The Science of Fungi

Why did T. Rex have such tiny arms? That’s what our listener Nora wants to know. We’re going to find out why the biggest, most powerful predator to ever walk the Earth did it with a teeny tiny set of arms. Scientists have been coming up with answers for this question for decades ...  Show more

In this final mailbag episode of Summer 2026, Marshall and Lindsay address two listener questions, and learn about a surprising twist of evolution. Plus, listener reviews and comments! To get an invite to the next Tumble meetup, as well as receive birthday shout outs and ad free ...  Show more

Brian Cox and Robin Ince find out about the secret world of fungi, hidden beneath our feet. They are joined by biologist Merlin Sheldrake and mycologist Katie Field. They hear about the hidden life of fungi, including their hundreds of mating types, predatory behaviour and crucia ...  Show more

Can mushrooms take over your mind? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Matt Kirshen explore the weird world of fungi with fun-guy fungus expert and ecologist, Merlin Sheldrake. Could inactive spores survive space?

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Why are some mushrooms delicious, some make you high, and some kill you? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice discover the weird world of mushrooms, psilocybin, and mycelia with mycologist Bryn Dentinger. 

NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode ...

Tim Hayward takes a journey into the world of fungi. There’s a global wave of interest in the potential uses of fungi right now - and businesses are catching on and playing their part.Tim starts at the Fungarium in Kew Gardens, the world’s biggest collection of dried fungal speci ...  Show more