“What is life?” Seems simple enough, right? It turns out that what it means to be alive depends on the organism in question … plus a whole lot more. Tere are many situations where “living” is not so easy to define. Te definition gets blurry. In fact, it’s not always so easy to define what the “organism” is that you’re putting the question to. Te organism you’re looking at, likely is made up of many many organisms and may even be mostly dead cells. A tree is a good example; most of the cells of a mature tree are dead heartwood cells; the outer surfaces of the tree—the leaves, stems, bark, and root surfaces are covered with all sorts of other organism, mostly microbial. All the major groups of organisms have enigmatic species that twist and contort what it means to be alive. Fungi are no exception and Zimmer focuses on fungi as well as slime molds and other microbes throughout this book. Spores of all sorts of microbes can remain metabolically inactive for years, decades, centuries … are they alive? And higher organisms are being found that seemingly can sit frozen or completely dehydrated—for decades and centuries—how would you know if it’s alive? With modern medicine, a human can be kept alive for long periods of time after the owner’s brain has shut down, thus beyond the legal definition of living. What about our red blood cells; they have physiology but cannot reproduce themselves, are they living? Or mitochondria; they have their own physiology and DNA but cannot persist on their own outside of a cell? And what of viruses—we are all too familiar with viruses these days. Are they living? Tey certainly seem capable of terminating life of their hosts. Every chapter in Life’s Edge poses


many questions about what life is and the struggles that scientists, physicians, religious and political leaders have faced when trying to define it. I’ll restate that this is probably my favorite book by Carl Zimmer. However, I do have one quibble. Over 300 pages, Zimmer recounts many different theories and experiments to define life—dozens by my count. But at no point is the most widely accepted definition of life ever mentioned: the Cell Teory of Life. All biologists are taught this and most (not all, of course) accept it. Te Cell Teory was originally proposed in the mid 1800s by two scientists Teodor


72 FUNGI Volume 14:4 Fall 2021


Schwann and Matthias Schleiden, thus their names are often attached to it. Te Cell Teory very simply and concisely defines “life.” Te cell is the most basic unit of life; all living organisms are composed of one or more cells; all living cells arise from pre-existing cells by division; hereditary information (DNA) is passed on from cell to cell. Tus self- assembling “protocells” of clay soils, ice “flowers,” liposomes, and self-splicing RNAs (ribozymes) are not living. Nor are viruses. Close, but no cigar. (And this is the opinion among most virologists, too.) Still, so much to ponder in this great book. –Britt A. Bunyard


Psychedelia: Te History and Science of Mystical Experience


A Film by Pat Murphy 2020, Hard Rain Films


P


sychedelia is a 60-minute documentary about psychedelic


drugs and their ability to induce mystical experiences. Tis engaging film chronicles the scientific research studies prior to the cultural upheaval of the 1960s, when LSD was regarded as a promising medical breakthrough, to the present-day research in psychiatry, where leading experts in the field of psychedelic research have re-introduced these compounds into a legal and growing field of study. Featuring leading experts in the field,


the film takes viewers on a journey through the origins and resurgence of psychedelic research and explores the profound effects these mind-altering compounds have had on spirituality and culture throughout the ages. With first-person accounts from patients with end-of-life anxiety, this work explores


the profound and life-altering insights psychedelics induce in participants, and the potential impact psychedelics hold for humanity. Te film was a winner for best documentary film at the New Jersey International Film Festival, was an official selection at the Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival (DOCUTAH) and the Orlando Film Festival, and the film was featured at the 2021 Telluride Mushroom Festival in Colorado. Pat Murphy is a documentary filmmaker and professional film editor based in Los Angeles. He’s edited programs for major outlets like PBS, Showtime, and People magazine. As a producer, his films have been shown in museums, international film festivals, and in-studio on Channel 13 in New York City. Aside from filmmaking, he is an enthusiast for the outdoors, American history, and roots music. Psychedelia is absolutely terrific. I


discussed the film with Contributing Editor David Rose and we agreed that this is an excellent film and one that should be seen widely. It’s really a film whose time has come, and was well- constructed with many authoritative interviews and interesting participants in the therapeutic settings. David wished that it went farther to make the case for personal use of psychedelics apart from psychotherapy, but could understand the need to build the case carefully and not proclaim a panacea like Tim Leary did. It’s very visually appealing with a bevy of historical film clips stitched together (many of them ludicrous US government propaganda warnings of drugs and Public Enemy Number One) masterfully, demonstrating Pat Murphy’s talent as a film editor. Definitely put this one on your list, folks! –Britt A. Bunyard


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