Correction Appended

A two-pronged frantic race is under way to save the banana.

It's no joke, as Popular Science reports in a fascinating account this month. The Cavendish, the version of the banana that rests on top of American breakfast cereals, is "on a crash course toward extinction."

A fungus dangerous to the Cavendish was discovered in Asia 13 years ago and has since "wiped out plantations in Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia and Taiwan and is now spreading through much of Southeast Asia," Don Koeppel writes.

It is inevitable, the experts say, that the fungus will eventually wipe out Cavendish bananas worldwide.

That would be a devastating loss of billions of dollars annually for growers, shippers and retailers. Each American consumes 26.2 pounds of bananas a year, making it by far the most popular fruit. (Apples are a distant second at 16.7 pounds.)