Wood Wide Web
(Session 2 of 2) The brain is host to many mysteries. It controls so much of what we do and who we are, but how? In the second of two events, meet researchers who have dedicated their working lives to finding out the mysteries of the mind – join their personal stories that shine a light on the human element that influences science.
For those who wish to hear my story read out click the above video to 38:55.
The Wood Wide Web: A Story of Life's Connections
Imagine walking through a forest, a psychedelic kaleidoscope of leaves that have started their endless march into autumn, turning into a golden-brown colour which surrounds you. You close your eyes as you walk on the hardened uneven ground. You feel the gentle autumnal breeze on your blushing cheeks. You begin to focus your attention on the rustling of leaves that have fallen from the surrounding trees. No other sound can be heard in the forest except the cool breeze. You stop and inhale a breath of fresh untainted air. You then gradually open your eyes whilst gently exhaling, taking in the comforting peace that encapsulates you.
For a moment, worries of debt, job security and illness fade. Your mind seems to have cleared out all of its toxic negative thoughts. None of the mundane stresses of everyday life disturbs you whilst you absorb your surroundings. Continuing on your journey, you notice a small clearing on the forest floor. You slowly bend down to investigate this curious clearing by brushing away the crisp brown leaves. You start to wonder what lies beneath the loamy soil. You push away more of the top soil to further cure your insatiable curiosity. As you delve deeper, you start to see a criss-cross network of wiry roots, that almost resembles a bustling jumble of highways.
As you continue to scrutinise this network, you begin to appreciate the complexity in this tantalising matrix of root and soil, which now seems to resemble a telephone exchange. On further scrutiny, you see an additional sub-network of white tentacle-like hypae that spans the roots. You start to wonder what the purpose of this network is, and how far it stretches. You continue your investigation in the serene forest.
As you look around, you spot a small whip-like maple tree that wax and wanes in the fresh autumnal breeze. Slowly walking towards this trembling treeling, you crouch down to clear the heaped crispy leaves at its base. As you clear the leaves and soil beneath, you start to see the matrix again but it contains larger thicker interconnections of hypae. Out of curiosity you decide to follow this network containing the larger interconnections to what you hope leads to an emerald surprise. This emerald surprise turns out to be a grand oak matriarchy that looms over the surrounding area. To your amazement, you realise that this network links the smaller weaker maple with the grander oak. You start to wonder how this treeling survives when its neighbouring larger trees gobble up the light from above. For once in a long time you’re feeling that your mind has something to contemplate other things than the constant bubbling of anxiety and melancholy. Your renewed enthusiasm spurs you onto learn more about this forest network.
In fact, the grand old oak feeds the younger maple independent of species. These trees form one minor component within a larger breathing organism that is the forest. This Wood Wide Web not only shuttles food but also exchanges information similar to that of the World Wide Web, particularly warning of impending dangers. The WWW blankets trees from harsh weather and a lack of resources needed for growth. This vast ancient network connects the vast majority of plants in the forest through a primordial marriage of fungi and plant, which is the longest lasting marriage predating all life on land. All these connections within the biosphere of father Earth form a greater organism that we have managed to divorced ourselves from with our modern glimmering cities and sterile dwellings. Some know this greater lifeform as mother Gaia, which is the only oasis in the obsidian void of the cosmos.
From the smallest bacteria to the largest seafaring mammal, we are all strands within the network that is Gaia. We can easily forget or ignore with our modern-day distractions and stresses. Neglecting Gaia can cause us to feel anxious similar to what a lost child might feel, and only by re-joining her we can preserve our well-being and prized oasis.