I wanted to use the LSD trial to think more broadly about the lives of the blue flowers, Voyria, and their fungal relationships. How did they live without photosynthesis? Almost all plants sustain themselves by drawing minerals from mycorrhizal fungal networks in the soil; so did Voyria, judging by the tousled mass of fungi that crowded into their roots. But without photosynthesis, Voyria had no way to make the energy-rich sugars and lipids they needed to grow. Where did Voyria get their energy from?
Later I was able to look inside the roots of the blue flowers in almost psychedelic detail using a type of microscope that makes it possible to produce 3D scans. It’s possible to journey through these vivid rootscapes on a computer, almost like a planetarium show (I’ve posted some on my social media channels). A dream of mine is to convert these scans into a VR experience, or even 3D print them enormously enlarged and stage an exhibition where people can clamber around inside the roots to get an intuitive sense of these hidden subterranean worlds and their intimacies.
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Kat
