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Merlin Sheldrake: How have fungi shaped the world?
The fungal kingdom is vast, and yet much of it remains unknown to us – it’s estimated that only about 6 per cent of all fungal species have, so far, been described.
But if fungi are all around us, why do we only know the names of a few? We might use yeast in baking, mushrooms in our cooking, or have been treated with penicillin, but biologist Merlin Sheldrake says there is much more wonder to be found in understanding our fungal friends better.
His new book, Entangled Life, reveals the complexity of the fungal world. In it, he describes the fungal networks that connect trees and plants in something called the Wood Wide Web, and explains how fungi were crucial to the creation of the world we see around us today.
We spoke to Merlin about this strange and wondrous lifeform.
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Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
- The Urban Birder: What wildlife can city-dwellers see?
- Samantha Alger: What can we do to save the bees?
- Mark Miodownik: Are biodegradable plastics really better than traditional plastic?
- Neil Shubin: How do big changes in evolution happen?
- Mark Lynas: Could leaving nature to its own devices be the key to meeting the UK’s climate goals?
- Brad Lister: Are we facing an insect apocalypse?
- Neil Gemmell: The genetic hunt for the Loch Ness Monster
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