From chemistry-request@ccl.net Thu Apr  2 18:39:41 1992
Date: Thu, 2 Apr 92 13:09:47 EST
From: "Dr./CPT Christopher J. Cramer" <cjcramer@crdec6.apgea.army.MIL>
Subject: Fungus . . . or something more?
To: chemistry@ccl.net

Accepting the fungus as a legitimate story, I note the AP wire describes it
as a single organism because it is genetically uniform from end to end. The
story expands to point out that it is composed of millions of "mushrooms"
connected by still more millions of underground fibrils.

Now, if we assume that each mushroom can have distinct on/off states
(certainly a mushroom is at least as complex as a neuron) and that the
fibrils can communicate that state (ion pumps? electric depolarization?), 
why then, gasp!, it might be . . .

10+K years old and ca. 100 tons vs. poisoned ecosphere and eons of mutual
slaughter -- you tell me which might be more realistically described as
intelligent.

Chris