Photosynthetic Mycelium

I always joke with friends that fungi can do anything the scientist puts their mind to, or the opposite if they haven’t pleased the fungal gods that day. They’re also quite fun because they ruin the party when you get into those “what is a species” and “what is a cell” debates with people. Fungi honestly blur, cross, destroy, and defecate on those lines. They’re everywhere and they do what they want. Although maybe I shouldn’t say that, it makes them sound selfish when they also have potential to be very cooperative, generous, and communicative. We wouldn’t have this lush world colonized with land plants if it weren’t for the fungi aiding with nutrient intake and clearing old debris. But today I want to share something I personally found unique– photosynthetic mycelium.



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Chaotically Productive & Undulating Above the Curve

Last night, while procrastinating on studying for my upcoming immunology exam, I looked back at old planners I saved. Within them are a plethora of doodles, memories of events passed, and stresses over classes I’ve aced and haven’t thought about in years. But, what was interesting was how even as a high school student, a literal child, I still wrote down “completely unrealistic” goals for my day, at least for me. The desire for high productivity and consistency in practicing multiple skill-sets weighed on my mind (and still does, unfortunately). One of my desired summer day-plans looked something like: 5:20am wake up and stretch, 5:30am go for a run, 6:00am shower and get ready, 6:30am breakfast (only 200 calories max), 7:00am practice Spanish or Polish, 7:50am leave for pharmacy shift… followed by a full day of non-stop activity, you get the idea, I will stop it there. Did I achieve days how I planned them? Probably for no more than a couple weeks at absolute most. Now as a grad student, I laugh at the thought of actually carrying out a morning like that, but it doesn’t stop me from wishing I could.



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Shades of Polymathy

“Jack of all trades, master of none”— a colloquial phrase for someone with a variety of skills but none at a level of mastery. I even used it as my topic for my undergrad university entrance essay, talking about how I had a lot of skills that led me to my choice of major and how potential acceptance would allow me to eventually “master” one skill. In recent years, though, the “complete” saying made its way ’round the world wide web, “jack of all trades, master of none, but oftentimes better than master of one,” although from what I could find, the last part is actually a 21st century addition and is not originally part of the phrase. While a bit cheesy to see on Etsy prints, I really find value in the addition. It shows that there is inherent worth in having a wide skill or knowledge base over only knowing a sole topic. Personally, I think masters of one still have value and can help push fields into new frontiers, but, well, so can jacks of all trades, no? Why can’t you be a master of two? Or maybe a master of an interdisciplinary field? Or someone who masters things consecutively in fields with the same base skills? Or maybe you’re just really good at mastering things?



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