Are you a fan of spores, molds, and fungus? I knew it. Here’s a timelapse video of mold growing on rotten green Jell-O for 25 days, brought to us by Temponaut. Things get particularly nasty at about day 7, and by day 20? That’s looking like some grassy rolling hills on an alien planet.
Speaking of mold, did you know that some scientists believe there may be a link between mold and paranormal experiences?
Back in 2015, Associate Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering Shane Rogers, along with his team at Clarkson University in New York, explored the possibility that some ghost sightings, and other strange haunting phenomena, could be the result of toxic mold exposure.
“Hauntings are very widely reported phenomena that are not well-researched,” Rogers said at the time, “They are often reported in older-built structures that may also suffer poor air quality. Similarly, some people have reported depression, anxiety and other effects from exposure to biological pollutants in indoor air. We are trying to determine whether some reported hauntings may be linked to specific pollutants found in indoor air.”
The team of researchers reportedly ventured into various haunted places, including the Frederic Remington Art Museum in Ogdensburg, New York. The museum often plays host to guided ghost tours, and is known to be haunted by at least two spirits.
They also took samples from ‘controls’ — buildings that weren’t known to be haunted — for comparison. Unfortunately, I’m not sure if their findings were ever published.
Of course, back when this story first appeared, there was some pushback in paranormal circles. Not all of it was unwarranted. How, for example, would “hallucinations” account for ghost photos or sightings by larger groups of people? How about sightings outdoors? Even so, Rogers’ suggestion could probably explain at least some alleged paranormal encounters.