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Surprising ways we’ll use mushrooms down the track
It seems like mushrooms are popping up everywhere these days *snicker*. From vegan leather to building materials, biofuel to burial suits, some of the uses of mushrooms seem like they’re straight out of a sci-fi movie. Let’s have a look at some of the most surprising ones Mushroom materials If you’ve ever spent time reading about the fashion industry, you’ll learn pretty quickly that it has some ugly side effects. The carbon footprint is massive and the United Nations estimate that, when it comes to pollution, the fashion industry is second only to the oil industry. One of the...
The Great Mycelium Debate
If you’re a mushrooms fan (and, let’s face it — who isn’t?) you will have heard quite a lot about the benefits of mycelium. Mycelium, which is basically the roots of a mushroom, has many reported benefits. Read on to discover why we opt not to include mycelium in our mushroom products. What is mycelium? Let’s start at the very beginning. Mushrooms, like all life forms, have a unique life cycle. When a mature mushroom (known as fruiting body) drops its spores, they take root and produce hyphae. These are thread-like roots that sprout from the spores. After...
The largest living organism is a humongous fungus
Step (well, swim) aside, blue whales. It’s time for the lesser-known giants of nature to finally get some airtime. And our favourite lesser-known giants are obviously fungi. Read on for some fun facts. Size matters When it comes to size, blue whales are definitely impressive. At up to 25m in length and weighing up to 150 000kg, there’s no denying they make a statement. But if you’re looking for a less obvious large organism, check out the honey fungus. It positively dwarfs the average blue whale: the largest on record measures 3.8km across! But honey fungus keeps a low profile....
Saving the world, one mushroom at a time
Is it possible for the humble mushroom to save the world? Renowned mycologist Paul Stamets certainly thinks so. In an inspiring and fascinating TED talk, Stamets explores the wonderful world of mycelium and its potential to fix some of the biggest problems facing the world today. Stamet gave his TED talk over ten years ago. Yet the talk is extremely timely, given the emerging threat of the coronavirus and the ongoing threat of climate change. Here, we explore some of the ways Stamet believes that mushrooms can save the world. Treating the flu According to Stamet, the remarkable Agarikon...
