AskScience AMA Series: We Are Microbiologists Studying All Aspects of Fungi. AUA!

AskScience AMA Series: We Are Microbiologists Studying All Aspects of Fungi. AUA!
Is there any relationship between creativity and psychosis?
Man has domesticated dogs and other animals for thousands of years while some species have remained forever wild. What is that ‘element’ in animals that governs which species can be domesticated and which can’t?
Do men with Jacob’s syndrome (XYY) have a 2/3 chance of fathering a son (rather than 1/2) any given time?
How much do COVID vaccines reduce the transmission of Delta?
Why do we believe gasses compress to form stars?
Does the weight of an atmosphere pushing down on you contributes to gravity you feel standing on the ground?
Why do so many people need vision correction, while animals seemingly don’t?
What is physical fatigue?
How does Accutane work, chemically?
why did they use mercury as a treatment for syphilis?
How can an earthworm (or nightcrawler) dig underground when it's super soft?

Posted: 16 Sep 2021 06:00 AM PDT

Tomorrow is International Microorganism Day, so to celebrate we're discussing our favorite microorganism: fungi! If you've seen "Fantastic Fungi" on Netflix, you've gotten a good introduction to the world of fungi. But there's always more to love about fungi than psychedelic drugs.

Join us today starting at 2 PM ET (18 UT) for a discussion, organized by the American Society for Microbiology, on all aspects of fungi. We work on a variety of projects, including:

Interactions between crunchy critters (arthropods) and fungi
- Insects zombified by fungi
- Fungi that millipedes eat
- Insect killing fungi as biotechnology
- Fungi that cause disease in bees
Fungal bacterial interactions and the fungal microbiome
Fungal diversity and applied mycological endeavors
Fungi and climate change

We are:

Dr. Brian Lovett, Ph.D. (u/fungalbrian, @lovettbr)- Post-Doctoral Researcher, West Virginia University
Delaney Lynn Miller (u/crobes-n-bees)- Graduate Student, Indiana University
Dr. Adriana L. Romero-Olivares, Ph.D. (u/fungi_lover, @fungi_lover)- Assistant Professor, New Mexico State University
Dr. Jessie Uehling, Ph.D. (u/fungaljess)- Assistant Professor, Oregon State University

Ask us anything!

Links:

submitted by /u/AskScienceModerator
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Is there any relationship between creativity and psychosis?

Posted: 15 Sep 2021 10:33 AM PDT

submitted by /u/Araknhak
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Man has domesticated dogs and other animals for thousands of years while some species have remained forever wild. What is that ‘element’ in animals that governs which species can be domesticated and which can’t?

Posted: 16 Sep 2021 04:59 AM PDT

submitted by /u/rr27680
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Do men with Jacob’s syndrome (XYY) have a 2/3 chance of fathering a son (rather than 1/2) any given time?

Posted: 16 Sep 2021 12:06 AM PDT

submitted by /u/JimboNasium
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How much do COVID vaccines reduce the transmission of Delta?

Posted: 15 Sep 2021 10:24 PM PDT

My province just did a state of emergency even though 70% eligible vaxxed and only 2 households (max 10 people) can do social gatherings if members are vaxxed (no social gatherings allowed for unvaxxed).

I feel like 2 households is a bit low. I've read that the vaccines don't reduce transmission as much against Delta as they did early strains. Does anyone know how much it a difference it is? Any idea on the percentage efficacy at reducing transmission/viral load. News article or original source would be great!

submitted by /u/yycreformed
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Why do we believe gasses compress to form stars?

Posted: 16 Sep 2021 05:55 AM PDT

I'm not challenging that, but I just want to know the logic that went into forming that hypothesis so I can better understand how it all works. ~ Thanks!

submitted by /u/Training_Passenger79
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Does the weight of an atmosphere pushing down on you contributes to gravity you feel standing on the ground?

Posted: 15 Sep 2021 03:31 PM PDT

If earth had no atmosphere whatsoever and you were just standing in pressurised suit, would you feel any difference in how hard your feet are being pushed into the ground? If yes, how significant?

submitted by /u/-MainCore
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Why do so many people need vision correction, while animals seemingly don’t?

Posted: 15 Sep 2021 09:35 AM PDT

submitted by /u/seedfinder89
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What is physical fatigue?

Posted: 15 Sep 2021 02:58 PM PDT

What exactly is physical fatigue? In particular, when you've worked out say, a few days in a row, and then the next day feel tired... even though you've slept fine and are eating and drinking enough, and your muscles don't feel super-sore... what is that, physiologically speaking?

And then sometimes after a few weeks of working out hard in a sport... you take a couple of weeks off basically going quite light... and then you come back and are literally bouncing with energy and vitality and well-being -- what has just happened? What has healed, exactly?

submitted by /u/shortshrift49
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How does Accutane work, chemically?

Posted: 15 Sep 2021 04:57 PM PDT

I know it stops the production of oil, but how?

submitted by /u/austinowake
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why did they use mercury as a treatment for syphilis?

Posted: 15 Sep 2021 10:05 PM PDT

today mercury is considered highly dangerous, why did they use it as a treatment for syphilis? did it have any beneficial effect?

submitted by /u/teacherbooboo
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How can an earthworm (or nightcrawler) dig underground when it's super soft?

Posted: 15 Sep 2021 06:28 AM PDT

submitted by /u/Ihavetoleavesoon
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