超級真菌可消化宇宙輻射

Scientists have said that humans could live on Mars only if fungi found inside the Chernobyl nuclear reactor is used to protect against radiation.

科學家稱，只有利用在切爾諾貝利核反應堆中發現的真菌來防輻射，人類才能在火星上生存。

According to researchers, a layer of fungus, that is around 21 centimetres thick, could "largely negate the annual dose-equivalent of the radiation environment on the surface of Mars".

研究人員稱，約21釐米厚的真菌層就能“大大減少相當於火星表面輻射環境中一年的輻射量”。

Nils Averesch, Stanford researcher and study co-author told a science website called New Scientist: "What makes the fungus great is that you only need a few grams to start out."

這項研究的作者之一、斯坦福大學研究員Nils Averesch對科學網站New Scientist說：“這種真菌的厲害之處在於只需幾克就能防輻射。”

"It self-replicates and self-heals, so even if there's a solar flare that damages the radiation shield significantly, it will be able to grow back in a few days."

“它可以自我複製和自愈，所以即使太陽耀斑嚴重破壞輻射防護層，幾天後也能恢復如初。”

The fungi have been able to absorb harmful cosmic rays on the International Space Station (ISS). It could be used to protect future colonies on Mars.

這種真菌能吸收國際空間站上的有害宇宙射線，可以保護火星上未來的殖民地。

In 1986, a power station on the outskirts of Pripyat suffered a massive accident in which one of the reactors caught fire and exploded, spreading radioactive material into the surroundings. It was one of the biggest disasters in Ukraine. Five years later, in 1991 black fungi was found on the reactor which had been flooded with gamma.

1986年，普里皮亞季郊區的一個核電站發生重大事故，其中一個反應堆起火爆炸，放射性物質擴散到周圍。那是烏克蘭最嚴重的一場災難。5年後，在1991年，在充滿伽馬射線的反應堆發現了黑色真菌。

The fungi not only survive the radiation, but it also grew towards it as if it was attracted. Large amounts of 'melanin' allow the fungi to absorb normally harmful rays which it then converts into chemical energy.

這種真菌不僅從輻射中倖存了下來，還向着輻射的方向生長，好像被某種力量吸引着。大量的黑色素使這種真菌能吸收有害射線，將其轉化成化學能量。

These fungi use the deadly rays to produce energy via radiosynthesis.

這些真菌利用這些致命射線通過輻射合成產生能量。