A fine arts professor has figured out a way to build flame-resistant, extremely-strong furniture out of mushrooms.
The San Francisco Examiner reports that University of San Francisco prof Philip Ross discovered the secret qualities of fungi while trying to set a sculpture he'd made out of mycelium on fire.
And wouldn't you know? The darn thing wouldn't burn.
Another item the artist made out of mushrooms also shattered a wall, while remaining relatively intact, he told the newspaper.
It was then he realized the "versatile, indestructible qualities" of the mushroom, the newspaper reported, which could someday replace plastics. And some companies are catching on.
One company is already trying this out. MycoWorks uses mycelium, mushroom fibers, as an ingredient in some of its building materials, the newspaper reported.
The material isn't durable enough to be walked upon, but it can be used as a laminate that would be flame-resistant and strong, the newspaper reported.
