Have you found yourself wondering why a simple brown mushroom would develop a toxin so strong that just a few grams could kill a human?

What the Duck?! is investigating the motives of toxic fungi and exploring the curious world of puffballs, fly agarics, stinkhorns, and death caps.

Powerful toxins are scary, but there are varieties that could help humans in medical treatment, space exploration, manufacturing, and by consuming plastic waste…

Mushrooms are sending us mixed messages!

What the Duck?! serves mushrooms from October 3rd.

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.