Have you ever stumbled upon a mushroom while exploring outside? Imagine finding one of the biggest mushrooms in the world, just like someone did in Zambia! The best part? It wasn’t poisonous, so it was safe to eat. Mushrooms are fascinating, and Isaiah has a great question about them. Let’s dive in and explore!
Mushrooms aren’t just found in grocery stores; they grow in the wild too. If you look closely, you might find some really cool ones. For example, one day, I was about to mow my backyard when I noticed something strange. It was a ring of mushrooms, not just one, but a whole circle of them! This is called a fairy ring. Long ago, people thought these rings were made by fairies dancing at night. Today, scientists know they grow in a circle because of how the mushrooms spread underground. But isn’t it fun that we still call them fairy rings?
Another time, when I was in fifth grade, I saw something that looked like a deflated soccer ball in a field. When I kicked it, a cloud of spores puffed out! It turned out to be a puffball mushroom. By kicking it, I was helping it spread its spores into the wind. Fairy rings and puffballs are just two examples of the amazing mushrooms you can find outside.
You might have heard that some wild mushrooms are poisonous. It’s true, and it can be tricky to tell which ones are safe. For example, the Destroying Angel mushroom looks a lot like the mushrooms we eat on pizza, but it’s very dangerous. Just one bite can be deadly!
On the other hand, there’s a mushroom called a Morel that looks strange but is considered one of the tastiest mushrooms. People pay a lot of money for them! However, there’s a look-alike called a False Morel, which can make you sick. So, how can you tell them apart?
To know which mushrooms are safe, you need to become a mushroom expert. These experts learn to identify mushrooms by their special traits. For instance, some mushrooms turn blue when cut. Some of these are safe, while others are not, so experts use this trait to help identify them.
There are even mushrooms that glow in the dark! One such mushroom is the Jack O’Lantern, which is poisonous. Its glow helps experts recognize it. Another interesting mushroom is the Chicken of the Woods. It’s bright yellow-orange and grows in clumps. It’s safe to eat when cooked well, and some say it tastes like chicken!
With thousands of mushroom types, there’s no single way to tell if a mushroom is poisonous. If you want to eat wild mushrooms, it’s best to consult an expert. You can learn to become one too! There are mushroom hunting clubs and books that can teach you all about different mushrooms.
Thanks for the great question, Isaiah! Stay curious, and keep exploring the mysteries around us. Who knows what you’ll discover next?
Mushroom Hunt: Go on a mushroom hunt in your backyard or a nearby park with an adult. Take a notebook and draw the different mushrooms you find. Note their colors, shapes, and where they are growing. Remember, never touch or eat wild mushrooms unless you are with an expert!
Fairy Ring Experiment: Create your own “fairy ring” using small objects like pebbles or leaves. Arrange them in a circle and imagine how mushrooms might grow in a similar pattern. Discuss with a friend or family member why you think mushrooms grow in circles and what might be happening underground.
Glow-in-the-Dark Craft: Make a glow-in-the-dark mushroom craft using paper, markers, and glow-in-the-dark paint. Think about why some mushrooms might glow in the dark and what this could mean for animals or people who see them at night. Share your glowing mushroom with your class and explain what you learned about bioluminescent mushrooms.
Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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(phone ringing) – Hi, it’s Doug! Have you ever found a mushroom growing in the wild? Well, this person in Zambia found what might be one of the biggest mushrooms in the world. And best of all, it’s not poisonous—he could eat it. Someone named Isaiah has a question about mushrooms. Let’s give him a call now. (phone ringing) – Hi, Doug. – Hey, Isaiah. – I have a question for you. How do you know if a mushroom is poisonous or not? – Ooo, that is a great question. Mushrooms aren’t just something you can find at the grocery store; they grow in the wild too. If you pay attention to the world around you, sometimes you can find some really interesting ones.
Like one time, I remember walking out into the yard behind my house. I was going to mow the grass like I did every week when suddenly, I noticed something that looked just like this. It was one of the weirdest mushrooms I’ve ever seen. You can see it’s not a single mushroom at all; it’s an entire ring of mushrooms. There were dozens of them. This ring of mushrooms had popped up overnight in my backyard. It was so interesting that I couldn’t bring myself to mow it down. I let the grass stay long that week. I learned it’s what’s called a fairy ring. In ancient times, some people believed that this ring of mushrooms marked the spot where a fairy had been dancing in the night. Today, scientists have a different reason for thinking why they grow like this. We know it has to do with a circle-shaped pattern of the part of these mushrooms growing under the ground. But I love that we still call them fairy rings.
Or here’s another one of my favorites. I remember in about fifth grade, I was walking along the edge of a field behind my school when I saw what looked like this weird deflated soccer ball sitting there in the grass. When I went to kick it, it gave off a cloud of spores. I found out later that this deflated soccer ball thing was actually a type of mushroom called a puffball. By kicking a puffball, you’re actually helping it to spread its spores into the wind. Fairy rings and puffballs are just two fun examples of interesting mushrooms you can find growing in the wild.
But are these mushrooms you could eat? You might’ve heard that certain wild mushrooms are poisonous, even deadly. Is it true? And if it is, is there any way you can tell? What do you think? Before I say anything more, now would be a good time to pause the video and discuss. Okay, you ready? Well, I wish I could tell you there was an easy way to tell whether a mushroom is poisonous or not. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that at all. In fact, one of the deadliest mushrooms in North America looks very similar to the kind of mushroom that we put on pizza.
The mushroom on the left is called a Destroying Angel. A single bite of a Destroying Angel is enough to be fatal. But now check this out. Here’s a mushroom that looks really weird. You might think this one is poisonous, but guess what? This one is called a Morel. Not only is it not poisonous, but lots of people consider it to be one of the best-tasting mushrooms in the world. One pound of these mushrooms sells for as much as $40 or $50. But even Morel mushrooms aren’t always easy to tell from poisonous ones.
You see this one here? It looks like a Morel, but it’s not quite the same. It’s what’s called a False Morel or a brain mushroom, and it can make you very sick if you eat one. So how can anyone ever tell a poisonous mushroom from the kinds of mushrooms that we can eat? The answer: you have to become a mushroom expert. Mushroom experts are people who get really good at identifying mushrooms, knowing what each of the different kinds looks like. They learn that each kind of mushroom has its own special traits, which can help tell it apart from other mushrooms.
For example, there are a few mushrooms that actually turn blue when you cut them. Some of these are poisonous and will make you sick, while others are safe to eat. So knowing if it turns blue isn’t enough, but using this trait helps a mushroom expert narrow down the list of possible kinds of mushrooms it might be.
Or here’s another amazing trait. There are some mushrooms that actually glow in the dark. Here in North America, one of the more common ones is called the Jack O’Lantern. Jack O’Lantern mushrooms are poisonous, so the fact that it glows in the dark can help a mushroom expert know what it is.
Or check out this kind of mushroom. It’s called Chicken of the Woods. These are always bright yellow-orange and they grow in this unusual clump of one on top of another. Chicken of the Woods is a good example of a wild mushroom that’s not poisonous. However, some people do get sick if they eat it raw, so mushroom collectors always cook it really well before eating.
As for that funny sounding name, that’s because they say once you do cook it, it tastes like chicken. So in summary, there’s no one way to tell whether a mushroom is poisonous or not. There are thousands of different kinds of mushrooms. So if you want to eat a wild mushroom, you need to get the help of a mushroom expert. But if you’re interested, you can learn to become one. There are mushroom hunting clubs where you can meet some of these experts and lots of books about all the different kinds of mushrooms.
That’s all for this week’s question. Thanks, Isaiah, for asking it. Now, for the next episode, I reached into my question jar and picked out three questions submitted to me that I’m thinking about answering. When this video’s done playing, you’ll get to vote on one. You can choose from: How does a car measure the gas in its tank? Where do minerals come from? Or, why isn’t Pluto a planet anymore? So submit your vote when the video’s over. I want to hear from all of you watching. There are mysteries all around us. Stay curious, and see you next week.
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This version removes any informal language and maintains a more polished tone while preserving the content.
