He continues: “As the infection progresses, the captured ant is forced to leave the nest for a wetter microclimate that favors the growth of the fungus. The ant is forced to descend to a vantage point about 10 inches off the ground, sink its jaws into a leaf vein on the north side of a plant, and await death.
“From a purely scientific point of view, would they do to us exactly what they do to ants? I don’t think so,” Mazin told The Hollywood Reporter. “I doubt it.”
In the show, climate change causes the fungus to move to infect humans. In fact, the Washington Post points out, not only are people already exposed to many varieties of the fungus, but some people are actively seeking it out.
“The mushroom appears to have some benefits for humans,” the journal reported, adding that Memorial Sloan Kettering’s website lists “improved strength and endurance, improved kidney function, and a boost to the immune system” as potential benefits.
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