The cool thing is the rapid mutation of surrounding plants and bacteria, meaning Dad is still changing lives after he's gone.
Bonus comic : https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/real-3
How do you know it's close to the end? Simple: just swallow plutonium dioxide and it sure will be.
What about the "weird black mold" ? Is this something real ? Like some radiation resistant mold that has been observed ?
It might not be related, but they've found mold inside the reactor room of Chernobyl. Apparently it's evolved a chlorophyll like molecule that captures gamma radiation. It's literally living of the energy that makes the environment lethal to almost anything else (organic or electronic).
Edit. Just checked and it's not confirmed how it's growing. They do know it grows significantly faster in a high radiation environment. They haven't pinned down the exact biological mechanism.
Oh, and yes, it's black in colour.
Oh cool so we have protomolecule now?
I don’t think I had this one on my apocalypse bingo sheet
Badass. Was reading that thinking what about space applications. Sure enough there is a whole section on that in the wiki.
Appreciate you sharing this. Was super interesting to read.
Wasn't there some bacteria found in an uranium mine, enclosed for millions of years, that lives off gamma radiation too?
edit: yep. Those things could survive without the sun.
Wouldn't swallowing plutonium dioxide be the reason you end?
They're saying if you are lying in a hospital bed with a terminal diagnosis at the end of your days you should swallow the balloon.
You're right. Also from what little I understand about radiation seems like you might want to take some more definitive action too rather than give the polonium time to finish the job. It would probably be more unpleasant than however else you were going to die
Companies that make sealed concrete vaults would like a word with you
But what if they cremate you? Better be safe and also swallow some mercury zinc batteries so your corpse will explode during cremation if they go that route.
My plan was always to eat a bunch of gunpowder and ask to be cremated.