Revolutionary Fungal Computing Technology Emerges
When we think of mushrooms, our minds typically wander to delicious cuisine, dangerous toxins, or apocalyptic scenarios like those depicted in “The Last of Us.” However, a groundbreaking study published in the peer-reviewed journal PLoS One in October 2025 reveals that these organisms could represent the future of computing.
Researchers at Ohio State University reached a remarkable conclusion in their study: The future of computers could be mushrooms.
Why Mushroom Computers Matter for Our Planet
While today’s computers, tablets, and smartphones make our lives easier, they place a tremendous burden on our planet through energy consumption and electronic waste (e-waste).
The concept of “mushroom computers” replacing traditional silicon chips may sound peculiar, but it could represent a critical step toward sustainable technology. Here’s what makes this development significant for the future of computing:
How Mushroom Computers Actually Work
This technology is based on the electrical activities that mushrooms use to communicate in nature. The root structure of fungi, called mycelium, creates a communication network known as the “Wood Wide Web” (Nature’s Internet) by sending chemical signals between mushrooms.
Scientists investigated whether this complex network could function like traditional computer electronics for information transfer and memory storage. The team’s research demonstrates that mushrooms can function as an organic memristor (an electrical component that remembers past states).
Researchers used Shiitake mushrooms similarly to RAM (Random Access Memory), the data storage component of computers, by passing various voltages through them.
The results are astonishing: Mushrooms can switch between electrical states at rates up to 5,850 signals per second, achieving this with 90% accuracy.
Advantages and Current Challenges
The Limitations
Still in the prototype stage, this technology has some disadvantages compared to conventional computers.
Current prototypes are much larger than standard laptops and significantly slower in processing power. For instance, even the lowest-performing traditional memristors are approximately twice as fast as mushroom-based ones.
The Environmental Benefits
However, the environmental advantages could overshadow this speed difference. According to the United Nations, global electronic waste production is growing five times faster than our recycling rate. Because mushroom computers are biodegradable, they can decompose naturally.
Additionally, cultivating mushrooms is inexpensive and doesn’t require the rare minerals or high-energy manufacturing processes that traditional devices demand.
Future Possibilities Beyond Computing
Scientists are also exploring the potential of using mushrooms’ bioelectric properties for organic fuel production or converting waste into energy.
While mushroom computers may not replace your laptop tomorrow, this innovative research opens exciting possibilities for creating environmentally sustainable technology that works in harmony with nature rather than against it.
