mycology

one passage I read warned that anyone who got too deep into studying mushrooms very quickly started to sound like they had gone off the deep end …

Can confirm. I've been curious about mushrooms for years and joined a mushroom pick. There's another guy who is normal like me. But everyone else, I'm 90% sure are forest druids and like a slow zombie bite, I'm already seeing myself become a crazy kook.
- Can you provide an example with a mushroom rambling or similar level ramble?

This is the sort of thing the cranky old wizard says to the hero before inevitably teaching them about mushrooms so they can go on a magical adventure

Mushrooms took me on a magical adventure where I met a wizard.
- I used to be a wizard, till I took a mushroom to the knee.
"Mushroom cellar! I am going into battle and need your strongest mushrooms."
"..."
"I am talking to a dark room. Perhaps I already took strong enough mushrooms."

Just give me the mushrooms that'll make me see the curvature of the universe fam

My mushrooms are too strong for you, traveller
- But I am going into BATTLE >:(
3 grams of Penis Envy will put you on the right direction

Is this professor Paul Stamets?

You mean The Professor Paul Stamets, who wears a big hat that is one big mushroom? The one with a species of mushroom named after him? The one with honorifics in warp speed pop culture, and those who feed lemmings memes?
Cuz he's a cool dude.
- The coolest. (That's a pretty big list, but still barely scratches the surface!)
- AFAIK, the professor came first. The character and drive are presumably named for him.

Is there really a mushroom that will make your body irritated because it's so similar?

Honestly, I'm not a mycologist, so someone with more expertise feel free to correct me, but I'm pretty sure that's BS.
- The concept of a mushroom being generally similar to humans is total horseshit. What they're probably referencing is a mushroom with some signaling protein (or saccride or steroid or something) that is coincidentally similar some human equivalent and your immune system (for some reason) freaks out about it when you eat it. Then, as is referenced, the response to the mushroom happens to also be able to target some of your own cells, and now you've got an autoimmune disorder.
  That behavior is not normal for your immune system to do, by the way, otherwise cannibals would all die from allergic reactions to their unfortunate meals. But, the immune system is complicated, so shit happens sometimes.
The way in which organisms recognize "their own" vs outsider stuff is a different and complex topic, at least as fascinating as fungi.
Liquid brains, solid brains | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Cognitive networks have evolved a broad range of solutions to the problem of gathering, storing and responding to information. Some of these networks are describable as static sets of neurons linked in an adaptive web of connections. These are ‘solid’ networks, with a well-defined and physically persistent architecture. Other systems are formed by sets of agents that exchange, store and process information but without persistent connections or move relative to each other in physical space. We refer to these networks that lack stable connections and static elements as ‘liquid’ brains, a category that includes ant and termite colonies, immune systems and some microbiomes and slime moulds. What are the key differences between solid and liquid brains, particularly in their cognitive potential, ability to solve particular problems and environments, and information-processing strategies? To answer this question requires a new, integrative framework.

I always liked the theory that fungi are actually aliens that came from some asteroid from another planet and have just been around long enough that nobody bats an eye at them anymore. I mean, look at slime mold and tell me that not basically Venom!

Slime mold is a protist not fungi :0. I'm just being a jerk here doesn't matter lol. I love the slime molds they're so cool I always liked having them in the lab each year as a teaching tool. Definitely venom
Have you ever heard about the blob?
It's a giant single cell intelligent organism that can move, learn, remember things, solve problems and teach others.
Neither an animal, plant or fungus the blob favorite snack is oatmeal but it hate coffee.

Isn't there some conspiracy theory about how mushrooms secretly rule the world?

No. Stop asking questions.
- Sincerely, the mushrooms.
For some reason, I now have the urge to bury you in wet shady soil.
- That’s the mycelia talking…
There's a fun movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11881160/
- What?

And you cannot kill them in a way that matters.

I have found that a mix of olive oil, butter, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper makes their deaths matter a lot.
- you fool. you've only removed the parts outside of the ground, it's mycelia still lives. it will be back in time.
- I've found that just tearing into their raw (but washed) flesh with my teeth works just as well, and imo is even tastier without all those distractions.
Why does the way I kill them have to matter?
- You need to be able to credibly threaten them with death if you want to force them to tell you the name of God.

#transcription

hyperactivehedgehog

I'm studying biotech and every time someone brings up mushrooms our current professor will look either extremely excited or pained and go "listen.. mushrooms are neither plants nor animals nor something in between. They elude all attempts to categorize them. We do not know what they are. Some are immortal. Some produce life-saving substances. Some are so closely related to humans that eating them may cause an allergic reaction against your own body. I cannot teach you about the mushrooms"

But you just did teach us about mushrooms. Thanks!

They are the internet providers of the trees

i hate this post because it's completely inaccurate and ignorant of the science, i have to link something every time i see it, like this thread:

https://www.reddit.com/r/mycology/comments/yqmm0o/

Nuh. My links are stronger than your links

C? It's exciting.