Seeking A Scientist

Do fungi secretly rule our world?

By Kate The Chemist,

Suzanne Hogan, Byron J. Love

Published June 21, 2023 at 3:00 AM CDT

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Crysta Henthorne

KCUR 89.3

From molds and yeasts to the mushrooms we fear and love, fungi are connected to life and death on our planet — but they're often misunderstood. We only know about 10% of the estimated 3.8 million species that exist. Do we need to be afraid of things like fungus zombies? We asked astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson and mycologist Giuliana Furci to help us understand this vast kingdom, and separate “fungal fact” from “fungal fiction.”

Seeking A Scientist is a production of KCUR Studios, made possible with support from the Stowers Institute for Medical Researchand design help from PRX.

This episode was produced by Dr. Kate Biberdorf, Suzanne Hogan and Byron Love, edited by Mackenzie Martin and Gabe Rosenberg, with help from Genevieve Des Marteau.

Our original theme music is by The Coma Calling. Additional music from Blue Dot Sessions.

Seeking A Scientist

Kate The Chemist

Dr. Kate Biberdorf (aka Kate The Chemist) is the host of the KCUR Studios podcast Seeking A Scientist. She is a chemist, science entertainer, and professor at The University of Texas.

See stories by Kate The Chemist

Suzanne Hogan

Every part of the present has been shaped by actions that took place in the past, but too often that context is left out. As a podcast producer for KCUR Studios and host of the podcast A People’s History of Kansas City, I aim to provide context, clarity, empathy and deeper, nuanced perspectives on how the events and people in the past have shaped our community today.

In that role, and as an occasional announcer and reporter, I want to entertain, inform, make you think, expose something new and cultivate a deeper shared human connection about how the passage of time affects us all. Reach me at hogansm@kcur.org.

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Byron J. Love

As an on-demand producer, I am focused on using my skills and experiences across multiple digital applications, platforms and media fields to create community focused audio, video and on-demand products for KCUR Studios. The media that I produce aims to inform, entertain and connect with the Kansas City metro area as we continue to learn from each other. Email me at byronlove@kcur.org.

See stories by Byron J. Love