3 ms·

Absorbtion is a misnomer. It uses a tiny fraction of energy of whatever particle it is. In terms of attenuation it cant be different from anything else of simi

• acidburnNSA 6y ago
  But then why this seemingly-ridiculous line from the article? > Scientists are thinking of shielding astronauts and space objects with a layer of this radiation-absorbing protective fungus.
  • 08-15 6y ago
    Because NASA is no longer relevant, but desperately wants to be. So they publish anything, and anlways with a sensational headline: microbes that incorporate arsenic into biomolecules, reactionless microwave propulsion, and not fungal radiation shields. That line doesn't just seem ridiculous, it is.
  • xsmasher 6y ago
    Because the "article" is a clickbait Youtube video from a channel with videos like "Is the world ending in 2020?" and "Ghost caught on tape in my apartment." It doesn't even name the scientists. I went searching for "NASA Chernobyl fungus" and found a paper about using it as a shield on mars: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.16.205534v1 https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.16.205534v1 >Estimations based on linear attenuation coefficients indicated that a ~ 21 cm thick layer of this fungus could largely negate the annual dose-equivalent of the radiation environment on the surface of Mars, whereas only ~ 9 cm would be required with an equimolar mixture of melanin and Martian regolith. It makes more sense in the Mars context, where you might not have lead available, and where growing a large amount of fungus from a small seed packet is a big bonus.