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Boston area mushroom merchant Benjamin Maleson knows a thing or two about musical mycology. Watch him play "The Trumpet of Death," a melodious (and not poisonous) mushroom you can blast like a kazoo. Watch him show you how. See also: Vienna's Vegetable Orchestra. More »
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Think portobello mushrooms are big? Think again. Scientists on Hainan Island in southern China have discovered the largest fungus ever recorded. Weighing in at around half a ton, and extending over thirty feet in length, fungus experts were shocked to discover the fruiting body (comparable to a mushroom in other fungal species) feeding on the underside of a large fallen tree. More »
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Designer Jae Rhim Lee is concerned about the carcinogenic affects of the funerary preservative formaldehyde. That's why she's invented the Infinity Burial Suit — a.k.a. the Mushroom Death Suit — a postmortem garment designed to consume the wearer's corpse. More »
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In 1840, English botanist George Gardner was traveling in Brazil. One night, he noticed some boys playing with a strange, glowing object. To his shock, he had encountered a bioluminescent mushroom. It's only taken 170 years to find some more. More »
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There are several kinds of fungus that infect the brains of insects like ants and crickets. Each fungus controls the mind of its host, eventually killing it and sprouting from the bug's brain. Probably the creepiest killer of all is a fungus called Ophiocordyceps. More »
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A mutant fungus could prevent the spread of malaria, according to researchers at London's Westminster University. Angray Kang and other researchers have been working for years to tweak a fungus' genes to kill the malaria parasite in mosquitoes. More »
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The time is coming when all that we hate will be all that can save us. No, not mutants. Foodie trendsters. By always seeking out novelty, they may pursue the only real model for long term food sustainability. More »
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Creep: that purple, fibrous, living mat that extends from zerg "buildings" in the computer game StarCraft. Its ominous presence indicates you're entering unsafe territory...unless you're playing as zerg, in which case it says "Welcome home!" But what exactly is it? More »
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When you fly between time zones, your circadian rhythms are thrown awry, and the grogginess and fatigue of jet lag kicks in. Norwegian researchers have determined that jet lag isn't limited to humans and can even affect the common mold. More »
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It's been 25 years since Chernobyl fallout contaminated flora and fauna in Europe, but German hunting officials are still dealing with rising numbers of radioactive wild boars. But why? More »
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Cryptococcus gattii is an airborne fungus usually found in the tropics. But researchers announced today that new, deadly strains are thriving in Oregon, and spreading. These strains kill 25% of people who come into contact with them. More »
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Slow-growing fungus may be one of the fastest lifeforms on Earth — at least when it comes time to spread its seeds. A group of scientists recently used ultra-high-speed cameras to record spores being shot out of fungi (pictured). Some of them were launched out of the fungi at 55 mph, zooming several feet before landing in a spot where they could grow their own fungus. How does the humble fungus manage to shoot its spores at such insane speeds? More »
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