quote:
quote:
On Star Trek: Discovery, the character Lieutenant Paul Stamets is an "astromycologist" — a mushroom expert in outer space who is passionate about the power of fungi.
Stamets is actually named after a real U.S. scientist who spends his downtime tramping through the forests of B.C.'s Cortes Island. The 62-year-old looks nothing like his blond-haired TV counterpart, but he's just as enamoured with fungi.
In fact, he believes mushrooms can help save the planet.
Over 40 years, Stamets has pioneered methods for using mushrooms to do everything from clean up oil spills to save disappearing bees by boosting their immune systems.
But he's just as excited about Star Trek's potential to inspire people to create some of the science they see presented in screen — even if it does seem a bit fantastic. So were flip phones when people first saw Spock's, he said.
"What I love about Star Trek is that we can actually set the stage for science fact," said Stamets.
Actor Anthony Rapp plays Stamets on Star Trek: Discovery. (Chriz Pizello/Invision/Associated Press)
Science behind the fiction
Amory Lovins, chief scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute in Colorado, said Stamets' genius lies in finding extraordinary uses for mushrooms, often creating applications that read more like a Gene Roddenberry script than reality.
In a 2008 TED Talk, Stamets explained how fungi can be used to "save the world" by cleaning polluted soil, replacing toxic insecticides and even treating viruses.
He invented paradigm-shifting uses for fungal extracts, including some that have the ability to boost immunity and fight virus. Stamets discovered that extracts from a rare, gnarled mushroom found in old growth forests in the Pacific Northwest protect against smallpox.
It caught the attention of the U.S. defence department's BioShield program for testing at a top-security lab, where it saw some success. The military fears smallpox could be used as a biological weapon by terrorists.
It's not the first time the military turned to mushrooms. In the pursuit of creating so-called superhumans, the military has used Navy SEALs to test Cordyceps sinensis fungus (or Mysterious Caterpillar Fungus), which is used in traditional Tibetan and Chinese medicines to help increase physical stamina and fight antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Eventually, Stamets' research and reputation piqued the interest of Hollywood.
The writers of Star Trek: Discovery were stuck in a plot rut, and decided to call Stamets for help. They were so inspired by the nature and breadth of his work, they wanted to incorporate it into the show's narrative — and created the TV character Paul Stamets, portrayed by actor Anthony Rapp.
Long before Stamets worked with Star Trek, he built a dream getaway on Cortes Island in homage, in part, to the Starship Enterprise. (Bill Linton)
Stamets said he was thrilled when the producers came calling, because he also happens to be a Trekkie. In fact, his B.C. cabin was built as a homage to the Starship Enterprise, and he sent the writers photos.
"They were blown away — roaring with laughter," said Stamets.
Other television shows have incorporated his name and work into their plots, including The Invasion (with Nicole Kidman) and Hannibal, where the Stamets character is a serial killer who grows mushrooms on dead victims in his backyard.
Stamets was impressed that Star Trek producers asked his permission to use his name and have made mushrooms such a key part of the show. He told the writers about the giant prototaxites plants that grew 420 million years ago, and described how fungi could help create a habitable environment for humans. Stamets said fungi were the first organisms on land and created a base for soil, plants and eventually animals.
"They are the foundation of the food web. Thirty per cent of the soil underneath your feet is composed of fungal mass, he said.
welcome to my submarine lair. It's long, hard and full of seamen!