Symbiosis & Evolution Film Screening + Q&A with a Mycologist!
Myconaut movie night returns as we learn about the visionary Lynn Margulis
Dear Fellow Myconauts,
Movie night returns to the Mycoverse, as this month we will be taking a journey through the work of the visionary Lynn Margulis, who popularized our understanding of symbiosis and defended the five-kingdom classification – finally granting fungi their own kingdom of life.
But first, we have a Q&A with a mycologist Wednesday, be sure to submit your questions ahead of time via Eventbrite!
Q&A with Author & Mycologist Nicholas P. Money
Wednesday, June 7th, 6pm via Zoom
Author, mycologist, and professor Nicholas P. Money (who also goes by Nik Money) will be joining us to discuss and answer our questions about the world of mycology, his book The Rise of Yeasts, as well as his new book on the effects of fungi on human health – from the gut mycobiome to the fungal infections, toxins, and hallucinogens. Abbreviated bibliography:
Mushrooms: A Natural And Cultural History (2017)
Fungi: A Very Short Introduction (2016)
The Triumph of the Fungi: A Rotten History (2007)
Carpet Monsters and Killer Spores: A Natural History of Toxic Mold (2004)
Mr. Bloomfield's Orchard: The Mysterious World of Mushrooms, Molds, and Mycologists (2002)
Screening of Symbiotic Earth
Monday, June 12th, 7pm @ Arlington Garden, Pasadena, CA
“Life on Earth is such a good story you cannot afford to miss the beginning...
Beneath our superficial differences, we are all of us walking communities of bacteria.
The world shimmers, a pointillist landscape made of tiny living beings.”
– Lynn Margulis
Symbiotic Earth explores the life and ideas of scientific rebel Lynn Margulis who challenged entrenched theories of male-dominated science. As a young scientist in the 1960s, Margulis was ridiculed when she first proposed that symbiosis – when organisms live and work together — was a key driver of evolution, but she persisted. Through numerous collaborations, she caused a seismic shift in our understanding of life.
Margulis’ symbiotic narrative presents an alternative to the destructive worldview that has led to climate change and extreme capitalism. With James Lovelock (who she met here in Pasadena), she developed the Gaia Theory that all life is interconnected and interdependent. Her vision offers bold insights into health, society, and nature, and inspires creative approaches to our pressing environmental and social crises.
Before the screening, we suggest you take a look at the free Symbiotic Earth Study Guide prepared by Lynn's son Dorian Sagan and the director of the film.
Things that caught our eye
Science, Art, Sound and the Sacred workshop with Merlin Sheldrake and Cosmo Sheldrake
Fungi and plants clean up California pollution featuring Danielle Stevenson’s mycoremediation work.