves from them.
Find Instant Genius on your preferred podcast platform here: instantgenius.podlink.to/Podcast
Listen to more episodes of Instant Genius:
- How to get more time in your day, with Dr Ashley Whillans
- The world’s ticking demographic time bomb, with Prof Jane Falkingham
- The science of persuasion, with Prof Vanessa Bohns
- Light pollution, with Dr Greg Brown
- How to enhance your focus with sound, with Dr Nick Perham
- The electrome, with Sally Adee