This article was originally published on Aug. 29, 2020.
If you found yourself glued to your video game console during the COVID-19 pandemic, you were definitely not alone. In the first quarter of 2020, Americans spent a record $10.86 billion on video games. Twitch, a popular video game streaming platform, saw its daily hours watched spike from 13 million to 31 million between Jan. 1 and March 28. And for months, the supply of Nintendo Switch consoles — a popular choice for kids, casual gamers and aficionados alike — simply wasn’t able to keep up with demand. In short, video games are clearly having a moment.
It’s not hard to understand gaming’s appeal, from simple escapism to the ability to maintain connections with friends and family, albeit virtually. For the most part, though, video games aren’t necessarily known for their scientific fidelity. (Sorry, Super Mario fans, but the practical implications of a pudgy plumber who can smash through solid brick are pretty horrifying.) Yet, if you look close enough, you might just spot a few striking examples of real-life science lurking in some of these popular games.
The Fungus Fueling The Last of Us Part II’s Zombie Apocalypse
Partway through The Last of Us Part II, as the protagonist, Ellie, you trudge through the flooded, crumbling ruins of an old bookstore. At one point, your flashlight falls on several cartoonish, pink mushrooms painted on the walls. “Pretty messed up, putting mushrooms in the kid’s section,” another character notes grimly. “Mushrooms didn’t exactly carry the same meaning back then,” Ellie responds.
