Radio Mycelium Tutorial

Radio Mycelium proposes the construction of a series of experimental situations examining a new networked imaginary, the single organism of the fungal mycelium, in relation to pathogenic, electromagnetic communications. Participants will learn how to construct simple measurement devices, and culture shiitake, blue oyster and Enokitake mushrooms, amongst other simple moulds.

“A mycelial network has no organs to move the world, no hands; but higher animals with manipulative abilities can become partners with the star knowledge within me and if they act in good faith, return both themselves and their humble mushroom teacher to the million worlds all citizens of our starswarm are heir to.”
–Terence McKenna, “The Mushroom Speaks”

The mycelium, a fungal network of thread-like cells, represents a truly underground communications network, spreading out over vast areas of earth substrate, acting with ecosystem intelligence as an interface across across symbiotic networks such as plant and tree roots.

The Radio Mycelium workshop aims to actively examine cross-spore germination between two parallel wide-area networks; between radio-based communication technologies and the single organism network of the mycelium. Fungal transceivers sprouting mycelial antennas form an imaginary underground network. Diversity of human networks is mapped across fungal diversity in the urban environment.

The influence of electromagnetic carrier waves on the mycelial network will be examined. The well-documented transformative potential of mycelium (for example, decomposing pollutants) is invoked to remediate an increasingly pathogenic electromagnetic networked culture. A series of experimental situations will be established and studied by participants, who will also learn how to construct simple measurement devices. A short field trip will find and map winter sproutings of electromagnetic fungi in Brussels.

• The workshop is facilitated by Martin Howse: http://www.1010.co.uk/org/
• Workshop notes and further experiments at http://lib.fo.am/radio_mycelium
• This tutorial is a part of PARN: http://fo.am/parn