To hell with AI, more innovation like this please.#solarpunk
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@markmetz Yeah let's see more innovation like this. This actually replaces something WORTH replacing unlike AI that only exists to replace people or make them lazy in the pursuit of "efficiency"
@VANTABlack2000
Excellent point!
I often wonder in the same sort of thing as I see the hundreds of billions of dollars being built for data centers that fry the planet for no good reason.Shouldn’t we be solving real problems?
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@markmetz between this and all the hours I spent growing and picking mushrooms in Stardew Valley, I suddenly have the urge to quit my job and become a professional mushroom (packaging) grower!
@UpLateGeek
Not a bad idea! And if you could create an open source process, so much the better! -
@markmetz IIRC this is patented and others cannot even sufficiently make mushroomy alternatives without calling in for a license
@ppxl
I hope someone figures out an open source analog to this. -
@markmetz By complete coincidence, I listened to this yesterday which included that (or something similar)
@simonf
This is great, thanks for sharing! -
@markmetz You can use it as a coffin and as it is biodegradable you can be buried in nature. https://loop-biotech.com/product/living-cocoon/
@darkcyberman
I’m cool with the worms having me for dinner when I go! -
@markmetz but can i also mix it with gasoline, fill it in bottles to throw at nazis and make them burn for a long time?
@condret
Or what if it was made with actual magic mushrooms, when the Nazis came in contact maybe they would have a change of heart! -
@markmetz i would really appreciate mycelial bicycle helmets (instead of styrofoam based). I hope it will be available soon!
@xChaos
Now that’s an excellent idea! -
@markmetz Here's a few links I found with the search engine KAGI.
This dates research back to the 1990s:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycelium-based_materialsNew news, Feb 20, 2026:
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1117254Food grade (edible) food packaging that is NOT petroleum based, biodegrades quickly, May 6, 2025:
@outer
Good stuff, thanks for sharing! -
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@markmetz I don't know if it was made by these guys, but I received a gift of a bottle of hot sauce made by the brothers Sheldrake which was packaged in this type of material. It really does work very well.
@alyn
Excellent! That sounds like good hot sauce too -
@markmetz yes!! I love stuff like this. I try to cut down on my waste but ya know I like to buy things and I hate when they use excess plastic!! An SD card can ship to me loose in an envelope I do not care. I try buying used but that's not always possible.
@bridgeenjoyer
Yes, we actually compost our compostable trash so this would work great for me. -
@markmetz I want to insulate my house with this. Maybe in a few years, we can just inoculate walls and feed the insulation.
A friend told me there's already a paint based on this principle that just grows back when damaged 🤩
@iwein
Oh, that sounds cool, I’d like to know more about that paint! -
@iwein
Oh, that sounds cool, I’d like to know more about that paint!@markmetz they didn't send me the link yet, but if I get it I'll post about it. Researching this stuff is so cool, I am scared to do it, lest I get dragged into a hyper-focus rabbit hole and forget to take care of myself
https://futureofmaterials.com/en/materials/mycelium-ink/
I need to focus on my boring chores now!
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@outer
Good stuff, thanks for sharing!@markmetz Sure. I see more factories are coming online, and larger shippers are buying their materials. Ggod news.
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@markmetz they didn't send me the link yet, but if I get it I'll post about it. Researching this stuff is so cool, I am scared to do it, lest I get dragged into a hyper-focus rabbit hole and forget to take care of myself
https://futureofmaterials.com/en/materials/mycelium-ink/
I need to focus on my boring chores now!
@iwein
Wow, that’s super cool! -
To hell with AI, more innovation like this please.
#solarpunk@markmetz and I found the eatable corn-based packaging cool as a child... But now that is even better and cooler...
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To hell with AI, more innovation like this please.
#solarpunk@markmetz What if we reduced our demand for packaging in the meantime?
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@markmetz
Mushroom
️ is a registered trademark? That doesn't seem helpful. -
@markmetz How is this better than pulped cellulose or cornstarch, which is already in use?
As with the other plant based polystyrene substitutes, there are likely applications it doesn’t work due to permeability.
@Extra_Special_Carbon @markmetz Fungii are not plants.
Mycelium contains chitin, lipids, and proteins that are all less hydrophilic than simple cellulose or cornstarch. One class of proteins in some mycelium are called “hydrophobins” which can form a hydrophobic coating.
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@markmetz they didn't send me the link yet, but if I get it I'll post about it. Researching this stuff is so cool, I am scared to do it, lest I get dragged into a hyper-focus rabbit hole and forget to take care of myself
https://futureofmaterials.com/en/materials/mycelium-ink/
I need to focus on my boring chores now!
