What The Duck?!

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The show with a mission to explore the mysteries of nature - especially the ones that make you go What the Duck?!

  1. Mushrooms: Is the future fungi?

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    Mushrooms: Is the future fungi?

    Fungi are already hard at work helping trees survive drought, recycling fallen logs, rotting away carcases, and helping human digestive systems, but could they do more? Is our future made of fungi? Research has shown the fungi's potential to make medicine, clothing, and cheap fire-retardant housing, but trying to isolate and harness just one species is not an easy task given they get into pretty much everything. Featuring: Dr. Tien Huynh, associate professor at the School of Sciences, RMITGrace Boxshall, PhD student at the University of Melbourne and visiting junior research fellow at the University of New South Wales.Georgina Hold, professor of gut health at the School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South WalesDr Sapphire McMullan-Fisher, fungal and plant ecologist at the University of New EnglandAlistair McTaggart, mycologist and researcher at Psymbiotika LabJustin Beardsley, researcher at the University of Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute and physician at Westmead HospitalProduction: Ann Jones, Presenter / ProducerRebecca McLaren, ProducerHamish Camilleri, Sound EngineerThis episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Taungurung people. Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.

    26 min
  2. Mushrooms: Why do they kill?

    2 OCT

    Mushrooms: Why do they kill?

    As daily updates about the 'mushroom murders' monopolised newsfeeds around the country, the What the Duck?! team started questioning the motives.  Not the human ones — the fungi ones. Why would a mushroom need a toxin so powerful it takes just a few grams to kill a human? And where's the warning?  Nature usually throws up alerts for poison, like bright colours or spots, but the death cap is pretty plain. Why does a mushroom need such a deadly toxin anyway? Featuring: Tom May, senior principal research scientist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Victoria, and co-author of Planet Fungi Grace Boxshall, PhD student at the University of Melbourne and visiting junior research fellow at the University of New South Wales.Lindsay Mollison, retired consultant physician in infectious diseases and gastroenterologyJustin Beardsley, researcher at the University of Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute and physician at Westmead HospitalProduction: Ann Jones, Presenter / ProducerRebecca McLaren, ProducerHamish Camilleri, Sound EngineerThis episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Taungurung people. Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.

    26 min

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The show with a mission to explore the mysteries of nature - especially the ones that make you go What the Duck?!

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