WP: Planetary SuperOrganisms: Risks & Opportunities

This white paper explores the concept of planetary superorganisms through the hypothetical entity Mycogaia, a fungal-like lifeform capable of evolving from planetary-scale ecosystems into interplanetary networks. Drawing inspiration from real-world analogues—most notably Armillaria ostoyae, the so‑called Humongous Fungus spanning over 2,385 acres in Oregon—this paper extends known biological principles into speculative astrobiology and exopolitics.

From an exopolitical perspective, Mycogaia represents both a potential existential risk—via invasive seeding, resource monopolization, and biospheric disruption—and a strategic opportunity, offering terraforming capabilities, bio-integrated communication, and novel models of non-animal intelligence. The paper concludes with policy, biosecurity, and ethical recommendations for managing first contact with planetary-scale life.