• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Scientist explains if The Last of Us could actually happen in real life

Home> Film & TV

Published 17:05 27 Mar 2023 GMT+1

Scientist explains if The Last of Us could actually happen in real life

You would hope that the answer is a resounding 'no' but scientists want to be sure

Joe Harker

Joe Harker

Fans have absolutely adored HBO's adaptation of the popular video game The Last of Us, taking what gamers loved about the post-apocalyptic story and doing it justice on the TV show.

While we only got nine episodes and fans are desperate for more, good news on that front by the way as a second season is going to be happening, people are wondering if we could one day be living The Last of Us for real.

The show opened with a chilling scene explaining just how the cordyceps fungus, which turns people into the infected horrors we see in the show, could develop.

Advert

In a scene set years before the events of the show, Dr Neuman (John Hannah) warns that fungus exists which can control the creatures it infects, and that if the Earth's temperature got a little warmer, this same thing could manage to overtake humans too.

But could this actually happen in real life?

Could humans one day get turned into these things through parasitic fungus?
HBO

That's something scientists have been looking into and Matt Kasson, Associate Professor of Mycology at West Virginia University, has said it already exists in some form.

Advert

He told Inside Edition that The Last of Us was already a reality 'in the insect world', noting that 'ants have a fungus that does this' and that cicadas also fell prey to fungus too.

This was mentioned in that opening scene of The Last of Us, with Dr Neuman explaining that the idea that a fungus could take over a living thing was already happening.

So, could such a thing actually shift from tormenting insects and to hijacking humans, ushering us into a post-apocalypse on the scale of The Last of Us which upends our entire way of life?

Insects are already under attack from the cordyceps fungus, are humans next?
William Mullins / Alamy Stock Photo

Advert

Luckily for almost everyone, except perhaps the likes of apocalypse preppers like Bill (Nick Offerman) and the mega-rich who can afford to survive the end of the world, the answer is 'probably not'.

Professor Kasson said that, on a scale of one to 10 over how worried we should be about The Last of Us becoming a reality, our level of worried would be 'around one or two'.

He's not saying there's no chance of it happening, but the idea that we're all going to become infected and end up as terrifying 'clickers' seems pretty unlikely.

Speaking of the clickers, The Last of Us bosses have said we'll see plenty more in the second season of the show.

Featured Image Credit: HBO

Topics: The Last of Us, Film and TV, Science

Joe Harker
Joe Harker

Joe graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Journalism and worked for Reach before joining the LADbible Group. When not writing he enjoys the nerdier things in life like painting wargaming miniatures and chatting with other nerds on the internet. He's also spent a few years coaching fencing. Contact him via [email protected]

X

@MrJoeHarker

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

10 hours ago
17 hours ago
18 hours ago
20 hours ago
  • 10 hours ago

    Netflix subscribers are binge-watching twisty thriller mini series all in one night

    The cast's performances have been highly praised

    Film & TV
  • 17 hours ago

    Apple TV's 'excellent' new film was shot entirely on iPhone and is available to stream for free online

    British musician Stormzy stars in the new Apple TV short film

    Film & TV
  • 18 hours ago

    Antiques Roadshow guest had items worth $26,000 that were so offensive they couldn’t be broadcast

    Robert Needs went along to Antiques Roadshow filming in Cardiff for a valuation on clothing items

    Film & TV
  • 20 hours ago

    New ’10/10’ crime series has Netflix viewers so hooked they’re watching it all in one night

    Created by Kevin Williamson, the new eight-episode crime series dropped on Netflix last week

    Film & TV
  • The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey reveals they were diagnosed with autism after crew member spotted signs
  • Movie offered viewers $1,000,000 if they could find real-life ‘stash’ from clues in the film
  • Scientists reveal the real reason why McDonald's actually tastes better outside the US
  • The Office fans frustrated after spotting 'weird' Netflix 'censorship' of hilarious Michael Scott scene