Growing The Living Coffin

Manufacturing and construction are changing rapidly. The materials sciences are moving ahead in ways that are seriously altering the framework of how we make things.

Coffins are undergoing a makeover like few ever thought about. These age old boxes are now entering the world of science fiction.

Throughout the ages, coffins were made from materials available, usually some type of wood. The last century saw the funeral industry become big business. Coffins can garner a hefty sum.

The key to the last paragraph is the term "made". Coffins were constructed/manufactured. This could be, however, a thing of the past if this new idea takes hold.

We are now seeing the development of the living coffin. Instead of making it, the coffin is now grown.

Dutch startup Loop has claimed a world first by providing a coffin for a funeral that was filled with moss and was grown, rather than built, out of mycelium, the fungal roots that form a vast underground network that is vital for the health of ecosystems worldwide.

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The key here is the composting process. A coffin takes a couple weeks to grow where it is then dried out. Once buried, groundwater starts the composting which helps to decompose the body. This process is reduced from about 10 years in a normal coffin to about 4 years.

Mycelium is known to be of use against toxins. This helps the burial process when the body starts to break down creating a better impact on the environment.

Coffins aside, this is a very important concept that is going to alter the path of manufacturing and construction. This is especially true with the renewed interest in space. When going to other bodies, either Mars or the Moon, materials are not going to be flown up to use for construction. Hence, we are going to have to "grow" our buildings by using advanced materials.

Technology is racing ahead where we are starting to control biology. Using organic materials and then shaping them through the growth process is radically altering how we approach things. This is not only a more sustainable way to build, it can also be less expensive and, potentially, faster.

The world of biology is also advancing due to their breakthroughs. Biological products can be grown bigger and faster than in years past. As this moves forward, we should start to see the impact in the construction industry.

This exemplifies how the advancing world of technology is interconnected. What looks like something novel has actual use cases across many different industries. As mentioned, due to our interest with space exploration, we are going to require new methods of making different products.

It is likely that we see a lot more grown in the future.

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