{"id":2658,"date":"2025-05-14T12:27:51","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T12:27:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fotobreak.com\/news\/do-they-find-a-cure-in-the-last-of-us.html"},"modified":"2025-05-14T12:27:51","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T12:27:51","slug":"do-they-find-a-cure-in-the-last-of-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fotobreak.com\/news\/do-they-find-a-cure-in-the-last-of-us.html","title":{"rendered":"Do\u00a0they\u00a0find\u00a0a\u00a0cure\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0last\u00a0of\u00a0us?\u00a0we\u00a0asked\u00a0a\u00a0mushroom\u00a0(spoiler:\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0still\u00a0drafting\u00a0its\u00a0yelp\u00a0review)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id='video-container' data-video-id='SVI9IPwnA-c' style='width:100%; height:auto; max-width:587px; position: relative;'>\n<div class='image-video-plugin' style='background:url(\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/SVI9IPwnA-c\/0.jpg\") center no-repeat; background-size: cover;'><\/div>\n<p>        <span class='youtube-play-button'><\/span><br \/>\n        <noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SVI9IPwnA-c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/noscript>\n    <\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>Is a cure possible in The Last of Us?<\/h2>\n<h3>The Fireflies\u2019 Big Swing (and a Miss)<\/h3>\n<p>Ah, the million-spore question. The Fireflies certainly <i>thought<\/i> they could whip up a cure using Ellie\u2019s brain like it was a questionable smoothie ingredient. But let\u2019s be real: their track record was shakier than a Clicker\u2019s depth perception. Even if they\u2019d succeeded, distributing a cure in a world where <b>FedEx\u2019s fastest delivery option is \u201cmaybe next decade\u201d<\/b> feels\u2026 optimistic. Imagine trying to FedEx a cure across a continent-sized mushroom graveyard. Tracking number: <b>\u201cLOL good luck.\u201d<\/b>  <\/p>\n<h3>Cordyceps: Nature\u2019s Worst App Developer<\/h3>\n<p>The fungus in <i>The Last of Us<\/i> isn\u2019t your average \u201coops, I forgot to water the plants\u201d mold. It\u2019s a <b>hyper-evolved, world-dominating nightmare<\/b> that took \u201cgo viral\u201d way too literally. In real life, cordyceps hijacks ants\u2019 brains. In the game? It\u2019s like the fungus downloaded a software update called <b>\u201cHuman.exe\u201d<\/b> and went full Silicon Valley disruptor. Can you cure that? Sure, if you can also cure tech bros of saying \u201csynergy.\u201d  <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Step 1:<\/b> Harvest Ellie\u2019s brain (yikes).<\/li>\n<li><b>Step 2:<\/b> ???<\/li>\n<li><b>Step 3:<\/b> Profit (or, more likely, get eaten by a Bloater mid-PowerPoint).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Joel\u2019s DIY Philosophy: \u201cCure This, Nerds\u201d<\/h3>\n<p>Let\u2019s not forget Joel\u2019s contribution to medical science: <b>a lead-based vaccine<\/b> delivered via shotgun. The Fireflies\u2019 lab? More like a pop-up clinic in a zombie mall. Even if a cure existed, the logistics involve more holes than the plot of a B-movie. Could humanity rebuild? Maybe. But let\u2019s be honest\u2014<b>the real cure was the friends we~~made~~ lost along the way<\/b>. And also not letting a surgeon with a 1-star Yelp rating poke your surrogate daughter\u2019s cerebellum.  <\/p>\n<p>So, is a cure possible? Sure, just like it\u2019s possible to teach a Clicker tap dance. The game\u2019s answer is a masterclass in <b>\u201clol, no, but wouldn\u2019t it be funny if we pretended?\u201d<\/b> Sometimes, the only thing scarier than fungal zombies is blind faith in a half-baked science fair project.<\/p>\n<h2>Does cordyceps ever get cured in The Last of Us?<\/h2>\n<p>Let\u2019s cut to the chase: <b>no one in <i>The Last of Us<\/i> is whipping up a batch of \u201cCordyceps-Be-Gone\u201d smoothies<\/b>. The fungal apocalypse isn\u2019t exactly solved with a coupon code or a sternly worded letter to the CDC. The closest thing to a \u201ccure\u201d is Ellie\u2019s immunity, which is less \u201cEureka!\u201d and more \u201cHey, maybe don\u2019t dissect this teenager?\u201d\u2014a suggestion the Fireflies famously ignore. Spoiler: <b>it doesn\u2019t end with a cure<\/b>. It ends with Joel making morally questionable life choices and a guitar.<\/p>\n<h3>But wait, Ellie\u2019s immune! Doesn\u2019t that count?<\/h3>\n<p>Ellie\u2019s immunity is like finding a single unburned slice of pizza in a dumpster fire\u2014<b>technically a win, but not exactly useful for the group chat<\/b>. Scientists could\u2019ve studied her brain to <i>maybe<\/i> reverse-engineer a cure, but here\u2019s the catch:  <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You\u2019d need a functional society (lol).<\/li>\n<li>You\u2019d need someone willing to play nice with the Fireflies (double lol).<\/li>\n<li>You\u2019d need Joel to not Joel all over the place (triple lol with a side of spores).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>So, no. The cure stays in the \u201ctheoretical\u201d aisle next to unicorn meat and affordable housing.<\/p>\n<h3>Could cordyceps ever be cured? Let\u2019s ask the fungus.<\/h3>\n<p>Imagine cordyceps hosting a TED Talk: <b>\u201cHow to Hijack Humanity in 3 Easy Steps!\u201d<\/b>. The fungus isn\u2019t just thriving\u2014it\u2019s <i>winning<\/i>. Even if a cure existed, it\u2019d have to outsmart a organism that\u2019s spent millennia perfecting its \u201czombie puppet\u201d routine. The Last of Us isn\u2019t about saving the world; it\u2019s about surviving a world where <b>the real villain is evolution<\/b> (and David\u2019s questionable haircut).<\/p>\n<p>By the end, the only thing \u201ccured\u201d is our optimism. The game and show double down on a bleak truth: <b>sometimes, the fungus gets the last laugh<\/b>. And maybe a few tasteful clicker-themed throw pillows for its spore-covered lair.<\/p>\n<h2>Is the disease in The Last of Us possible?<\/h2>\n<div class='global-div-post-related-aib'><a href='\/news\/kai-widdrington-dad.html' class='post-related-aib'><div class='internal-div-post-related-aib'><span class='text-post-related-aib'>You may also be interested in:<\/span>&nbsp; <span class='post-title-aib'>You Won&#039;t Believe Who Kai Widdrington&#039;s Dad Really Is!<\/span><\/div><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Let\u2019s cut to the chase: <b>no one\u2019s sprouting mushroom hats from their eyeballs anytime soon<\/b>. The Cordyceps brain invasion in <i>The Last of Us<\/i> is *chef\u2019s kiss* for apocalyptic drama, but real-world mycology isn\u2019t quite that ambitious. Real Cordyceps fungi *do* hijack insects\u2014ants, mostly\u2014turning them into zombie puppets. But humans? We\u2019re less \u201cfungal puppet show\u201d and more \u201cwalking hot tubs\u201d (98.6\u00b0F is too toasty for most fungi to throw a rave in your prefrontal cortex).<\/p>\n<h3>Science Says: Cordyceps Ain\u2019t Got Time for Your Brain (Yet)<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Body temperature:<\/b> Human insides are basically a sauna for fungi. Cordyceps prefers its hosts chilled, like a fine insect snack.<\/li>\n<li><b>Immune system:<\/b> Unless your immune system is powered by expired yogurt and bad decisions, it\u2019ll yeet most fungal invaders before they can say \u201cspore.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><b>Evolutionary hurdles:<\/b> Jumping from ants to humans is like asking a goldfish to pilot a helicopter. Technically not impossible, but\u2026 <i>gestures vaguely at physics<\/i>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>But What If the Fungus Mutates? (Cue Dramatic Music)<\/h3>\n<p>Sure, climate change is making fungi sweatier (<i>thanks, global warming<\/i>), and some researchers worry about heat-tolerant mutants. But even if Cordyceps evolved a sudden obsession with human hosts, <b>it\u2019d need a genetic cheat code we\u2019ve never seen<\/b>. Think: \u201cWhat if raccoons evolved thumbs and started opening pickle jars?\u201d Possible? Maybe. Likely? Let\u2019s just say you\u2019re safe to keep buying pickles.<\/p>\n<h3>Should You Start Stockpiling Shotgun Shells and Canned Beans?<\/h3>\n<div class='global-div-post-related-aib'><a href='\/news\/flagstaff-weather.html' class='post-related-aib'><div class='internal-div-post-related-aib'><span class='text-post-related-aib'>You may also be interested in:<\/span>&nbsp; <span class='post-title-aib'>Discover Flagstaff weather: what makes it unique and unpredictable?<\/span><\/div><\/a><\/div>\n<p><b>Nah.<\/b> The CDC isn\u2019t exactly losing sleep over fungal zombie plagues. But if you\u2019re still nervous, maybe <i>stop licking suspicious forest mushrooms<\/i>? Or at least teach your houseplants to say \u201cgood morning\u201d in case they\u2019re plotting something. (They probably are. <i>Side-eyes the ficus.<\/i>)<\/p>\n<h2>Can Ellie&#8217;s blood cure?<\/h2>\n<h2>Can Ellie\u2019s blood cure?<\/h2>\n<p>Let\u2019s cut to the chase: Ellie\u2019s blood is either humanity\u2019s last hope or the world\u2019s weirdest smoothie ingredient. After all, <b>this teenager\u2019s veins contain the only known resistance to Cordyceps brain-munching shenanigans<\/b>. But can we bottle it, slap a \u201cmiracle cure\u201d label on it, and call it a day? Well, probably not\u2014unless you\u2019re cool with side effects like *\u201dsudden emotional trauma\u201d* or *\u201duncontrollable urge to swear at Clickers.\u201d*<\/p>\n<h3>The Science(ish) of \u201cJust Stick a Needle in Her, Right?\u201d<\/h3>\n<div class='global-div-post-related-aib'><a href='\/news\/nino-desaparecido-en-jarabacoa.html' class='post-related-aib'><div class='internal-div-post-related-aib'><span class='text-post-related-aib'>You may also be interested in:<\/span>&nbsp; <span class='post-title-aib'>Ni\u00f1o desaparecido en Jarabacoa: \u00bfqu\u00e9 pas\u00f3 y c\u00f3mo puedes ayudar?<\/span><\/div><\/a><\/div>\n<p>If the Fireflies had a LinkedIn, their headline would be <b>\u201dEthically Dubious Visionaries\u201d<\/b>\u2014because their plan to dissect Ellie for a cure was\u2026 let\u2019s say, *lacking in finesse*. But here\u2019s the kicker: even if they\u2019d succeeded, <b>how do you mass-produce zombocalypse vaccines from one kid?<\/b> Picture it:  <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Step 1: Harvest Ellie\u2019s blood.<\/li>\n<li>Step 2: ???<\/li>\n<li>Step 3: Profit (or <b>collapse society further<\/b>, whichever comes first).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Science is fun when you ignore logistics!<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s not forget Ellie\u2019s immunity is less \u201cclean medical breakthrough\u201d and more <b>\u201dfungal roommate situation gone weirdly right.\u201d<\/b> Could her blood cure others? Maybe! But it might also just throw a rave in your bloodstream, inviting every spore in a 10-mile radius. <b>Proceed with caution<\/b>\u2014and maybe a flamethrower.<\/p>\n<p><b>TL;DR:<\/b> Ellie\u2019s blood *could* cure the apocalypse\u2026 if you\u2019re willing to ignore 99% of biology, ethics, and Joel\u2019s *very specific* objections. <b>Stay hydrated, folks\u2014preferably with something less existential.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is a cure possible in The Last of Us? The Fireflies\u2019 Big Swing (and a Miss) Ah, the million-spore question. The Fireflies certainly thought they could whip up a cure using Ellie\u2019s brain like it was a questionable smoothie ingredient. But let\u2019s be real: their track record was shakier than a Clicker\u2019s depth perception. Even&hellip;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fotobreak.com\/news\/do-they-find-a-cure-in-the-last-of-us.html\" rel=\"bookmark\">Read More &raquo;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Do\u00a0they\u00a0find\u00a0a\u00a0cure\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0last\u00a0of\u00a0us?\u00a0we\u00a0asked\u00a0a\u00a0mushroom\u00a0(spoiler:\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0still\u00a0drafting\u00a0its\u00a0yelp\u00a0review)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2659,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2658","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fotobreak.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2658","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fotobreak.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fotobreak.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fotobreak.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fotobreak.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2658"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.fotobreak.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2658\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fotobreak.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2659"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fotobreak.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2658"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fotobreak.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2658"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fotobreak.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2658"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}