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This makes sense, except that if creepers are actually exploding mosses, how can they actually move and follow you?

So many... bad puns... I'm... dying...

So creepers multiply when they blow up... Interesting.

Cute, if seriously ADD. Now, creepers as mobile plants has been a commonplace idea for years, but there's a few problems with their "peat moss" idea. Notably, scaling the peat-moss sporecase up 20 times is just wrong -- scaling things up like that runs into all sorts of square-cube laws and other limits. (See Haldane's classic essay for examples: On Being the Right Size.)The moss spores can move that fast despite their size, but they're probably limited by the physical characteristics of air itself. Scale it up and you get a bigger puff of dust, not an explosion.

On the other hand, it's certainly true that a plant could easily produce the makings of gunpowder or its functional equivalent -- they accumulate organic material naturally, and many sorts can fix nitrogen, which could be used to produce explosive compounds.

Earthly plants don't do that, basically because, why? Fiery explosions are excessively destructive, and there are better (and cheaper) ways to scatter seeds: organic "springs" are common seed-flingers, but if more distance is needed, it's usual to throw out a sail and ride the wind, like dandelion seeds. But of course, Minecraft is another world, and the tradeoffs may well be different.

i love the fact that creepers are in the game because it woudnt be minecraft without the mobs

Very cool, comparing a creeper to a plant. Creepy, but cool all together

Here's my thought on the theory (yes, I tend to extend theories) - but I'm gonna warn, it gets a bit... ...creepy:

What if the variant of peat shown here is actually a fungal infection that can seize control of, disform, and mostly encompass a deceased corpse?

It would explain the moving behaviour to a tee; humans tend to socialize, so it gives a base incentive for the would-be Creeper. If you also look carefully at the creeper, notice how there's black on its feet, rather than brown, or a moderately dark green? Those could very well be parts of some shoes that the peat didn't want to cover.

With peat's explosive nature, the evidence that MatPat presented, and the links I've created, I think we've finally arrived on a proper conclusion of what a creeper is made of, and how they function (as well as why they'd "de-spawn" on occasion).

This makes waaaay more sense than it should...

Yep. Makes perfect sense.

Quote from Cjw12

Now Mojang just needs to make Creepers spawn Baby Creepers when they explode ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Leave...

YAY MATPAT IS HERE! Everyone can be happy now

I think creepers are cute. I simply do /gamerule MobGreifing false and they puff up and hiss, but dont explode. They also make good pets while using this.