Hobbies And Interests
Bioluminescence
Foxfire is the result of a natural process known as bioluminescence. Various organisms possess the ability to create their own light, including glow worms, fireflies and squid. These creatures, however, produce their own light using internal systems. Foxfire occurs due to a chemical reaction between fungi and rotting wood. Various species of fungi, such as ghost fungus and the Jack O'Lantern mushroom, are capable of creating foxfire.
Historical Observations
Historical information about foxfire goes back a number of millennia, says Dr. Kim D. Coder of the University of Georgia in "Foxfire: Bioluminescence in the Forest." In Ancient Greece, Aristotle, one of history's great philosophers, used the term "cold fire" to describe the strange light. Pliny the Elder, a Roman naturalist of the first century, observed the glow emanating from olive groves. It took until the 1800s for scientists to confirm that a reaction between fungi and decaying matter was causing the bioluminescence.
The Turtle Submarine
In 1775, an American patriot named David Bushnell designed a rudimentary submarine for use against British Royal Navy vessels during the American Revolution. According to the Central Intelligence Agency, the vessel, known as the Turtle, was the first submarine used in warfare. Lighting the submarine's interior posed a problem. Candles consumed the submarine's precious air supply, so Bushnell required an alternative means of illumination. He sought the advice of Benjamin Franklin, who suggested using foxfire. The method was successful, even if the submarine itself was not.
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
In Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer attempt to dig a tunnel during the night. The two characters realize that a lantern would throw out too much light, perhaps attracting unwanted attention. Their digging, however, would be impossible with no light at all. Tom Sawyer then has a particularly innovative idea: "What we must have was a lot of them rotten chunks that's called fox-fire, and just makes a soft kind of a glow when you lay them in a dark place." The two boys collect glowing chunks of wood, using the foxfire to light their nighttime activities.