What makes some Mushrooms poisonous

Summary

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Episode Overview

Title: What Makes Some Mushrooms Poisonous
Podcast: Who Smarted?
Air Date: August 18, 2025
Theme:
This episode of "Who Smarted?" embarks on a fascinating and entertaining exploration of mushrooms, focusing on why some are delicious while others are dangerously poisonous. Host Trusty Narrator and guest mycologist Brooke unravel mushroom mysteries with humor, storytelling, and science, guiding young listeners through rarely known facts, historical oddities, and the wacky side of mycology.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Are Mushrooms?

• Mycologist’s Introduction:
  • Brooke is introduced as a mycologist (an expert on mushrooms), answering "What exactly are mushrooms?"
• Not a Plant or Animal:
  • “Are they a plant? No. Are they an animal? Nope. Mushrooms are a fungus, which is its own thing entirely.” – Brooke [05:15]
• Fungi vs. Other Lifeforms:
  • Fungi get their food from organic matter, not sunlight (unlike plants), and breathe oxygen like humans.

2. Types and Dangers: Edible vs. Poisonous

• Edible Mushroom Variety:
  • “You’ve got button mushrooms, portobellos, shiitakes, chanterelles, and many more. But only about 4% are both edible and tasty.” – Brooke [01:16], [02:17]
• Mushroom Risks:
  • 1 in 5 mushrooms are dangerous to eat ([02:00]).
  • “So you never, ever, ever, ever want to eat mushrooms you find outdoors unless you’re with a mycologist like Brooke.” – Trusty [01:35]
• Mushroom Hunting Challenge:
  • Only 4% of mushrooms are both edible and tasty; 20% are poisonous, another 20% are safe but not tasty.

3. Intriguing Mushroom Facts

• Historical Anecdote:
  • “Ancient Egyptians thought mushrooms were a gift from their god Osiris—gave you immortality. Only royalty could have them.” – Trusty [04:36]
• Giant Mushrooms:
  • Prehistoric mushrooms grew up to 25 feet high with 3-foot wide trunks ([06:38]).
  • The largest living organism is a honey mushroom fungus in Oregon, stretching 3.5 miles underground and over 2,000 years old [08:27].

4. Life Cycle and Spread

• Growth Habits:
  • Mushrooms don’t need sunlight and can grow almost anywhere, thriving on dead or living material [08:56].
• Reproduction:
  • No Seeds—Uses Spores: “Instead of seeds, mushrooms use spores to reproduce.” – Brooke [09:27]
  • Distribution Tricks:
    • Wind: Mushrooms create tiny air currents to spread spores [10:06].
    • Animals: Spores are carried on animal fur or in animal droppings [11:21].
    • Bioluminescence: Some glow to attract insects, which in turn spread spores [14:39].

5. Funky, Creepy, and Dangerous Mushrooms

• Bioluminescent Mushrooms:
  • About 80 species emit light, sometimes bright enough to use as a natural flashlight [14:39].
• Zombie Fungus:
  • “Ophiocordyceps unilateralis” manipulates insect brains, making bugs move where the mushroom wants before dying and spreading spores [15:37].
    • “That is pretty evil—and genius. And creepy.” – Trusty [16:14]
• Auto-digesting Mushroom:
  • “The shaggy ink cap mushroom self-destructs if not eaten within a day.” – Brooke [16:31]
• Deadliest Mushroom: Death Cap:
  • The unassuming death cap mushroom “looks ordinary, but eating just half of one can kill a human—and you won’t feel sick for 12 hours!” – Brooke [17:05]

6. Weird, Edible, and Expensive Mushrooms

• Edible Oddities:
  • “Chicken of the Woods tastes just like fried chicken—a perfect snack for vegetarians!” – Brooke [17:37]
• World’s Most Expensive Mushroom:
  • “Yartsu gunbu: grows in caterpillars, sells for $50,000 a pound in Nepal.” – Brooke [18:09]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You never, ever, ever want to eat mushrooms you find outdoors unless you’re with a mycologist like Brooke.”

  • Trusty Narrator [01:35]

• “Only about 4% of all mushrooms are both edible and tasty. That’s what makes mushroom hunting such a challenge.”

  • Brooke [02:17]

• “Mushrooms are a fungus, which is its own thing entirely.”

  • Brooke [05:15]

• “The largest living thing on the planet is a honey mushroom fungus…it’s not even close!”

  • Trusty [08:03]

• “Mushrooms make wind? I thought only people make wind...”

  • Trusty [10:06]

• “Insects, like moths, are attracted to the light. When an insect lands on the mushroom, it takes some spores with it.”

  • Brooke [15:11]

• “Ophiocordyceps unilateralis... takes over the bug’s brain. Makes it fly up to be eaten by a bird, spreading the spores.”

  • Brooke [15:53]

• “Eating just half of a death cap mushroom is enough to kill a human... You don’t feel anything until 12 hours later.”

  • Brooke [17:05]

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Key Timestamps for Segments

• 0:37 – Mushroom hunting and intro to mycology
• 1:20 – Dangers of wild mushrooms
• 2:00 – Mushroom trivia: 1 in 5 are dangerous
• 4:36 – History: Ancient Egypt & mushrooms
• 5:15 – What is a mushroom? Fungi explained
• 6:38 – Giant prehistoric mushrooms
• 8:03 – Largest living organism: Oregon’s honey mushroom
• 9:27 – Mushroom reproduction: Spores
• 10:06 – Mushrooms generate air currents
• 11:21 – Animal-assisted spore spreading
• 14:39 – Bioluminescent mushrooms
• 15:37 – The “zombie fungus”
• 16:31 – Auto-digestion mushroom (shaggy ink cap)
• 17:05 – The death cap: deadly dangers
• 17:37 – Edible “chicken of the woods”
• 18:09 – Yartsu gunbu: rare and valuable caterpillar fungus

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Tone & Audience

• Tone: Fun, playful, and energetic with light educational banter
• Audience: Engaging for kids, accessible for families and teachers

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Summary

"Who Smarted?" delivers a hilarious and fact-packed adventure through the incredible world of mushrooms, balancing science trivia, safety tips, and offbeat wonders with humor. Host Trusty and mycologist Brooke serve up surprising insights—from the giant fungi beneath the forest to zombie mushrooms and bioluminescent toadstools—reminding listeners that the world of mushrooms is stranger (and scarier) than most ever imagined.

Takeaway:
Mushrooms are not just dinner or decoration—some are deadly, some are oddball wonders, and all are more mysterious than they appear. With only 4% both edible and tasty and with dangers lurking in even the plainest-looking fungus, the number one rule: “Never eat a wild mushroom unless you’re with an expert!”

Transcript

[A]

Hey, smarty pants. Trusty narrator here. I'm in a forest, as these sound effects would have you believe. Oh, there's even a babbling brook.

[B]

And then she said, a salad. I made the salad last time. You make the salad. So I said, fine, I'll make the salad, you make the dessert. And she said, I don't know how to make dessert. I better make the salad. So I said.

[A]

Oh, actually, that's my friend Brooke babbling on her phone. Here's a babbling brook. Now, you might be wondering why I'm wandering around in the middle of a forest. Well, I'm hunting for mushrooms.

[B]

You mean we're hunting for mushrooms.

[A]

Of course, smartypants, when my friend Brooke isn't talking on her mobile phone. She's a mycologist.

[B]

They're not gonna know what that means.

[A]

Right, a mycologist. Smartypants is an expert on mushrooms. So why exactly are we hunting for mushrooms?

[B]

Because they're awesome and fascinating and delicious and healthy. You've got button mushrooms, carmine mushrooms, portobellos, shiitakes, chanterelles, and many more. But, hey, don't just take my word for it. 1.4 billion people around the planet eat 6 pounds of mushrooms every year.

[A]

Wow. Of course, not all. All mushrooms are good to eat.

[B]

Oh, no, no, no, no, no. There are over 10,000 different kinds of mushrooms in the world. And some are so poisonous, they can make you sick or even kill you.

[A]

Right. So you never, ever, ever, ever want to eat mushrooms you find outdoors. Unless you're with a mycologist like Brooke.

[B]

Sorry, more salad drama. Don't eat anything until I get back.

[A]

Smarty pants. What percentage of mushrooms do you think are dangerous? Is it A, one in every 100, B, one in every 20? Or C, one in every five? The answer is one in every five.

[B]

Okay, I'm back. What'd I miss?

[A]

Oh, I was just saying that.

[B]

Did you tell them 1 out of every 5 or 20% of all mushrooms are dangerous? Dangerous to eat?

[A]

Oh, in fact, I just.

[B]

And that there's another 20% you can eat but aren't very tasty. Overall, only about 4% of all mushrooms are both edible and tasty. That's what makes mushroom hunting such a challenge.

[A]

Of course, some smarty pants might be thinking, all mushrooms taste yucky.

[B]

Ew.

[A]

But have you really given them a fair shot? But, hey, before we can even think about eating them, we need to find them first. And we do that by answering more basic questions, like what exactly are mushrooms? How and where do they grow? And what are Some of the creepiest and craziest ones. It's time for another whiff of science. On who Smarted. Who's smarted? Who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up, everyone. We make smarting lots of fun. On who's Smart? And this show is sponsored by Quints. You know, as the trusty narrator. I'd much rather be in my backyard having lunch than pretty much anywhere else. But sometimes duty calls and weather I'm beeped. Minnie tries to go inside the human body. Traveling 2000 years to ancient Greece or just having Chet over for barbecue. I need clothes that work for it all, and so do you. That's where Quince comes in. I've ordered their sweaters and pants, and they're perfect for my, let's call it flexible adventure lifestyle. The sweaters are soft cashmere that feel like they cost 10 times more than they do. And the pants. They're tough enough for outdoor adventures, but comfortable enough for my preferred backyard lounging. The best part is I not paying designer prices for quality basics. Quint cuts out the middleman so you get that premium feel without the premium markup. Keep it classic and cool with long lasting staples. From quints, go to quints.com smarted for free shipping and 365 day returns. That's Q-U-I-N C-E.com smarted smartypants. Did you know that ancient Egyptians thought mushrooms were a gift from their God Osiris? They believed eating mushrooms gave you immortality or the power to live forever. Whoa. Because of that, only Egyptian royalty were allowed to have them. Commoners weren't even allowed to touch them.

[B]

Hey, mushrooms might be good, but they're not that good.

[A]

Speaking of what they are or aren't, smarty pants, what exactly are mushrooms? Are they a plant or an animal? I bet you said a plant, right? But surprisingly, you'd be wrong. And for those of you who said an animal, well, sorry, that's wrong too. Brook, what is a mushroom?

[B]

A mushroom is a fungus which is its own thing entirely.

[A]

Did you say fungus like jock itch, athlete's foot, and ringworms?

[B]

No. A fungal infection on your body is very different than a fungus or fungi growing in nature. However, fungi actually do have more similarities with humans than with plants. For example, they get their food from organic matter, like, say, dead leaves on the ground, not from sunlight and photosynthesis. And fungi breathe oxygen like people, unlike plants that breathe carbon dioxide, which is what humans breathe out. Speaking of people, how would you like to see some mushrooms that are bigger than people?

[A]

Oh, I don't think there's any mushrooms as big or bigger than people, Brooke.

[B]

Oh, yeah. You still have that time travel apple?

[A]

Of course. I don't go smarting without it.

[B]

Well, set it to go back about 400 million years.

[A]

You're the mushroom hunter. Here goes. Whoa. What are those huge things?

[B]

You mean the dinosaurs?

[A]

No, those giant things behind the dinosaurs. Are those trees?

[B]

No, those towering stalks that are about 25ft high with 3 foot wide trunks? Those are giant mushrooms. At least most scientists think they're some sort of fungus from looking at their fossils.

[A]

Wow, I'm glad mushrooms didn't stay that big. I wouldn't have any pots big enough to cook them.

[B]

Well, I've got a surprise for you, Trusty. Today's mushrooms are even bigger.

[A]

What?

[B]

Teleport us back to these coordinates in the present day.

[A]

Hey, what happened? It's really dark. I thought you were taking us back to the forest.

[B]

I did, only now we're underground. Once your eyes adjust to the darkness, take a look around.

[A]

Whoa. What are all those strands of white stuff stretching all over? They look kind of like a giant spider web. And they go on even further than I can see.

[B]

Those white fibers are part of a fungus called mycelium. That's the underground part of a mushroom you don't usually see. And it's humongous.

[A]

Ah, I see. Hey, smarty pants, what do you think's bigger? A blue whale or a fungus? Like this one? Yeah, yeah, obviously I'm gonna say the fungus. But the shocker is it's not even close. In fact, the largest living thing on the planet is a honey mushroom fungus that spreads for almost three and a half miles underground in the Molyure National Forest in Oregon. Whoa.

[B]

And if that's not impressive enough, it's also over 2,000 years old. So you see, smarty pants, the mushrooms you see growing out of the ground are just a tiny part of the humongous living organism below the surface.

[A]

Kind of like the tip of an iceberg.

[B]

That's a good way to put it.

[A]

Okay, so now that we know a little more about what mushrooms are, where do they grow?

[B]

Well, the first thing any good mycologist or mushroom studier hunter learns is that mushrooms aren't picky when it comes to places to grow. They don't need any sunlight, and they don't care if the thing they're growing out of is dead or alive. So you can find them practically anywhere interesting.

[A]

But how do mushrooms Spread around? They don't have seeds like plants.

[B]

You're right. Want to ask the smarty pants if they know what mushrooms have instead of seeds?

[A]

Sure, smarty pants. Is it eggs, pollen, or spores? The answer is spore.

[B]

One of the main ways mushrooms distribute their spores is letting the wind carry them away to other places.

[A]

Hmm, I see one problem with that, Brook. It's not too breezy down on the ground of a dense forest like this one.

[B]

Excellent observation, Trustee. That's why mushrooms make their own wind.

[A]

Wha. Mushrooms make wind? I thought only people make wind.

[B]

Yeah, not that kind of wind. What happens is a mushroom ejects its spores from underneath that big round cap on its top. But instead of falling to the ground, the spores get caught in the tiny wind currents caused by the mushroom cooling the air around it. Those currents lift the spores as high as 4 inches in the air, where they hitch a ride on natural breezes. Eventually, they land somewhere and grow a new mushroom fungus. Another way mushroom spores get spread around is by animals.

[A]

Animals, Smarty pants. How do animals spread mushroom spores? Do they get them caught on their fur, accidentally carry them to other places, eat them, and later poop them out somewhere else? Or give them out as gifts when they visit animal friends?

[B]

Believe it or not, two of those answers are right. They carry them on their fur and poop them out.

[A]

That's pretty awesome. And gross.

[B]

Ah, but the cool mushroom facts don't stop there. How would you like to see a true mushroom miracle?

[A]

Oh, I would. And, Smartypants, you'll hear all about it right after this quick break. WhoSmarted is brought to you by Squarespace. Now, you know I'm good about creating new adventures and episodes of Whosmarted, but you don't know that I procrastinate on other stuff, like a website for one of our new projects. Oops. When the website builder Squarespace reached out about sponsoring Whosmarted, I decided to test it out. And now I feel silly for putting off building that website. Squarespace's blueprint AI thing literally built me a custom website. In minutes, I just told it a few details about the project, and boom. It generated everything. And everything you need is right there. I can schedule guest interviews, send email campaigns, even sell merch, all from one dashboard. Now it's your turn to stop procrastinating and start building. You can use Squarespace to launch that business site or any site that you've been dreaming about. But putting off today, there's no excuse anymore. Especially since you can head to squarespace.com smarted for a free trial. And when you're ready to launch, you can use Code smarted to save 10% on your first purchase of a website or domain. That's squarespace.com smarted code smarted smarty parents trusty here. And I have to tell you about IXL because our whole team is absolutely obsessed with it. My niece and nephew use it. My colleagues kids are on it daily. And honestly, every homeschool parent I know has become a total fan. IXL is an award winning online learning platform that covers math, language arts, science and social studies that adapts to each child's level. It fits perfectly into homeschool routines, even summertime ones. And it keeps kids motivated and confident. And IXL isn't just a sponsor. They've actually become part of our team's lives. And here's why. Instead of spending hours hunting down worksheets, IXL organizes everything by grade and topic. My nine year old nephew works on multiplication while my colleagues tweeted. 12 year old tackles algebra. Same program, totally personalized. When kids get something wrong, IXL explains the mistake and walks them through the right approach in an easy and fun way. Plus, detailed reports show where they're crushing it. Over 15 million students use IXL. WhoSmarted listeners get 20% [e-mail] smarted with code WHOSMARTED. That's IXL.com smarted with code WHOOSMARTED. Now back to WhoSmarted. Okay, SmartyPants, over the break, Brook, my mushroom hunter friend brought me to a dark cave to see. Actually, not much. It's pitch black in here. Wait a second. Are those mushrooms glowing in the dark?

[B]

Oh, they sure are. It's a phenomenon called bioluminescence. And it's not unlike how a firefly lights itself up. About 80 species of mushrooms have it. Some mushrooms glow so brightly, people use them as flashlights in the woods.

[A]

Wow, that's pretty cool.

[B]

It's also another way for mushrooms to spread their spores.

[A]

Really? How? Smarty pants. Any ideas?

[B]

Insects, like moths, are naturally attracted to light. And when an insect lands on a mushroom, there's a good chance it'll take some spores with it as it leaves.

[A]

Ah, did you think of that, Smartypants? Sounds like mushrooms are pretty smart too.

[B]

They are. And one type of mushroom is truly an evil genius.

[A]

An evil genius? Really? It's a. It's a mushroom.

[B]

Yeah, but it's not just any mushroom. It's called Ophiocordyceps unilateralis.

[A]

Ooh, yikes. That sounds like a Harry Potter spell. So how is it an evil genius?

[B]

Well, when that mushroom is eaten by an insect, it takes over the bug's brain and makes it fly up towards the top of the forest where it's more likely to be eaten by a bird and later pooped out in a brand new neighborhood.

[A]

Oh, I gotta say, that's pretty evil and genius. And creepy.

[B]

Oh, there's even creepier. The shaggy ink cap mushroom is known to practice auto digestion.

[A]

Auto digestion? I don't suppose that means eating in a car?

[B]

No. The moment you pick up a shaggy ink cap, it sets off its auto digestive process. If you don't eat it within 24 hours, forget will have already devoured itself.

[A]

Yep, self cannibal mushroom might be creepier.

[B]

Ah, but I've saved the scariest for last. Take a gander inside that log, trusty.

[A]

Okay, I see some some regular looking white mushrooms. No big deal.

[B]

They might look like normal white mushrooms, but those are the deadliest, most poisonous mushrooms on earth. The death cap mushroom. Eating just half of one is enough to kill a human. But you won't feel anything until 12 hours after you eat it. By that time, it's too late.

[A]

Yowza. That's one terrifying toadstool.

[B]

Yeah, here's a weird one that you can eat. It's called Chicken of the woods because it tastes just like fried chicken. It's a perfect snack for vegetarians.

[A]

Mmm, not bad. Pretty chickeny. Anyway, this was great, but I should probably head back now.

[B]

Not me. I'm on the hunt for the Yartsu gunbu mushroom. It's super rare and grows inside a caterpillar.

[A]

Okay, is it super delicious or something?

[B]

No, but it's become a status symbol in the country of Nepal. It sells for $50,000 a pound.

[A]

Wow. Yeah, sure, we can look around for that one. Oh, but first I could use some more of those fried chicken mushrooms. A Great north shout out to Brandon in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. You say who Smarted is an interesting way to learn and that you listen every day at bedtime and in the car. Wow. Talk about round the clock smarting. Thanks, Brandon. This episode Mushrooms was written by Steve Morel Melcher and voiced by Jenna Portobello Hoban and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh King Oyster Hahn who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios. Our associate producer is Max Grimini Kamasky. The theme song is by Brian Shitake Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis. Who's Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis. And Jerry Colber. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production too, Smart Eddie.