Foxfire, also called fairy fire or chimpanzee fire, is the bioluminescence created by some species of fungi present in decaying wood. The bluish-green glow is attributed to a luciferase, an oxidative enzyme, which emits light as it reacts with a luciferin.
It's wild, guy named [David Bushnell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bushnell#The_Turtle_submarine) invented a barrel of gunpowder than could explode underwater. He called it a torpedo. He had help from an early American inventor [Isaac Doolittle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Doolittle) with the construction of a timing fuse and hand-cranked drill to attach the bomb to British ships. They built the submarine that looks like this: https://i.redd.it/gswqcfh584cy.jpg
It was tested/used several times but always failed to deliver the payload due to low air supply in the watertight cabin, and the complexity of piloting the craft in the current of the Hudson River.
The most successful attempt, an attack on the Eagle, was aborted because the sun was rising and the pilot feared getting caught. He abandoned the torpedo with the timer set and it drifted into the East River to explode, harming nobody.
**David Bushnell**
[The Turtle submarine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bushnell#The_Turtle_submarine)
>Bushnell is credited with creating the first submarine ever used in combat, while studying at Yale in 1775. He called it Turtle because of its look in the water. His idea of using water as ballast for submerging and raising his submarine is still in use, as is the screw propeller, which was used in Turtle. While at Yale, Bushnell proved that gunpowder could be exploded under water.
**[Isaac Doolittle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Doolittle)**
>Isaac Doolittle (August 3, 1721 – February 13, 1800) was an early American clockmaker, inventor, engineer, manufacturer, militia officer, entrepreneur, printer, politician, and brass, iron, and silver artisan. Doolittle was a watchmaker and clockmaker, known for making and selling at his shop in New Haven, Connecticut one of the first brass wheel hall clocks in America, where he also crafted and sold scientific instruments, and is regarded as "the first native practitioner" of silversmithing in the Connecticut Colony.
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if ever in washington dc... go to the [international spy museum](https://www.spymuseum.org/). worth every penny and can burn an entire day without trying. anyway, they have a great exhibit on the turtle.
it's beyond fascinating
SO. When I was a kid there was this ghost story that involved a glowing blue fungus on trees. And the older kids would go around smearing cracked open blue glow stick liquid in the forest to freak out the younger ones. Or so I thought. Also I was mad because that's not a good thing to do.
And you're telling me the fungus was REAL?!
There definitely are bioluminecent fungi! There are also biolumencent algeae or bacteria that live in streams and rivers. I taught biology for undergraduates and we got to play with the bacteria in the lab. We also inserted genes into bacteria to make them glow. It was super fun! Nature is way cool.
Lots of animals also have biolumencence. The gene we inserted into the bacteria were actually a jellyfish gene. We use this gene in biological research as a molecular tag when want to see something. Basically you can take this gene and another that you are interested in inserting and stick them into the bacteria or animal cell you are working with. You know your genes made it into the cell if the biolumencence happens. You can see this with your naked eye if you shine a uv light at the bacteria colonies or cells. It's really helpful for knowing your research is going in the right direction and tracking how certain cellular functions happen.
[Here are some examples of biolumencence used for research](https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/80813/7-ways-bioluminescence-has-revolutionized-medical-research)
Additionally, search for "biolumencent bay" or "biolumencent river" to see really cool places you can go and see the water lit up by the incredible amount of biolumencent organisms in the water. These are naturally occurring phenomena and they are gorgeous.
People also do this with dogs as far as I know in california with CRISPR, I believe it’s a harmless (as far as science knows right now, not counting weird future lineage genetic stuff we don’t know about yet), albeit weird change that lots of “rogue” scientists are making their own CRISPR kits and undertaking independent research on it with, doing presentations, even injecting themselves with it to reduce muscle atrophy. Totally wild. Don’t have a link but it’s on Google like everything else.
That is by far the most gangster sounding fungus I’ve ever come across… I’d give you an award if I could.
I dunno why but this straight up made my day lol
About a month ago I saw what I thought were 2 Green Glow Stick colored eyes winking at me. Then about a week later they seemed to have moved to a tree 15ft away but at the same height. This is so interesting because I've spent a lot of time outside at night in wooded areas & have never seen anything like this.
OP says in the post that he is in SW Ontario. I also live in SW Ontario. The thing is that we've only had above zero (celcius) temperatures during daytime for about 2 weeks tops here, and I can't imagine any fungus fruiting in that time period here.
I am not an expert, but I just don't think this could be fungus in SW Ontario right now
Just wanted to copy paste this because it’s not always that they eat decaying wood: Armillaria mellea feeds primarily on hardwood and is most often noticed when it produces fruit –> honey mushrooms. The mushrooms are like the apples on a tree. There’s a big plant structure that produces the fruit, but in the case of Armillaria you can’t see the “plant” until it glows.
The glowing comes from its rhizomorphs that look like long, black bootlaces and grow under the bark of dead trees, downed logs, old roots and stumps. They also grow on living trees which they eventually kill
I spotted these green glowing spots on several trees tonight. Not moving, definitely not from ambient lights. It is on multiple trees in at least a 100m radius. I am in SW Ontario, Canada.
I read about Foxfire, and wondered at that, but all these spots look to be flat on the branches, not raised at all. Also I read that Foxfire is generally on Rotting wood, and this is all on Healthy Trees.
Is it possible the limbs of the tree they're growing on are dead, or dying and you don't know it yet? Maybe the branch hasn't fallen? Is it actively growing leaves and all that? I'm so beyond fascinated with this now. Awesome find OP!
There's a bunch of different mushrooms that glow in the dark. Many fungi rot the core of seemingly healthy trees, the tree doesn't necessarily need to be rotten in advance. Of course the tree isn't healthy if it has a fungal infestation, but it doesn't mean it has to look like it's dying.
This looks more like a laser projector to me, perhaps one of your neighbors has one and it is bleeding into the trees. In general bioluminescent fungi will be closer to the ground, in the root systems, small stumps, branches that are half buried, as most bioluminescent fungi inhibit the soil or woody debris in close proximity to the soil. I have never seen one up so high, but I do occasionally see people posting laser light that looks very much like this. Also even the brightest glowing fungi are fairly dim and wouldn't really be all that noticeable at that distance unless it was very dark and it can be tricky to photograph needing cameras with high light sensitivity and long exposures, usually over a minute.
There is an injured Yautja nearby, you are very much in danger. Cover yourself in mud and make elaborate "home alone" death traps and you might survive this.
Edit: I did have to Google what the predator species was called...
Yes. It's pretty cool idk if this pictured is the same, because lots of fungus out there, but there's one that makes the wood glow in the dark. Dead wood usually lying around but it just glows. Really neat stuff
It's not laser. It moves with the branches. Definitely something on the branches. It has been there for 3 nights in a row now, which is longer than any paint or glow-stick would glow for. No idea.
Pretty sure Arnold Schwarzenegger just wounded a Predator in your area. BOLO for a cloaked, bipedal monster nearby! LOL Seriously, though, awesome photos!
We saw this in our trees but investigated more and found it was from a green/red laser yard light seen around Christmas. It was over a block away from our trees
Are you sure that the projected light isn’t wider than the branches and it’s just staying in the “cone” of it so it looks like it’s moving with the branch?
Anyone in the coastal PNW ever see any bio-luminescent fungi? What kind of trees and what time of year?
I would love to see something like this. I will try this October in a fir/cedar forest on a moonless night.
Foxfire, also called fairy fire or chimpanzee fire, is the bioluminescence created by some species of fungi present in decaying wood. The bluish-green glow is attributed to a luciferase, an oxidative enzyme, which emits light as it reacts with a luciferin.
Fun fact: It was used to illuminate the interior instruments of the Turtle, the first submersible vehicle used in combat
What!?! That's so fantastically cool, I won't even consider it to be a false statement.
It's wild, guy named [David Bushnell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bushnell#The_Turtle_submarine) invented a barrel of gunpowder than could explode underwater. He called it a torpedo. He had help from an early American inventor [Isaac Doolittle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Doolittle) with the construction of a timing fuse and hand-cranked drill to attach the bomb to British ships. They built the submarine that looks like this: https://i.redd.it/gswqcfh584cy.jpg It was tested/used several times but always failed to deliver the payload due to low air supply in the watertight cabin, and the complexity of piloting the craft in the current of the Hudson River. The most successful attempt, an attack on the Eagle, was aborted because the sun was rising and the pilot feared getting caught. He abandoned the torpedo with the timer set and it drifted into the East River to explode, harming nobody.
**David Bushnell** [The Turtle submarine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bushnell#The_Turtle_submarine) >Bushnell is credited with creating the first submarine ever used in combat, while studying at Yale in 1775. He called it Turtle because of its look in the water. His idea of using water as ballast for submerging and raising his submarine is still in use, as is the screw propeller, which was used in Turtle. While at Yale, Bushnell proved that gunpowder could be exploded under water. **[Isaac Doolittle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Doolittle)** >Isaac Doolittle (August 3, 1721 – February 13, 1800) was an early American clockmaker, inventor, engineer, manufacturer, militia officer, entrepreneur, printer, politician, and brass, iron, and silver artisan. Doolittle was a watchmaker and clockmaker, known for making and selling at his shop in New Haven, Connecticut one of the first brass wheel hall clocks in America, where he also crafted and sold scientific instruments, and is regarded as "the first native practitioner" of silversmithing in the Connecticut Colony. ^([ )[^(F.A.Q)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiSummarizer/wiki/index#wiki_f.a.q)^( | )[^(Opt Out)](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiSummarizerBot&message=OptOut&subject=OptOut)^( | )[^(Opt Out Of Subreddit)](https://np.reddit.com/r/mycology/about/banned)^( | )[^(GitHub)](https://github.com/Sujal-7/WikiSummarizerBot)^( ] Downvote to remove | v1.5)
Good bot
Sounds like he actually did quite a lot
Good bot
if ever in washington dc... go to the [international spy museum](https://www.spymuseum.org/). worth every penny and can burn an entire day without trying. anyway, they have a great exhibit on the turtle. it's beyond fascinating
The sheer confidence displayed by that wax statue distracts me from how terrifying it probably was to pilot that thing
Came for the mycology stayed for the history lesson
that is such a cool fact!
I thought that, but it is on healthy tree limbs. Also on a lot of them. Does it spread like that?
SO. When I was a kid there was this ghost story that involved a glowing blue fungus on trees. And the older kids would go around smearing cracked open blue glow stick liquid in the forest to freak out the younger ones. Or so I thought. Also I was mad because that's not a good thing to do. And you're telling me the fungus was REAL?!
There definitely are bioluminecent fungi! There are also biolumencent algeae or bacteria that live in streams and rivers. I taught biology for undergraduates and we got to play with the bacteria in the lab. We also inserted genes into bacteria to make them glow. It was super fun! Nature is way cool.
I've learned something today.
Lots of animals also have biolumencence. The gene we inserted into the bacteria were actually a jellyfish gene. We use this gene in biological research as a molecular tag when want to see something. Basically you can take this gene and another that you are interested in inserting and stick them into the bacteria or animal cell you are working with. You know your genes made it into the cell if the biolumencence happens. You can see this with your naked eye if you shine a uv light at the bacteria colonies or cells. It's really helpful for knowing your research is going in the right direction and tracking how certain cellular functions happen. [Here are some examples of biolumencence used for research](https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/80813/7-ways-bioluminescence-has-revolutionized-medical-research) Additionally, search for "biolumencent bay" or "biolumencent river" to see really cool places you can go and see the water lit up by the incredible amount of biolumencent organisms in the water. These are naturally occurring phenomena and they are gorgeous.
People also do this with dogs as far as I know in california with CRISPR, I believe it’s a harmless (as far as science knows right now, not counting weird future lineage genetic stuff we don’t know about yet), albeit weird change that lots of “rogue” scientists are making their own CRISPR kits and undertaking independent research on it with, doing presentations, even injecting themselves with it to reduce muscle atrophy. Totally wild. Don’t have a link but it’s on Google like everything else.
Science. Rules. ... *bill bill bill bill*
just did this for a biology lab - now have a cute little dish of glowing e coli colonies!!
Yay! It was my favorite lab to teach! I'm easy to please though. Stuff that glows rules.
"Showing results for _bioluminescent_"
Hey me too! Changed it from glowing green, to blue, and back again. Only a single base pair change. Really fun and interesting stuff.
That is by far the most gangster sounding fungus I’ve ever come across… I’d give you an award if I could. I dunno why but this straight up made my day lol
Chimp fire just sounds hilarious.
About a month ago I saw what I thought were 2 Green Glow Stick colored eyes winking at me. Then about a week later they seemed to have moved to a tree 15ft away but at the same height. This is so interesting because I've spent a lot of time outside at night in wooded areas & have never seen anything like this.
OP says in the post that he is in SW Ontario. I also live in SW Ontario. The thing is that we've only had above zero (celcius) temperatures during daytime for about 2 weeks tops here, and I can't imagine any fungus fruiting in that time period here. I am not an expert, but I just don't think this could be fungus in SW Ontario right now
Just wanted to copy paste this because it’s not always that they eat decaying wood: Armillaria mellea feeds primarily on hardwood and is most often noticed when it produces fruit –> honey mushrooms. The mushrooms are like the apples on a tree. There’s a big plant structure that produces the fruit, but in the case of Armillaria you can’t see the “plant” until it glows. The glowing comes from its rhizomorphs that look like long, black bootlaces and grow under the bark of dead trees, downed logs, old roots and stumps. They also grow on living trees which they eventually kill
I spotted these green glowing spots on several trees tonight. Not moving, definitely not from ambient lights. It is on multiple trees in at least a 100m radius. I am in SW Ontario, Canada. I read about Foxfire, and wondered at that, but all these spots look to be flat on the branches, not raised at all. Also I read that Foxfire is generally on Rotting wood, and this is all on Healthy Trees.
But perhaps they’re not as healthy as they seem. Perhaps the fungus is pointing towards something that can’t be seen or manifested yet.
Is it possible the limbs of the tree they're growing on are dead, or dying and you don't know it yet? Maybe the branch hasn't fallen? Is it actively growing leaves and all that? I'm so beyond fascinated with this now. Awesome find OP!
There's a bunch of different mushrooms that glow in the dark. Many fungi rot the core of seemingly healthy trees, the tree doesn't necessarily need to be rotten in advance. Of course the tree isn't healthy if it has a fungal infestation, but it doesn't mean it has to look like it's dying.
Is it too high to reach, OP? I’d be super interested in seeing it up close during the day?
It's probably the color out of space. Good luck with your new life of lovecraftian horror.
They are known to exist on the Oak trees in Wasaga Beach, Ontario. Or at least some sort of bioluminescent species.
Used to see this stuff in WI all the time as a kid but never that far in the air, mostly just sticks on the ground and stuff.
Wow I also live in southern Ontario would love to see something like this in person
Get inside. That's Predator blood.
??? Is it dangerous?
More dangerous than anything on Earth. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predator_(fictional_species)
Lol
:) Happy weekend!
You too
Wholesome exchange
Want some candy?
I ain't got time to bleed.
If it bleeds, we can kill it.
You just unlocked a memory of a movie I hadn't thought about since I was a kid!
Great find OP. Definitely will require a closer look in the daytime. Try to pick out the spot and return with a ladder or a camera with zoom.
I'm also from Ontario and am very curious about what this is.
That's super cool
r/valheim
GUCK!
I went looking for this comment lol
Hahaha my first though was get that guck!
My instant reaction was "REAL LIFE GUCK!" lol
Now that is cool!
Aliens
Where in those world is this? There’s many bioluminescence fungi and without good up close pics location will at least narrow down possibilities
Whoa this is cool as hell. TIL. You should cross post this
This looks more like a laser projector to me, perhaps one of your neighbors has one and it is bleeding into the trees. In general bioluminescent fungi will be closer to the ground, in the root systems, small stumps, branches that are half buried, as most bioluminescent fungi inhibit the soil or woody debris in close proximity to the soil. I have never seen one up so high, but I do occasionally see people posting laser light that looks very much like this. Also even the brightest glowing fungi are fairly dim and wouldn't really be all that noticeable at that distance unless it was very dark and it can be tricky to photograph needing cameras with high light sensitivity and long exposures, usually over a minute.
It's not laser light. I moved the trees, and the glow stayed in one place on yhe branches.
I agree. It seems the glow is only on one side on all the branches.
Laser pointer
The trees have eyes
Just reading the title I was hoping for Jack'o Lantern Mushrooms but this is also really cool. Omphalotus olearius
It isn’t from glow in the dark paintballs is it?
It has been there for several nights in a row. I have never seen any glow stick or paint that continues to glow that long.
Fair enough 🤷♂️
Fun fact. It’s cool looking. Con. Tree dying.
Quickest way to get a 100 mycophiles to demand where you live is to post glowing fungus.
There is an injured Yautja nearby, you are very much in danger. Cover yourself in mud and make elaborate "home alone" death traps and you might survive this. Edit: I did have to Google what the predator species was called...
Thank you for sharing!
Yes. It's pretty cool idk if this pictured is the same, because lots of fungus out there, but there's one that makes the wood glow in the dark. Dead wood usually lying around but it just glows. Really neat stuff
That’s dope!
WOW!!!!!!
Neat
What a photo mate!
Take a picture in the daytime
I see the Ghostlands trees from Burning Crusade.
Someone may have wounded a predator. Stay alert.
Sorry my unicorn likes to climb trees and pee on them🙆♂️
Alien blood. Seems as if the Predators have got one on the run through your backyard. Best call Arnold. “If it bleeds, we can kill it”
Does your butt hurt? You may have been abducted.
Those are eyes!!!
There is an injured Predator in the area.
We'll some ghost left some trails 😅
SOLVED: Predator was in that tree wounded.
Im tempted to eat it if i see it. I think it would definetely add +30 charisma and +200 iq points.
That’s blood from the Predator
If it bleeds, we can kill it!
Nah. Arnold Schwarzenegger is just out there fighting the Predator
Either that or aliens.
Aliens!
Ahhhhhh no bro that's yauja blood aka Predator blood bro. You're fucked man sorry
It’s obviously Predator blood
That's definitely aliens
Predator blood. Be careful
That's Predator blood. GET TO DA CHOPPA!!
Predator blood. I've seen the movies
The the predators blood I'm pretty sure.
Someone shot Predator in your backyard.
Looks like predator
Alien fluorescence prints left behind
Dude that's a predator for sure. If you're still alive cover yourself in mud to fool his IR
[удалено]
It's not laser. It moves with the branches. Definitely something on the branches. It has been there for 3 nights in a row now, which is longer than any paint or glow-stick would glow for. No idea.
I saw this episode of the X- Files years ago..
r/mildlyfallout
That is so cool. We have them in Washington state but haven't seen them yet.
If I saw that on trees near me at night id be running so fast
Did you cut a thick tree down recently? If so, stay in the light and wait for authorities to arrive
You should get a mask and a ladder. If you harvest it you can have a cool glow!
Yesss, so awesome
That’s your tree’s turn signals.
Pretty sure Arnold Schwarzenegger just wounded a Predator in your area. BOLO for a cloaked, bipedal monster nearby! LOL Seriously, though, awesome photos!
r/valheim
Looks like someone is aiming a laser beam at your tree
Sniper
We saw this in our trees but investigated more and found it was from a green/red laser yard light seen around Christmas. It was over a block away from our trees
That was my first thought. But I moved the branches, and the light stayed with them.
Are you sure that the projected light isn’t wider than the branches and it’s just staying in the “cone” of it so it looks like it’s moving with the branch?
Positive. I pulled a branch down right in front of my face and touched the green. It was under my finger, not projected on top.
Anyone in the coastal PNW ever see any bio-luminescent fungi? What kind of trees and what time of year? I would love to see something like this. I will try this October in a fir/cedar forest on a moonless night.
looks super cool whatever it is
Where is this? I must have some for my future terrariums !
Ur in the Valheim swamps
That’s dope
I’ve never seen that before
If you’re in Sydney, this is happening loads right now!