Merlin Sheldrake (GBR/USA)
Biologist and author
Merlin Sheldrake is a biologist, writer, and speaker with a background in plant sciences, microbiology, ecology, and the history and philosophy of science. He is the author of the worldwide bestseller Entangled Life (2020).
Merlin´s research ranges from fungal biology, to the history of Amazonian ethnobotany, to the relationship between sound and form in resonant systems. He received a Ph.D. in tropical ecology from Cambridge University for his work on underground fungal networks in tropical forests in Panama, where he was a predoctoral research fellow of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. He is a research associate of the Vrije University Amsterdam, works with the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN), and sits on the advisory board of the Fungi Foundation.
A keen brewer and fermenter, Merlin is fascinated by the relationships that arise between humans and more-than-human organisms. He is also a musician, performs on the piano and accordion, and is a member of the London-based Gentle Mystics.
The Secret Intelligence of Fungi
19. 7. 2024 14:00 - 15:00
It is possible to purchase a seat reservation for this performance.
The fungi we see are just the tip of the iceberg. Their sophisticated networks control our world far more than we can imagine. Take a surprising journey into the fascinating world beneath the surface. You will be guided by one of today's greatest fungal enthusiasts, biologist and bestselling author of Entangled Life, British multidisciplinary scientist Merlin Sheldrake.
Entangled Life
19. 7. 2024 19:00 - 20:00
It is possible to purchase a seat reservation for this performance.
Thinking about fungi makes the world look different. Most fungi live out of sight, yet make up a massively diverse kingdom of organisms that support and sustain nearly all living systems. The more we learn about fungi, the less makes sense without them. Sheldrake’s mind-bending journey into this hidden world ranges from yeast to psychedelics, to the fungi that sprawl for miles underground and are the largest organisms on the planet, to those that make all plant life possible, to those that infiltrate and manipulate insect bodies with devastating precision. The author of the Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller, and multiple award-winner, is now coming to Ostrava to share his passion with us.