If i hear Chernobyl or Exclusion Zone, I think pure death and decay.
But deep inside the ruins of Reactor number 4 the literal exploded core, something is thriving.
It’s a jet-black fungus. It looks like something straight out of a horror game, but its superpower is insane. This mold isn't just surviving the deadly gamma radiation; it’s figured out how to use it as a food source. They call it "radiosynthesis" basically photosynthesis, but instead of sunlight, this thing is running on nuclear fallout.
Scientists noticed the dark tendrils were actually growing towards the most radioactive hotspots.
So the strange part?
they've taken this tiny, radiation-gobbling mold and shipped it off to the International Space Station. Why, because this stuff might be the key to shielding astronauts on the way to Mars. They're hoping to coat spacecraft or habitats with it which would mean the disaster at Chernobyl might actually produce something beneficial for mankind, which would be cool.
more detail: Burstcomms.com
by leemond80