Tiny logo

mycomaterials_notes

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+
+introduction
+
+ - emphasize low-tech diy appeal and accessibility
+ - easier than mushroom cultivation
+
+what are mycomaterials?
+
+ - properties
+   - cheaply produced on agricultural waste
+   - home compostable
+   - naturally fire resistant
+   - thermal degradation of mycelium films occurred at approximately 300 degrees Celcius
+   - buoyant
+   - light-weight
+   - water resistant
+   - mycelium is hydrophobic due to proteins in the outermost layer of the cell wall
+   - rapid growth (7-14 days)
+
+working with mycelium (how-to)
+
+ - inoculum
+   - species (ganoderma / pleurotus)
+   - source
+   - substrate
+   - type (sawdust / hemp hurd / coir)
+   - treatment (sterilization / pasteurization)
+   - moisture content
+ - design
+   - object shape / properties
+   - mould / tool
+   - colour / texture
+   - finishing
+     - dry (2hrs at 60 degrees C)
+     - wax finish or dye (beesmax, natural dyes)
+     - g. lucidum very difficult to cut & shape whendry, even using saws & files
+ - environment
+   - temperature / humidity / CO2 / light
+ - card with technical details (bonus "bread crumbs")
+
+industry
+
+ - who are the major players and what are they focused on?
+
+conclusion
+
+links / resources
+
+ - websites
+ - companies
+ - papers

src/main.rs

@@ -115,6 +115,33 @@ fn fungi() -> Template {
     Template::render("fungi", &context)
 }
 
+#[get("/fungi/design-patterns")]
+fn fungi_design_patterns() -> Template {
+    let context = FlashContext {
+        flash_name: None,
+        flash_msg: None,
+    };
+    Template::render("fungi/design_patterns", &context)
+}
+
+#[get("/fungi/glossary")]
+fn fungi_glossary() -> Template {
+    let context = FlashContext {
+        flash_name: None,
+        flash_msg: None,
+    };
+    Template::render("fungi/glossary", &context)
+}
+
+#[get("/fungi/grow-forests")]
+fn fungi_grow_forests() -> Template {
+    let context = FlashContext {
+        flash_name: None,
+        flash_msg: None,
+    };
+    Template::render("fungi/grow_forests", &context)
+}
+
 #[get("/fungi/grow-together")]
 fn fungi_grow_together() -> Template {
     let context = FlashContext {
@@ -133,6 +160,24 @@ fn fungi_lichen_space() -> Template {
     Template::render("fungi/lichen_space", &context)
 }
 
+#[get("/fungi/network-resilience")]
+fn fungi_network_resilience() -> Template {
+    let context = FlashContext {
+        flash_name: None,
+        flash_msg: None,
+    };
+    Template::render("fungi/network_resilience", &context)
+}
+
+#[get("/fungi/photo-guide")]
+fn fungi_photo_guide() -> Template {
+    let context = FlashContext {
+        flash_name: None,
+        flash_msg: None,
+    };
+    Template::render("fungi/photo_guide", &context)
+}
+
 #[get("/")]
 fn home() -> Template {
     let context = FlashContext {
@@ -249,8 +294,13 @@ fn main() {
                 computers_i2c_adventures,
                 computers_rust_compilation,
                 fungi,
+                fungi_design_patterns,
+                fungi_glossary,
+                fungi_grow_forests,
                 fungi_grow_together,
                 fungi_lichen_space,
+                fungi_network_resilience,
+                fungi_photo_guide,
                 home,
                 lists,
                 meditation,

templates/art.html.tera

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | art{% endblock title %}
 {% block content %}
     <h2>Art</h2>
     <div class="flex-grid">
@@ -26,5 +27,9 @@
       <img class="col" alt="Line drawing of a physalis fruit" src="art/physalis.jpg" title="Frail" />
       <img class="col" alt="Line drawing of a humyn hand reaching out to touch a mycelial network" src="art/hyphal_fusion.svg" title="Hyphal Fusion" />
     </div>
+    <div class="flex-grid">
+      <img class="col" alt="Black and white event poster of a spacecraft, astronaut and planet" src="art/extrasolar.jpg" title="Extrasolar" />
+      <img class="col" alt="Line drawing of a woman in a hooded parka" src="art/parka.jpg" title="Parka" />
+    </div>
     <hr>
 {%- endblock %}

templates/background.html.tera

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | background{% endblock title %}
 {% block content %}
     <article>
       <h2>Background</h2>

templates/bacteria.html.tera

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | bacteria{% endblock title %}
 {% block content %}
     <h2>Bacteria</h2>
     <ul>

templates/bacteria/sauerkraut_beginnings.html.tera

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | Sauerkraut: Beginnings{% endblock title %}
 {% block content %}
     <article>
       <h2>Sauerkraut: Beginnings</h2>

templates/bacteria/sauerkraut_bottled.html.tera

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | Sauerkraut: Bottled{% endblock title %}
 {% block content %}
     <article>
       <h2>Sauerkraut: Bottled</h2>

templates/base.html.tera

@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@
     <meta charset="UTF-8">
     <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
     <link rel="shortcut icon" type="image/png" href="favicon.png"/>
-    <title>mycelial technology | glyph</title>
+    <title>{% block title %}{% endblock title %}</title>
     <meta name="author" content="glyph">
-    <meta name="description" content="The personal website of glyph.">
+    <meta name="description" content="Welcome to the personal website of glyph: a mycelial technologist coding and cultivating a decentralized, multispecies future. On my site you will find art, musings and projects relating to carbon-based and silicon-based technologies. Sowing seeds of symbiosis, weaving webs of wu wei.">
     <meta name="keywords" content="botany, coding, electronics, fermentation, fungi, meditation, mycology, plants">
     <style>
       a {
@@ -31,6 +31,22 @@
       body {
         max-width: 900px;
         font-family: monospace;
+        line-height: 1.4;
+        margin: 2rem;
+      }
+     
+      .card {
+        border: 1px solid black;  
+        box-shadow: 0.25rem 0.25rem;
+        width: max-content;
+        padding: 2rem;
+        margin-bottom: 2rem;
+      }
+
+      .card ul {
+        list-style-type: none;
+        margin: 0;
+        padding-left: 0;
       }
 
       code {
@@ -52,6 +68,10 @@
         }
       }
       
+      figure {
+        margin: 0;
+        padding: 0;
+      }
 
       .flex-grid {
         display: flex;
@@ -104,9 +124,11 @@
         text-decoration: none;
       }
       
-      p {
-        padding: 0.5rem;
+      p.bordered {
+        border: solid 1px #111;
+        padding: 2rem;
       }
+
     </style>
   </head>
   <body>

templates/computers.html.tera

@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 {% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | computers{% endblock title %}
 {% block content %}
     <h2>Computers</h2>
     <p>You can find some of my code on <a href="https://github.com/mycognosist" title="glyph's GitHub repo">GitHub</a> and <a href="https://git.sr.ht/~glyph" title="glyph's Sourcehut repo">Sourcehut</a>.</p>
     <h3>Posts</h3>
-    <ul>
-      <li><a href="/computers/rust-compilation">Cross-Compiling Rust for Debian Buster on Raspberry Pi 3B+</a> - <i>18 May, 2020</i></li>
-      <li><a href="/computers/esp8266-dht11">ESP8266 with DHT11 and LCD Display</a> - <i>5 August, 2019</i></li>
-      <li><a href="/computers/i2c-adventures">Adventures with I²C</a> - <i>26 January, 2019</i></li>
-    </ul>
+    <div class="card">
+      <ul>
+        <li><a href="/computers/rust-compilation">Cross-Compiling Rust for Debian Buster on Raspberry Pi 3B+</a> - <i>18 May, 2020</i></li>
+        <li><a href="/computers/esp8266-dht11">ESP8266 with DHT11 and LCD Display</a> - <i>5 August, 2019</i></li>
+        <li><a href="/computers/i2c-adventures">Adventures with I²C</a> - <i>26 January, 2019</i></li>
+      </ul>
+    </div>
     <hr>
 {%- endblock %}

templates/fungi.html.tera

@@ -1,9 +1,23 @@
 {% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | fungi{% endblock title %}
 {% block content %}
     <h2>Fungi</h2>
-    <ul>
-      <li><a href="/fungi/lichen-space">Lichens in Space</a> - <i>28 May, 2020</i></li>
-      <li><a href="/fungi/grow-together">Grow Together</a> - <i>29 March, 2018</i></li>
-    </ul>
+    <h3>Articles</h3>
+    <div class="card">
+      <ul>
+        <li><a href="/fungi/lichen-space">Lichens in Space</a> - <i>28 May, 2020</i></li>
+        <li><a href="/fungi/grow-forests">Growing Forests</a> - <i>26 October, 2018</i></li>
+        <li><a href="/fungi/design-patterns">Mycelial Design Patterns</a> - <i>26 October, 2018</i></li>
+        <li><a href="/fungi/grow-together">Grow Together</a> - <i>29 March, 2018</i></li>
+        <li><a href="/fungi/network-resilience">Network Resilience: Woronin Bodies and the Scuttleverse</a> - <i>25 March, 2018</i></li>
+      </ul>
+    </div>
+    <h3>Guides</h3>
+    <div class="card">
+      <ul>
+        <li><a href="/fungi/glossary">Mycological Glossary</a> - <i>4 September, 2020</i></li>
+        <li><a href="/fungi/photo-guide">Photographing Mushrooms for Identification</a> - <i>25 August, 2020</i></li>
+      </ul>
+    </div>
     <hr>
 {%- endblock %}

templates/fungi/design_patterns.html.tera

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+{% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | Mycelial Design Patterns{% endblock title %}
+{% block content %}
+    <article>
+      <h2>Mycelial Design Patterns</h2>
+      <i>26 October, 2018</i>
+      <p><i>This is the second part of a two-part essay which first appeared on Scuttlebutt [1] as an exploration of growing the ecosystem. Part one: <a href="/fungi/grow-forests">Growing Forests</a> [2].</i></p>
+      <p>1. <b>Think long-term.</b> Dream the future that will support as much diversity and interdependence as possible and then anchor it through integration, practice and reflection. This is already going on in the Scuttleverse so I won’t expand further.</p>
+      <p>2. <b>Be experimental.</b> The saprotrophic (foraging / decomposing) fungi stream nuclei to their rapidly branching and elongating tips. These nuclei provide the compute resources to analyze external environmental conditions and respond accordingly. Fungi are capable of synthesizing some 200,000 unique compounds, many of which are acids and enzymes deployed to dissassmble metals, minerals, baceria etc. So, again, a diversity of approaches is best. Allocate some grants as small packages and let grantees scout the terrain of possibility. I think the $5k grants from Dfinity were a great practice of this kind of experimental embrace.</p>
+      <p>3. <b>Store energy when it’s plentiful.</b> Some species of fungi grow underground storage vessels known as sclerotia or truffles. These dense nuggets of mycelium provide sustenance in periods of prolonged adverse conditions (drought, lack of food etc.). I think efforts like the Open Collective etc. can play a role in facilitating this kind of saving. Times may come when we have no incoming funding and then the surplus of previous crops can keep us going. I think we should be wary of spending all available resources as they come in.</p>
+      <p>4. <b>Foster collaboration and sharing across boundaries.</b> As others have stated already, mycelia of many species interconnect the root-zones of plants and trees, thereby providing the infrastructure for distributing nutrients and messages in a way which supports the collective. The more we can forge relationships between SSB and other p2p, decent techno-communities the better. So perhaps some funds may be allocated to collaborative projects which strengthen both SSB and other regions of The Chorus (ie. dat, ipfs, cabal etc.). I also think this cross-boundary funding should ultimately reach out into geographically local projects and communities. By that I mean the funding of permaculture and earthworks, healing, teaching etc.</p>
+      <p>5. <b>Foster collaboration and sharing inside the Scuttleverse.</b> This is closely related to the above point but I think of it more in terms of ensuring our documentation is top-notch and accessible. Mycelium learns to digest novel compounds and then shares that knowledge with the rest of the network, meaning that those compounds are rapidly decomposed when encountered the second time around. This ability to learn through trial-and-error and then disseminate the information is key to the adaptability and resilience of the network. As such, it seem pertinent to continue funding the creation of documentation, not just of the software variety but that produces through reflection and retrospectives (facilitating and produced by ethnographers, organizational analysts, participatory process folx etc.). I already see encouraging examples of this here.</p>
+      <p>6. <b>Live cheap.</b> Fungi disassemble what they have available to them and build with the resulting molecules. This is what voice of the mushroom said to Terence McKenna: ‘when you’re a mushroom, you live cheap!’. We must strive to allow for running nodes with the lowest possible resource inputs. There are a bunch of cool projects which fall under this category, some of which are already underway (@cel [3] is working on minimal sbot, for example). Perhaps we should think about funding things like 32-bit support, the creation of RPi installation guides, more electronics shenanigans, guides on solar setups and recycling batteries etc. I reckon ssb-wiki would really help in arranging this knowledge.</p>
+      <p>7. <b>Decompose by design.</b> We need to get better at extracting valuable elements from waste and ensuring that our building materials do not cause detrimental effects to the wider eco-system when they decay. This one is still relatively unformed in my mind, but I’m thinking about things like using biomaterials in place of plastics, plastic digesters etc. The work of @Sam Smith [4] and @dangerousbeans [5] et al. comes to mind. I wonder how this concept relates to software and sociotechnical tribes.</p>
+      <p>I’m going to leave it at that for now. There might be some upcoming episodes of The Local Gossip which explore these topics in more details. I realize that most of what I’ve highlighted above is already manifested in Scuttlebutt in beautiful ways. I hope this mini-essay doesn’t come across as being ignorant of all the effort that’s going on. In many ways, I’m just fractal-gazing at double-exposures of the mycelium and Scuttlemesh and pointing out the symmetries I see. Apologies for the long post and thank you if you stuck with me to this point ;) Keep up the cross-pollination and keep making friends with non-humyns!</p>
+      <h3>Cypherlinks</h3>
+      <ol>
+          <li>Cypherlink to part 2: %+dhqokfiKrZMTANy53fSOliuW5gN+UbzMa4VeB6hTG4=.sha256</li>
+          <li>Cypherlink to part 1: %RRp5H5obsNYHhjSa/2FAxcTiyGGVvhPKAUYYgZTj6hI=.sha256</li>
+          <li>@cel (public key): @f/6sQ6d2CMxRUhLpspgGIulDxDCwYD7DzFzPNr7u5AU=.ed25519</li>
+          <li>@Sam Smith (public key): @w87xXIicF6SVqG0VIBqbKfHJ/QuXdBOBhtMUweZxE4k=.ed25519</li>
+          <li>@dangerousbeans (public key): @TXKFQehlyoSn8UJAIVP/k2BjFINC591MlBC2e2d24mA=.ed25519</li>
+      </ol>
+    </article>
+    <hr>
+{%- endblock %}

templates/fungi/glossary.html.tera

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+{% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | fungal glossary{% endblock title %}
+{% block content %}
+    <h2>Mycological Glossary</h2>
+    <ul>
+      <li><b>culture</b> - Mycelium of a particular strain and species, often grown in a petri dish or test tube for easy storage and replication.</li>
+      <li><b>liquid culture</b> - Mycelium grown in a nutrified solution such as 4% honey water, often in a glass jar or similar lidded vessel; simplifies cultivation in non-sterile conditions.</li>
+      <li><b>mushroom</b> - The fruiting body of a fungal network; a specialised structure grown to replicate and distribute the genetic information of the mycelium via spores.</li>
+      <li><b>mycelium</b> - The body of a fungus, made up of branching and interconnected threads of single cells (hyphae); often appears as a white, fluffy mass resembling tiny roots.</li>
+      <li><b>mycomaterial</b> - A substance or object grown out of mycelium, often using hemp hurd or similar woody substance as a base material. Mycomaterials hold great potential as replacements for plastic, styrofoam, leather etc.</li>
+      <li><b>spore</b> - A tiny reproductive bundle carrying the genetic information of the parent organism; germinates to restart the life-cycle of the fungus.</li>
+    </ul>
+    <hr>
+{%- endblock %}

templates/fungi/grow_forests.html.tera

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+{% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | Growing Forests{% endblock title %}
+{% block content %}
+    <article>
+      <h2>Growing Forests</h2>
+      <i>26 October, 2018</i>
+      <p><i>This is the first part [1] of a two-part essay which first appeared on Scuttlebutt as a response to a question [2] posed by @elavoie [3]:</i></p>
+      <blockquote cite="%RRp5H5obsNYHhjSa/2FAxcTiyGGVvhPKAUYYgZTj6hI=.sha256">
+          <p>I think we need a different narrative and symbolism for SSB. I feel it is already emerging in this community: the Tree and its role in a Forest. In the last day, I have seen references to Trees by at least 3 different people in my personal feed. I interpret that as a growing sensitivity to a different approach. How does that new symbol can inform our funding strategies?</p>
+          <footer><cite>@elavoie</cite></footer>
+      </blockquote>
+      <p>I am interested in growing forests. A single tree may perish from disease, insect infestation or a chainsaw, while a forest composed of intricately interconnected and interdependent organisms is far more resilient. Even the ferocity of fire cannot cleanse the forest of life. Indeed, many organisms and living processes have evolved to thrive in the aftermath of such sweeping and sudden change.</p>
+      <p>In these times of rapidly intensifying climate change, instability and extinction, we must become experts in the cultivation of forests. Forests that will feed us. Forests we can dance and sing in. Forests founded on care and attention. I mean these things both literally and figuratively.</p>
+      <p>Enter: mycelium. Peter McCoy of Radical Mycology is fond of saying: the mycelium is the message. Fungal lifeforms mine rocks to build soil; they welcomed their plant kin onto the land circa 400 MYA - midwifing the emergence of the botanical lifeforms we see today. Fungi figured out how to hack lignin and are hard at work hacking plastics. They are polymath geniuses of the highest order. I could go on and on (and on and on…).</p>
+      <p>Let’s take a peek at how fungi grow forests: as a meshwork of single-celled threads, mycelium is incredibly vulnerable to attack by hostile microbes and has evolved numerous defenses. One strategy is the selective cultivation of benefical bacteria on the outer surface of the mycelium. By selecting and caring for these allies, the mycelium grows a bacterial cloak of immunity. It is no surprise then that some medicinal mushrooms have been show to influence humyn gut microflora. But that’s not where it stops…</p>
+      <p>In designing it’s local microbial community, the mycelium promotes the growth of some plants over others - shepherding the emergence of particular botanical communities. The mycelium itself, along with the mushrooms it produces, are food for insects, worms, birds and mammals. All of these creatures, plant and animal alike, can be thought of as biomass. The biomass ultimately feeds the fungus; falling branches are air-dropped takeout for the mycelial membranes below. You see this pattern in the contrast between grassland and forest eco-systems: grassland has bacterially-dominated soils while forests have fungal-dominated soil. What started off as a bit of humble bacteria farming grew into a complex and resilient system capable of supporting the mycelium and myriad other lifeforms. I think this is basically what we’re aiming for.</p>
+      <p>That’s all fascinating and stuff, but how do we apply this to @elavoie’s original question(s)?</p>
+      <p>I’ll highlight a few patterns I see in mycelial biology and ecology which I think apply. I have written about some of these elsewhere in the Scuttleverse (apologies for not including references and images and such).</p>
+      <p>Part 2: <a href="/fungi/design-patterns">Mycelial Design Patterns</a>.</p>
+      <h3>Cypherlinks</h3>
+      <ol>
+          <li>Cypherlink to part 1: %RRp5H5obsNYHhjSa/2FAxcTiyGGVvhPKAUYYgZTj6hI=.sha256</li>
+          <li>Cypherlink to @elavoie's original post: %/oFE/AW2HqPTOtQ1UHBBXKzzfZpiEJHGbFcXksxKnPo=.sha256</li>
+          <li>@elavoie (public key): @IgYpd+tCtXnlE2tYX/8rR2AGt+P8svC98WH3MdYAa8Y=.ed25519</li>
+      </ol>
+    </article>
+    <hr>
+{%- endblock %}

templates/fungi/grow_together.html.tera

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | Grow Together{% endblock title %}
 {% block content %}
     <article>
       <h2>Grow Together</h2>

templates/fungi/lichen_space.html.tera

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | Lichens in Space{% endblock title %}
 {% block content %}
     <article>
       <h2>Lichens in Space</h2>

templates/fungi/mycomaterials_guide.html.tera

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+{% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | Mycomaterials{% endblock title %}
+{% block content %}
+    <article>
+      <h2>Guide to Mycomaterials: Properties, Fabrication & Industry</h2>
+      <i>16 September, 2020</i>
+      <h3>Introduction</h3>
+      <p>Before the advent of plastic and the rapid expansion of global mining activites, our habitats, clothes, tools and other technologies were constructed from the organic and inorganic elements around us. Mud, stone, bone, wood, bamboo, grass and a plethora of other biotic and abiotic materials formed our material culture and mediated our interactions with the world. Some of these materials, such as stone, are highly durable - able to withstand centuries of use with only minor
+      deterioration. Others, such as grasses and wood, are typefied by their ephemerality - offering utility over short spans of timespace before decaying beyond repair. The decomposition of these materials, whether unfolding over geological time-scales or the course of a few days, unlocks key nutrients which are then cycled through planetary systems and which ultimately support the proliferation and diversification of life.</p>
+      <p>Contrast the material culture of our ancestors with that of today, where so much of the humyn world is composed of plastics and other synthetic materials which are costly to produce, often manufactured far away from the point of use, and which are toxic to us and the lifeforms around us. These materials do not decay gracefully, nor do they nourish biological processes through their decomposition. Materials which require intensive mining operations are perhaps equally problematic, especially in light of large-scale habitat destruction and exploitation of labour and lands. Fortunately, the emergent field of mycomaterials offers a compelling alternative to toxic and energy-intensive materials such as plastics, styrofoam and other synthetic materials. 
+      <h3>Properties of Mycomaterials</h3>
+      <p>Simply put, mycomaterials are objects which are either completely or partially comprised of fungal mycelium. Shigeru Yamanaka and Reiko Kikuchi, widely regarded as the originators of mycomaterials, offer this definition in a patent filing from 1990:</p>
+      <blockquote cite="https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/eb/f7/2d/49306791c9c256/US5074959.pdf">
+        <p>a novel complex of fibrous materials and fungi obtained by allowing fungi to grow in a medium containing fibrous materials thereby bonding the fungi to the fibrous materials</p>
+        <footer>- <a href="https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/eb/f7/2d/49306791c9c256/US5074959.pdf"><cite>Complex of Fibers and Fungi and a Process for the Preparation Thereof</cite></a></footer>
+      </blockquote>
+      <p></p>
+      <figure>
+        <img src="/fungi/photo_guide/habitat.jpg" style="width: 100%;" alt="Birch forest with grass covering the forest floor" />
+        <figcaption>A grassland birch forest.</figcaption>
+      </figure>
+      <h3>Conclusion</h3>
+      <p>There you have it, with 5 - 7 photos you can capture a great deal of data about a given species. Whether you're asking someone for help with identification or working through the process yourself, having these morphological and ecological data to draw on will enrich your learning experience and enhance your chances of making a successful identification. You may even notice things in the photos which you missed while in the field, for example, a beetle crawling amongst the gills (what ecological relationship might it have with the fungus?). I hope you've found this guide helpful and that it facilitates many fun identification forays in your near-future!</p>
+    </article>
+    <hr>
+{%- endblock %}

templates/fungi/network_resilience.html.tera

@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+{% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | Network Resilience{% endblock title %}
+{% block content %}
+    <article>
+      <h2>Network Resilience: Woronin Bodies and the Scuttleverse</h2>
+      <i>25 March, 2018</i>
+      <p>Today I spent some more time reading through <i>Fungi in the Environment</i>, particularly the chapter titled “Natural history of the fungal hypha: how Woronin bodies support a multicellular lifestyle” by Gregory Jedd. I’m sharing a bit of it here since I think Woronin bodies, and fungal evolutionary history more broadly, has some metaphorical relevance to the Scuttleverse. My thoughts and presentation here are very rough but I intend on refining them iteratively.</p>
+      <p>Some fungi have perforated walls (septa) between their cells. Septal pores (openings between cells) allow the cellular contents of the mycelial network to flow through the cells. This is known as protoplasmic streaming and sometimes includes cellular nuclei in addition to other organelles (intracellular modules).</p>
+      <p>When experiencing damage, stress, old age, or during cellular differentiation, these fungi are able to selectively seal the septal pores in some of their cells. For example, when an insect takes a bite out of a mycelial network, cells adjacent to the destroyed / damaged cells prevent the leaking of protoplasm by sealing their pores. In this sense, they are self-healing and responsive to unanticipated changes in network integrity.</p>
+      <p>Different fungi take different approaches to halting and resuming protoplasmic streaming. One method of sealing septal pores is via Woronin bodies - bundles of HEX-1, a self-assembling structural protein, tethered to the pore opening. These Woronin bodies are essentially plugs which are pulled into position when required and may be sealed-over in the process of recovering from damage to adjacent cells.</p>
+      <blockquote cite="http://www.cambridge.org/ru/academic/subjects/life-sciences/plant-science/fungi-environment">
+        <p>the fungal colony can be thought of as a mass of protoplasm that migrates through a growing, interconnected system of channels. The early-diverging fungi (e.g. Zygomycota) grow well in the absence of vegetative septa; what then is the benefit of the perforate septum? Septal pores confer the advantage of protoplasmic streaming and intercellular continuity but are also sufficiently small to be rapidly closed. Thus, the syncytium can ‘cellularize’ in response to hyphal damage, stress or old age, and during cellular differentiation. Several mechanisms exist to close the septal pore; one of these is described in detail below. Interestingly, the fungi with the most prominent and complex septal-pore-associated organelles, the Hymenomycetes and Euascomycetes (Fig. 2.1), also produce the largest and most complex multicellular fruiting bodies (Alexopolous et al., 1996), suggesting that these organelles support complex multicellular organization.</p>
+        <footer>- <a href="https://www.academia.edu/download/47581014/Fungi_in_the_Environment.pdf#page=43"><cite>JEDD, G., 2007. Natural history of the fungal hypha: how Woronin bodies support a multicellular lifestyle. Fungi in the environment. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp.33.</cite></a></footer>
+      </blockquote>
+      <p>Perhaps these fungi can inform some of our thinking around diversity, replication and resilience, particularly with regards to recent (Scuttlebutt) discussions concerning trolls and bad actors? Maybe they hold clues to guide our growth towards ‘complex multicellular organization’?</p>
+      <p>Messages stream through the Scuttleverse via openings in the cells of the network (peers). In response to undesired behaviour from a peer(s), individuals - and, by extension, enclaves - selectively close their portals to the 'Verse - momentarily or permanently stopping the stream. Like fungi, the evolution of the Scuttleverse pulses with hyphal fusion and fission; continually reconfiguring the network topology and connectivity in response to environmental factors. Woronin-bodies, along with similar organelles in other fungi, could be replicated in the 'Verse: programmatic plugs to limit or halt streaming of network content, acting in a decentralized fashion via subjective replication and interaction definitions.</p>
+      <p>My understanding of SSB is far from adequate to even begin exploring these ideas in code, but I look forward to the day that dream takes shape around me; self-assembling structural proteins dancing as hyphal shards of The Greater Scuttleverse merge and diverge.</p>
+    </article>
+    <hr>
+{%- endblock %}

templates/fungi/photo_guide.html.tera

@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+{% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | Photographing Mushrooms{% endblock title %}
+{% block content %}
+    <article>
+      <h2>Guide to Photographing Mushrooms for Identification</h2>
+      <i>25 August, 2020</i>
+      <h3>Introduction</h3>
+      <p>The blessing and curse of becoming known for your interest in a particular topic is the increasing number of questions you receive. As a keen mycophile, I am frequently sent photos of mushrooms and asked for assistance in identifying them. More often than not, I receive a single photo taken from directly above the mushroom, without any mention of contextual data such as where the photo was taken and during which season. This derth of data makes it very difficult to positively identify the mushroom to genus or species level. With that in mind, I thought it might be useful to write a short guide on photography for the purposes of mushroom identification.</p>
+      <p class="bordered"><i>When first beginning your journey into mushroom identification, it may be tempting to take a field guide with you to assist with identifications - I know this is how I started off. However, I've found that I prefer taking photos while in the field and doing the identification work and research at home. This allows me to focus on observation while in the field and avoid the frustration of paging through often-inadequate field guides. Find what works for you.</i></p>
+      <h3>Capturing Morphological Traits</h3>
+      <p>Mushrooms are often best identified by observing and listing their morphological traits. These may include the shape of the cap - both from above and in profile, the structure and colour of the hymenium, the colouration of the stem, the structure of the ring (if present) etc. Species within a genus often look identical at a glance and may require careful delineation based on a single characteristic. As such, it's very important to take clear photographs which collectively capture all of these characteristics (or the lack thereof). A minimum of three photos should do the trick:</p>
+      <p><b>Top-view</b>: captures the shape, colour and texture of the mushroom as seen from above.</p>
+      <figure>
+        <img src="/fungi/photo_guide/top_view.jpg" style="width: 100%;" alt="Large brown and white mushroom growing from a birch log on the forest floor. A black-gloved hand with fingers spread is next to the mushroom. The forest floor is covered with wet leaves and English ivy" />
+        <figcaption>Here we see a birch polypore mushroom (<i>Fomitopsis betulina</i>) from above, including a humyn hand for scale. As a bonus, we can also see the substrate from which the fungus is fruiting (a birch tree on the forest floor).</figcaption>
+      </figure>
+      <p><b>Side-view</b>: captures the profile of the cap, the cap margin and the shape and colour of the stem (including patterns and any bruising which might be present).</p>
+      <figure>
+        <img src="/fungi/photo_guide/side_view.jpg" style="width: 100%;" alt="Little brown mushroom (LBM) with a green clover attached to the base, as seen from the side on a white background" />
+        <figcaption>The profile of a single mushroom from the Panaeolus genus.</figcaption>
+      </figure>
+      <p><b>Bottom-view</b>: captures the colour and structure of the hymenium (gills, pores or teeth), as well as the way in which the cap is attached to the stem (if present).</p>
+      <figure>
+        <img src="/fungi/photo_guide/bottom_view.jpg" style="width: 100%;" alt="Mushroom with white gills and a beige stem" />
+        <figcaption>The gills of a mushroom I've yet to identify, including the top part of the stem.</figcaption>
+      </figure>
+      <p>Your identification process will be further aided by taking the extra steps to capture two more photos:</p>
+      <p><b>Developmental diversity</b>: captures several examples of the mushroom at various phases of development, including a mature mushroom and primorida. Mushrooms can change colour and shape with age, and may lose key identification features - hence the utility of being able to identify using several phases of development.</p>
+      <figure>
+        <img src="/fungi/photo_guide/development.jpg" style="width: 100%;" alt="Tetraptych showing four phases in the development of coprinoid mushrooms amongst mulch; from primordium to mature fruitbody" />
+        <figcaption>Four phases in the development of a coprinoid mushroom.</figcaption>
+      </figure>
+      <p><b>Spore-print</b>: captures the colour of the spores (an important characteristic with which to narrow your search). You will probably have to take a mushroom cap home / back to your campsite to create the sporeprint (takes 12 - 24 hours).</p>
+      <figure>
+        <img src="/fungi/photo_guide/spore_print.jpg" style="width: 100%;" alt="Black sporeprint on white, ruled paper" />
+        <figcaption>Black spores from a mushroom in the Panaeolus genus.</figcaption>
+      </figure>
+      <p class="bordered"><i>Bear in mind that you don't need fancy equipment to photograph mushrooms for the purpose of identification. I've been using the same simple Sony digital point-and-shoot since 2011. Also, don't be afraid to get close-up to your subject (the mushroom). The details often prove to be very important!</i></p>
+      <h3>Capturing Ecological Context</h3>
+      <p>In addition to photos of the mushroom itself, it can be incredibly helpful to collect data concerning the context in which the mushroom is growing. The key considerations in this regard are the substrate and habitat: What is the mushroom growing on? Where is it growing? And what is growing or living around it? Having photos of these contextual factors can make a big difference when identifying a mushroom or genus or species-level. A minimum of two photos will suffice:</p>
+      <p><b>Substrate-attachment</b>: captures the substrate on which the mushroom is growing. Try to observe beyond the obvious: if it's growing from the ground, is it growing on mulch, dung or from beneath the soil?</p>
+      <figure>
+        <img src="/fungi/photo_guide/substrate.jpg" style="width: 100%;" alt="Cluster of mushrooms with beige-orange caps and brown stems, growing on a wet, decomposing log in a forest" />
+        <figcaption>A cluster of mushrooms growing on a wet, decomposing log.</figcaption>
+      </figure>
+      <p><b>Habitat</b>: captures the environmental conditions and some of the species which may be copresent with the mushroom.</p>
+      <figure>
+        <img src="/fungi/photo_guide/habitat.jpg" style="width: 100%;" alt="Birch forest with grass covering the forest floor" />
+        <figcaption>A grassland birch forest.</figcaption>
+      </figure>
+      <h3>Conclusion</h3>
+      <p>There you have it, with 5 - 7 photos you can capture a great deal of data about a given species. Whether you're asking someone for help with identification or working through the process yourself, having these morphological and ecological data to draw on will enrich your learning experience and enhance your chances of making a successful identification. You may even notice things in the photos which you missed while in the field, for example, a beetle crawling amongst the gills (what ecological relationship might it have with the fungus?). I hope you've found this guide helpful and that it facilitates many fun identification forays in your near-future!</p>
+    </article>
+    <hr>
+{%- endblock %}

templates/home.html.tera

@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 {% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | glyph{% endblock title %}
 {% block content %}
     <img src="glyph.svg" style="width: 175px;" />
-    <p>Welcome to the personal website of glyph.</p>
+    <p>Welcome to the personal website of glyph: a mycelial technologist coding and cultivating a decentralized, multispecies future. On my site you will find art, musings and projects relating to carbon-based and silicon-based technologies.</p>
+    <p>[ sowing seeds of symbiosis | weaving webs of wu wei ]</p>
     <h2>Contact Information</h2>
     <ul style="padding: 0;">
       <li class="list-item">Email: <a href="mailto:glyph@mycelial.technology" title="glyph's Email address">glyph@mycelial.technology</a></li>

templates/lists.html.tera

@@ -1,21 +1,23 @@
 {% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | lists{% endblock title %}
 {% block content %}
     <h2>Lists</h2>
     <h3>Books</h3>
     <p>Currently Reading</p>
     <ul>
-      <li><i>Red Moon</i> - Kim Stanley Robinson</li>
       <li><i>Radical Mycology</i> - Peter McCoy</li>
       <li><i>Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell</i> - Susanna Clarke</li>
     </ul>
     <p>Previously Read</p>
     <ul>
+      <li><i>A Closed and Common Orbit</i> - Becky Chambers</li>
+      <li><i>Ready Player One</i> - Ernest Cline</li>
+      <li><i>Red Moon</i> - Kim Stanley Robinson</li>
       <li><i>Mythago Wood</i> - Robert Holdstock</li>
       <li><i>The Name of the Wind</i> - Patrick Rothfuss</li>
     </ul>
     <p>Wishlist</p>
     <ul>
-      <li><i>A Closed and Common Orbit</i> - Becky Chambers</li>
       <li><i>The Mushroom at the End of the World</i> - Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing</li>
     </ul>
     <h3>Graphic Novels</h3>
@@ -24,6 +26,11 @@
       <li><i>Deadly Class</i> - Rick Remender, Lee Loughridge and Wes Craig</li>
       <li><i>Saga</i> - Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples</li>
     </ul>
+    <p>Previously Read</p>
+    <ul>
+      <li><i>Invisible Kingdom, Vol. 1</i> - G. Willow Wilson and Christian Ward</li>
+      <li><i>Isola, Vol. 1</i> - Brenden Fletcher and Karl Kerschl</li>
+    </ul>
     <p>Wishlist</p>
     <ul>
       <li><i>Trees</i> - Jason Howard and Warren Ellis</li>
@@ -42,8 +49,8 @@
     <h3>Podcasts</h3>
     <p>Currently Listening</p>
     <ul>
+      <li><a href="https://www.embedded.fm/" title="Embedded FM"><i>Embedded FM</i></a> - Elecia White and Chris White</li>
       <li><a href="https://www.indefenseofplants.com/podcast" title="In Defense of Plants podcast"><i>In Defense of Plants</i></a> - Matt</li>
-      <li><a href="https://www.happinesslab.fm/" title="The Happiness Lab podcast"><i>The Happiness Lab</i></a> - Dr Laurie Santos</li>
     </ul>
     <hr>
 {%- endblock %}

templates/meditation.html.tera

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | meditation{% endblock title %}
 {% block content %}
     <article>
       <h2>Meditation</h2>

templates/plants.html.tera

@@ -1,11 +1,15 @@
 {% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | plants{% endblock title %}
 {% block content %}
     <h2>Plants</h2>
-    <ul>
-      <li><a href="/plants/aloe-there">Aloe There</a> - <i>6 June, 2020</i></li>
-      <li><a href="/plants/botanical-deceptions">Botanical Deceptions</a> - <i>15 May, 2020</i></li>
-      <li><a href="/plants/potato-tech">Potato Tech</a> - <i>31 December, 2017</i></li>
-      <li><a href="/plants/blueberry-dance">I Have Been Invited Into a Dance by a Bush with Purple Berries</a> - <i>20 December, 2017</i></li>
-    </ul>
+    <h3>Articles</h3>
+    <div class="card">
+      <ul>
+        <li><a href="/plants/aloe-there">Aloe There</a> - <i>6 June, 2020</i></li>
+        <li><a href="/plants/botanical-deceptions">Botanical Deceptions</a> - <i>15 May, 2020</i></li>
+        <li><a href="/plants/potato-tech">Potato Tech</a> - <i>31 December, 2017</i></li>
+        <li><a href="/plants/blueberry-dance">I Have Been Invited Into a Dance by a Bush with Purple Berries</a> - <i>20 December, 2017</i></li>
+      </ul>
+    </div>
     <hr>
 {%- endblock %}

templates/plants/aloe_there.html.tera

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | Aloe There{% endblock title %}
 {% block content %}
     <article>
       <h2>Aloe There</h2>

templates/plants/blueberry_dance.html.tera

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | I Have Been Invited Into a Dance by a Bush with Purple Berries{% endblock title %}
 {% block content %}
     <article>
       <h2>I Have Been Invited Into a Dance by a Bush with Purple Berries</h2>

templates/plants/botanical_deceptions.html.tera

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | Botanical Deceptions{% endblock title %}
 {% block content %}
     <article>
       <h2>Botanical Deceptions</h2>

templates/plants/potato_tech.html.tera

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | Potato Tech{% endblock title %}
 {% block content %}
     <article>
       <h2>Potato Tech</h2>

templates/projects.html.tera

@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 {% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | projects{% endblock title %}
 {% block content %}
     <h2>Projects</h2>
     <p>I'm a tortoise and I shuffle between projects in eccentric orbits; sometimes I complete one.</p>
     <h3>Active</h3>
     <ul>
       <li><a href="https://opencollective.com/peachcloud">PeachCloud</a>: solarpunk social hardware with Scuttlebutt</li>
-      <li><a href="https://hyphalfusion.network">Hyphal Fusion Network</a>: distributed mycology research</li>
+      <li><a href="https://hyphalfusion.network">Hyphal Fusion Network</a>: a forum for distributed mycology research</li>
       <li><a href="https://git.sr.ht/~glyph/myka">myka</a>: culture library & cultivation log for tracking the expansion of mycelia</li>
       <li><a href="https://git.sr.ht/~glyph/spore">spore</a>: a manual for the mycelial arts</li>
     </ul>

templates/support.html.tera

@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 {% extends "nav" %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | support{% endblock title %}
 {% block content %}
     <h2>Support</h2>
     <p>If you'd like to support my creative endeavours, please consider contributing in one of the following ways:</p>
     <ul>
       <li style="word-wrap: break-word;">Ethereum: 0x708f841c7c0f7B7648cb83e7885feA00b59A675e</li>
       <li>Donate to the <a href="https://opencollective.com/peachcloud" title="PeachCloud OpenCollective">PeachCloud OpenCollective</a></li>
-      <li>Purchase a <a href="https://teespring.com/stores/harmonic-mycology" title="Harmonic Mycology Teespring">Harmonic Mycology t-shirt</a></li>
+      <li>Purchase a <a href="https://teespring.com/stores/mycelial-technology" title="Mycelial Technology Teespring">Mycelial Technology t-shirt</a></li>
     </ul>
     <h2>Supporting</h2>
     <p>These are the projects and friends I currently contribute to:</p>