Know Your Mushrooms (2008) - full transcript

>>SPEAKING OF MAGIC, THE WORLD'S

PREMIER MUSHROOM FESTIVAL ROLLS

INTO TOWN FOR A FUN-GI FILLED

WEEKEND. WELCOME MUSHROOM

PEOPLE, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU

HERE, PLEASE DO NOT KILL US.

PLEASE DO NOT ABDUCT US.

>>OH I'M REALLY RIPPING THEM UP

HERE IN TELLURIDE, THREE MILES

OVER THE LIMIT, HANG ON BABY.

AH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PLACE, HUH.



>>IT'S LARRY! HEY LARRY, GLAD TO

SEE YOU, MAN! WELCOME TO THE

FESTIVAL!

>>IS IT SAFE TO EAT?

>>DID YOU FIND A BUNCH OF THESE

TOGETHER, DIDN'T YOU.

>>YEAH.

>>OKAY, THIS SMELLS LIKE A

LITTLE BIT LIKE CUCUMBER, AND A

LITTLE BIT LIKE BAD FISH. YOU

KNOW, SMELL THAT AND TELL ME

WHAT YOU THINK, I MEAN...

>>YEAH.

>>IT HAS A SMELL, YOU KNOW, AND



NOTICE THAT SMELL.

THIS IS A TOXIC MUSHROOM.

>>TOXIC!

>>TOXIC, OH.

>>THIS IS ONE THAT YOU WOULD NOT

WANT TO EAT. IF YOU DID, YOU

WOULD PASS WATER THROUGH EVERY

OPENING ON YOUR BODY. UM,

INCLUDING YOUR EARS. PEOPLE SAY

'OH, WELL IS THAT A GOOD WAY TO

LOSE WEIGHT?' NO, IT'S A REALLY

BAD WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT,

ACTUALLY. HA HA.

>>WELCOME, ALL OF YOU, TO THE

27TH TELLURIDE MUSHROOM

FESTIVAL. WE HAVE SEVERAL

TRADITIONS HERE IN TELLURIDE,

ONE OF THE ONES THAT HAS BEEN

GOING ON FOR A LONG, LONG TIME,

A GOOD FRIEND OF THE FESTIVAL

CHRIS DEAN, PASSED AWAY

RECENTLY. CHRIS USED TO ALWAYS

OPEN THE FESTIVAL BY RINGING

THIS BIG BRASS TIBETAN BOWL. AND

A VERY GOOD FRIEND OF HIS IS

HERE RIGHT NOW, AND I'D LIKE TO

BRING HIM UP, ROBERT BOUILLON,

AND HE WILL OFFICIALLY OPEN THE

FESTIVAL WITH THE RINGING OF THE

BOWL.

>>THINK ABOUT THE PLANET THAT

YOU KNOW. YOU GOT THESE

CONTINENTS, AND NOT SO LONG AGO,

WE, WITHIN A HUNDRED YEARS,

WHO'S COUNTING, WE BELIEVED

THOSE CONTINENTS WERE ALWAYS

WHERE THEY HAD BEEN. NO ONE EVER

BELIEVED THAT THEY HAD EVER

MOVED OR COULD MOVE, AND NOW WE

KNOW THAT NOT ONLY DO THEY MOVE,

THEY ARE MOVING NOW. AND THAT

THOSE CONTINENTS ARE ON LARGER

MASSES THAN THE CONTINENTS

THEMSELVES. THEY'RE ON THINGS

CALLED PLATES, TECTONIC PLATES.

AND, WHAT I WANT YOU TO THINK

ABOUT IS THE EARTH WE KNOW, THE

TERRESTRIAL PART OF THE EARTH,

BEING UNDERLAIN BY A MYCELIAL

MAT, A TANGLE OF FUNGAL THREADS

UNDER ALL THE TREES AND GRASS

AND SHRUBS, AND THIS FUNGAL

NETWORK DECOMPOSES ORGANIC

MATTER, PROVIDES NUTRIENTS TO

THE TREES, AND HELPS SUSTAIN THE

PLANET.

>>ANYONE MIGHT WELL IMAGINE THAT

THIS IS A LANDSCAPE AMONG STEEP

CLIFFS AND SHADOWY VALLEYS OF A

STRANGE, FARAWAY WORLD. ON WHAT

HILLSIDE HAVE WE EVER SEEN SO

ODD A GROWTH? YET, THESE ARE

SCENES FROM A FAIRYLAND THAT IS

ALL ABOUT US. THE LAND OF

FUNGUS. THIS IS THE SPROUTING

BODY OF A FUNGUS, COMMONLY

CALLED A TOADSTOOL. IN THE

UNDERSURFACE OF THE CAP THERE

ARE TINY SPORES, EACH A SINGLE

CELL. THE FUNGAL CELL IS FULL OF

LIVING MATTER WHICH EXTENDS THE

CELL WALL AND GROWS INTO A TUBE.

THE ORIGINAL CELL DEVELOPS INTO

A GREAT NETWORK OF TUBES, THE

PLANT BODY OF THE FUNGUS. IN

TOADSTOOLS AND OTHER FUNGUS THIS

GROWTH MAY CONTINUE UNDERGROUND

FOR A LONG TIME IN THE MEADOWS,

UNDER DAMP FLOORS, UNDER

RUBBISH, IN FACT ANY PLACE WHERE

THERE IS DARKNESS, MOISTURE AND

THE RIGHT KIND OF FOOD. THE

SPORE BEARING BODY, OR MUSHROOM,

COMES AT LAST INTO THE LIGHT.

LIKE DAINTY DANCERS IN A PAGEANT

OF FAIRYLAND, THEY SWAY

GRACEFULLY BEFORE US FOR A SHORT

WHILE AND THEN ARE GONE.

>>LOOKS GOOD.

>>AND THIS IS HONEY.

>>HONEY, I WANT TO TASTE THE

HONEY, DID LARRY COOK THIS?

>>I'M AFRAID SO! NO EXCUSE! IF

YOU ONLY USE BUTTER, ESPECIALLY

LIKE WITH MORELS, THEY GET SO,

YOU JUST TASTE THE BUTTER. YOU

KNOW, IT'S LIKE WHERE'S THE

MUSHROOM, YOU HAD A MUSHROOM IN

HERE SOMEWHERE. I'VE BEEN COMING

TO TELLURIDE FOR THE LAST FIVE

OR SIX YEARS, YOU KNOW, GIVE A

LITTLE LECTURE, LEAD A FORAY OR

SOMETHING. I LIKE TO DO SOME

COOKING TOO. I USED TO HAVE A

RESTAURANT, SO I WHIP UP SOME

WILD MUSHROOM DISHES THAT ARE

JUST KILLER.

>>WE NEED SOMEBODY TO SERVE.

YO, IT'S CHOW TIME!

>>THERE'S SOMETHING REALLY COOL

ABOUT FINDING FREE FOOD. YOU

KNOW, GOING OUT IN THE WOODS AND

IT'S 'HEY, LOOK,

YOU CAN EAT THAT!'

>>I GREW UP ON A CHRISTMAS TREE

FARM. WE WERE, WE HAD A LITTLE

MORE REMOTE, YOU KNOW, SO I

ENDED UP SPENDING A LOT OF TIME

ROAMING AROUND THE WOODS AND

HANGING OUT IN THE TREES AND

COLLECTING MUSHROOMS AND THAT

KIND OF STUFF. WHY ARE MUSHROOMS

FASCINATING? I FEEL LIKE I KIND

OF JUST TRIPPED OVER A ROCK AND

STARTED DIGGING IT OUT AND FOUND

OUT THAT THERE WAS A WHOLE

MOUNTAIN UNDER THERE, YOU KNOW?

IT'S LIKE ONCE I PICKED A

MUSHROOM AND STARTED FOLLOWING

IT BACK TO THE TREE ROOTS, AND

INTO THE SOIL I SUDDENLY

REALIZED IT'S ALL HOOKED UP,

IT'S ALL HOOKED UP TO THE SAME

BIG ECOSYSTEM.

>>BOLIVIA'S JUST AMAZING, I

STARTED GOING DOWN THERE IN '97,

AND I'VE BEEN BACK EVERY YEAR

THE LAST FEW YEARS, CHECKING OUT

THE SPECIES IN THE UPPER AMAZON

RAINFOREST.

>>GOING TO MACHETE OUR WAY

THROUGH THIS STUFF.

LOOK AT THE COLOUR OF THAT

BUTTERFLY.

>>IN FOUR DAYS, WE FOUND ALMOST

THREE HUNDRED DIFFERENT SPECIES

OF MUSHROOM. I MEAN, THE

DIVERSITY IS JUST INCREDIBLE,

AND OUT OF THOSE THERE WERE AT

LEAST FIFTY THAT I HAD NEVER

SEEN BEFORE. THERE'S JUST SO

MUCH UNKNOWN IN THE WORLD OF

MUSHROOMS.

>>LOOK AT THAT. HOLEY MOLEY,

WHAT A MONSTER.

>>VERY THIN FLESH. VERY WIGGLY,

RUBBERY, COMING FROM A TERMITE

NEST.

>>WELL, I'VE ALWAYS LOVED

MORELS. YOU KNOW, I GREW UP

PICKING THEM. ARCTIC MORELS ARE

INCREDIBLE! BECAUSE THE DAY GOES

ALMOST 24 HOURS UP THERE, YOU

DON'T HAVE THE SUDDEN DROP IN

TEMPERATURE, THEY JUST KEEP

GROWING AND GROWING AND GROWING

AND GROWING.

>>FIRST COUPLE OF PICKLES I'VE

SEEN FOR A WHILE.

>>EVERY YEAR, I HAUL HUNDREDS OF

POUNDS OF MORELS DOWN TO THE

FARMERS MARKET. PEOPLE LIKE IT.

>>NORMAN!

NORMAN!!

AAAAAH!

>>AS CHILDREN WE'RE TOLD TO

AVOID WILD MUSHROOMS. IN FACT, I

REMEMBER BEING WARNED WHEN I WAS

MOWING THE LAWN NOT TO LET THE

LAWN MOWER RUN OVER ANY KIND OF

TOADSTOOL THAT WAS GROWING

BECAUSE IT COULD SOMEHOW WRECK

THE MOTOR?

>>THOSE OF US IN TELLURIDE ARE

FUNGOPHILES, PEOPLE WHO REALLY

LOVE MUSHROOMS, AS OPPOSED TO

MOST PEOPLE IN NORTH AMERICA WHO

ARE REALLY FUNGOPHOBES. THEY'RE

PEOPLE WHO FEAR MUSHROOMS, AND

PART OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THE

BACKGROUND WHERE WE DON'T HAVE

THE TRADITION OF COLLECTING

MUSHROOMS IN OUR FORESTS. WE

DON'T HAVE RELATIVES WHO HAVE

BEEN COLLECTING MUSHROOMS OVER

GENERATIONS AS YOU FIND IN

EUROPE AND IN ASIA. AND WHEN YOU

ASK PEOPLE ABOUT MUSHROOMS

AROUND THE STATES AND SUCH YOU

FIND THAT WHAT MUSHROOMS THEY

KNOW ABOUT ARE THE FEW THINGS

THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN THE

MARKETS.

SOMETIMES THEY CALL THEM

PORTOBELLOS OR CREMINIS BUT

THEY'RE ALL VARIETIES OF THE

COMMON COMMERCIAL BUTTON

MUSHROOM. WHICH IS EASY AND

CHEAP TO CULTIVATE.

>>THESE ARE ALL FROM THE

WAREHOUSE. WHAT I HAVE IS YOUR

BASIC, A WHITE MUSHROOM, THESE

IN THE PACKAGE HERE OR THESE

HERE. THESE OVER HERE ARE WHAT

THEY CALL CREMINI OR BROWN

MUSHROOM. AND OF COURSE OVER

HERE WE HAVE THE BIG ONES WHICH

ARE THE PORTOBELLOS. I WAS GOING

TO GET SOME OF THE MORE ORIENTAL

TYPE OF MUSHROOMS IN, BUT YEAH,

WE'RE GOING TO SEE HOW THAT

GOES.

>>WHO LIVES IN HERE? THE

MUSHROOMS, DEAR. THEY'RE

SLEEPING PEACEFULLY SO THEY CAN

GROW, AND GROW AND GROW! JUST

GROW DELICIOUSLY! THEN CAMPBELL

KIDS WILL PICK THE BEST, AND ASK

THE COW FOR CREAM, FOR

CAMPBELL'S CREAM OF MUSHROOM

SOUP.

>>THE TASTE IS JUST SUPREME!

>>IT'S NOURISHING TOO! AND GIVES

YOU PROTEINS, VITAMINS AND

MINERALS! TO HELP YOU GROW!

>>MMM, GOOD!

>>THE MUSHROOM INDUSTRY HAS A

VESTED INTEREST AGAINST WILD

MUSHROOMS. THE REALITY IS THERE

ARE ONLY A FEW REALLY DEADLY

MUSHROOMS AND NOT MANY MORE THAT

ARE POISONOUS, SO IT'S A MATTER

OF LEARNING ABOUT THEM.

>>WHEN I MOVED TO THE COUNTRY, I

REALIZED THAT I WAS STARVED FOR

NATURE. I WOULD DAY AFTER DAY,

DROP EVERYTHING, AND JUST WALK

IN THE WOODS LOOKING FOR

MUSHROOMS. JUST PAYING ATTENTION

TO ANYTHING IN NATURE AND

FORGETTING ONESELF A LITTLE BIT

RESULTS IN DAYS THAT PASS VERY

QUICKLY.

>>IT'S A SPELLING THING,

EVERYBODY KNOWS GURU, YOU KNOW,

BUT...

>>WHAT ABOUT THAT ONE TOO,

LOOK AT THAT.

>>HA HA HA HA.

>>THESE ARE MUSHROOM CAMOUFLAGE,

THE MUSHROOMS DON'T RECOGNIZE

THESE AS BOOTS, SO THEY DON'T,

THEY DON'T HIDE AS WELL, THEY

THINK 'WHAT'S THAT'! IT'S A

FUZZY CATERPILLAR!' THIS IS MY

MUSHROOM KNIFE, IT'S CHEAP, I

DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT

LOOSING IT, AND I CAN TAKE IT ON

THE PLANE. THEY GOT A WHOLE

CONVOY OF SUV'S! GOT TO WORK A

LITTLE HARDER ON THIS

CARPOOLING.

>>DO YOU WANT TO PUT ANYTHING

BACK HERE, LARRY?

>>AH, JUST THIS. THIS IS A

REALLY GREAT THING, MAN.

YOUR FLY TACKLE.

>>YEAH.

>>YOU KNOW, A FISHING BOX, AND I

CAN GET ALL KINDS OF SPECIES IN

THERE, YOU KNOW, AND THEY COME

BACK AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY PUT

THEM ON THE TABLE. YOU PUT THEM

IN YOUR POCKET OR YOUR BAG AND

YOU GET BACK IT'S LIKE 'WELL

THIS USED TO BE...' HA HA HA, WE

USED TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE

THIS.

>>EVERYONE KNOWS THAT MUSHROOMS

LOVE THE RAIN, AND AT THIS TIME

OF THE YEAR THE MONSOON RAINS

COME INTO THE MOUNTAINS CREATING

THE PERFECT ENVIRONMENT FOR

MUSHROOMS, AND WITH THE RAIN

HEADING WEST IT LOOKS TO BE A

SPECTACULAR WEEKEND FOR PICKING

MUSHROOMS. SO THERE YOU HAVE IT

MUSHROOM LOVERS, GET OUT THERE

AND COMMUNE WITH THE SHROOM.

THIS IS LIKE BOLIVIA HERE,

YOU'RE GOING AROUND THESE

HAIRPIN CURVES, YOU'RE ON THE

BUS AND YOU SEE...SKY, AS IT

GOES AROUND THE CORNER YOU SEE

SKY AND THEN YOU SEE THE SIDE

WALL OF THIS, AND YOU SEE SKY

AGAIN. YEAH, THE GUY'S GOT TO

HAVE COJONES THE SIZE OF

GRAPEFRUIT TO DRIVE THOSE BUSES

MAN.

>>NOT A BAD BACKDROP, LARRY.

>>YEAH, NICE HUH? WE'LL BE,

WE'LL BE LOOKING OUT HERE, SEE

THE EDGE, THE EDGE HERE, WE WANT

TO JUST CHECK THE EDGE OF THIS

TYPE OF AREA HERE FOR BOLETE,

AND THEN WE'LL PROBABLY GO BACK

UP AND LOOK FOR LESS WELL

DRAINED AREAS FOR CHANTERELLES

AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

>>AH, THERE WE GO. THAT'S A NICE

LOOKING HABITAT THERE.

>>WE'RE GOING TO FIND GOOD STUFF

ALL OVER.

>>THERE'S SOMETHING. I THINK WE

HAVE ONE OF THE AMECOSAS HERE.

IF THIS IS AGARICUS AMICOSAS

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO SEE?

>>PINK GILLS.

>>PINK GILLS, WHEN THEY'RE

YOUNG. WE DEFINITELY HAVE PINK

GILLS, THEY'RE NOT GREY OR

WHITE. OK, SECOND THING IS IT

CUTS WHITE, STAINS, AND THEN

FADES TO THIS REDDISH ORANGE

TYPE COLOUR, THERE YOU SEE THE

STAIN THERE AGAIN. AND WHAT

SMELL ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

>>PHENOLIC AS YOU DESCRIBED IT.

>>RIGHT, IF YOU'VE GOT A

PHENOLIC OR LIBRARY PASTE SMELL

WE WANT TO AVOID THAT, OKAY?

BECAUSE OUR TOXIC SPECIES TEND

TO HAVE THAT SMELL. WHAT ELSE WE

GOT? OH GOOD, YEP, HONEYS. NOW

HONEY MUSHROOM, THAT'S A GOOD

EATER, EVERYBODY'S BEEN EATING

THAT ALL WEEKEND, THEY'RE NICE

AND FRESH AND READY TO GO.

>>AND I SEE SOMETHING RIGHT UP

THERE.

>>SO JUST SING OUT IF YOU FIND

SOME GOOD STUFF AND WE'LL COME

TAKE A LOOK! YOU KNOW, EVERYONE

WILL BE SPANKED IF THEY DON'T

FIND A CHANTERELLE!

>>IT'S A BOLETE. A BIG ONE.

THESE THINGS EXCITE ME.

>>WHENEVER YOU GOT A BOLETE

THAT'S RIPE AND IT'S ALREADY

PRODUCING SPORES, THIS SPONGE IS

NOT SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE ARE

GOING TO WANT TO EAT ANYWAY. SO

I LIKE TO TAKE THOSE OFF BECAUSE

AT LEAST THEY'RE GETTING THEIR

SPORES OUT. THAT'S THE FERTILE

TISSUE THAT I JUST TOOK OFF.

>>AH, I SEE, SO WE'LL JUST LEAVE

THAT TO HANG AROUND HERE.

>>AND THAT WILL JUST STAY HERE.

AND NOW, THIS IS THE OTHER THING

WE OFTEN DO WITH BOLETES. I

OFTEN DO THIS BEFORE I PUT THEM

IN MY BAG. NOW THERE'S ALL THAT

DIRT THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE

RUBBED INTO YOUR MUSHROOM AND

MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO CLEAN OUT.

SO, NOW I HARDLY HAVE TO WASH

THAT SUCKER, SEE? FIELD DRESSED.

AND HERE'S LAC LAC, LACCARIA

LACCATA, THE SWEDISH DID A STUDY

OF THESE, AND THEY TOOK THE

LITTLE THRIPS, THE SNOW THRIPS?

YOU KNOW THE LITTLE SNOW FLEAS

THEY CALL THEM? AND THEY PUT THE

THRIPS IN WITH ALL THESE

DIFFERENT PETRI DISHES TO SEE

WHICH ONES THEY'D EAT. WELL THEY

CAME BACK AND THESE GUYS, THE

LAC LACS, HAD EATEN THE THRIPS.

THE RESEARCHER SAYS, 'YOU KNOW,

IT WAS KIND OF LIKE PUTTING A

FOOTBALL PLAYER IN A ROOM WITH A

PIZZA AND YOU COME BACK LATER

AND THE PIZZA ATE THE FOOTBALL

PLAYER, WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?'

YOU KNOW?

>>STILL NO CHANTERELLES, HUH?

>>I GOT ONE UP HERE!

>>HEY, WE GOT A CHANTERELLE?

>>THERE'S A LITTLE ONE. HERE WE

GO, THAT'S A LITTLE BIGGER. ALL

RIGHT, HOPEFULLY, IF WE STICK

THAT BACK, IT WILL CONTINUE TO

GROW.

>>A WHOLE HANDFUL OF THE LITTLE

BUGGERS.

>>WELL I FOLLOWED YOUR ADVICE, I

LOOKED AT THE TERRAIN, I LOOKED

AT THE MOSS, I LOOKED FOR THE

WHITE. YOU DID IT RIGHT, YEAH.

YOU GOT TO ADMIRE YOUR

DILIGENCE ON THAT, BUDDY. YOU

NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU MIGHT FIND.

THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF IT. GOT

SOMETHING OVER THERE?

>>OH YEAH, THAT'S A PEPPERY

BOLETE, IT'S CONSIDERED

NON-EDIBLE, BUT HERE WE GO.

WANT TO TRY?

>>I GUESS SO.

>>I'LL JUST GIVE YOU A LITTLE

BIT. WORK IT AROUND IN YOUR

MOUTH FOR A SECOND. IT'S NOT

GOING TO HURT YOU, IT'S NOT LIKE

A RUSSULA. YOU STARTING TO GET

THE, GET THE HEAT THERE?

UGH.

>>NO ONE CAN EVER SAY FOR SURE

WHERE TRUFFLES GROW. THE ONLY

WAY TO FIND THEM IS TO SMELL

THEM OUT.

BUT IT'S NOT ONLY THE SMELL

THEY LIKE. GIVEN HALF THE

CHANCE THEY'D SWALLOW THEM DOWN

IN NO TIME.

>>THIS KITCHEN, THIS LIVING,

THIS DINING ROOM WAS DESIGNED TO

ENTERTAIN. AND YOU'LL NOTICE HOW

THE WINDOWS ARE HIGHER OVER

HERE? IN THIS SECTION OF THE

HOUSE? THAT'S SO THE CHEF HAS A

VIEW OF THE MOUNTAINS.

>>IT HAS A REALLY WINEY, SMOKEY,

EARTHY BASE NOTE TYPE OF

FLAVOUR. WHEREAS THESE SHRIMP

ARE GOING TO BE MORE OF A

SEAFOOD WHITE WINE TYPE OF

FLAVOUR AND THEN THE BOLETES ARE

REALLY SWEET AND NUTTY AND THE

CHANTERELLES ARE ALMOST FRUITY,

SO, WE GOT FOUR PRETTY

INTERESTING FLAVOURS HERE.

ISN'T THAT BEAUTIFUL?

>>SMELL THE FISH! THAT'S THE

MUSHROOM I'VE SERVED TO PEOPLE

WHO DON'T LIKE MUSHROOMS, AND

NINE TIMES OUT OF TEN THEY LOVE

IT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T HAVE A

MUSHROOM TASTE OR A MUSHROOM

TEXTURE, VERY FIRM TEXTURE.

>>POUR IT IN THERE?

>>YOU BET! YEAH BABY!

THAT'S DELICIOUS.

>>HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A

BIOLUMINESCENT FUNGI? THOSE ARE,

THEY GLOW IN THE DARK? YEAH?

THERE'S, WE HAVE A COUPLE UP

HERE, ONE OF THEM'S THE JACK 'O

LANTERN, BIG CLUMPS OF MUSHROOMS

JUST GLOW. I MEAN YOU WALK DOWN

THE PATH IT'S LIKE YOU'VE GOT

JACK 'O LANTERNS, PUMPKINS, SET

RIGHT OUT THERE. AND WE ALSO SEE

THEM DOWN IN BOLIVIA, THE

MYCELIA FORM LITTLE TRAILS THAT

GLOW AND INSECTS WILL WALK

ACROSS, THEY'LL FIND THIS LITTLE

GLOWING TRAIL AND THEY'LL FOLLOW

IT RIGHT TO WHERE THE MUSHROOM

IS, AND THESE MUSHROOMS ARE

ALIVE, IT'S LIKE A BUG DISCO.

>>TERENCE MCKENNA, YOU KNOW THE

PSYCHEDELIC GURU, HE HAD A

THEORY THAT THEY WERE AN ALIEN

LIFE FORM, THAT THEY CAME FROM

OUTER SPACE. ALL TOO EASY TO

BELIEVE SOMETIMES.

>>YOU KNOW, I, YEARS AGO, USED

TO HOLD THE OPINION AND STILL DO

IN THE PRIVACY OF MY OWN HEART

THAT THIS THING COULD HAVE COME

FROM OUTER SPACE. NOT THE

MUSHROOM PER SE, BECAUSE WE HAVE

A FOSSIL RECORD OF MUSHROOMS AND

SO FORTH ALTHOUGH IT ISN'T SO

GOOD, IT ONLY GOES BACK ABOUT 40

MILLION YEARS. HOW LONG HAVE

MUSHROOMS BEEN AROUND? SINCE

THEY'RE PRIMARY DECOMPOSERS,

YOU'D ASSUME THEY'D BEEN AROUND

SINCE THE GET-GO, BUT THE FOSSIL

EVIDENCE ISN'T THERE. IS IT

POSSIBLE THAT A VERY

SOPHISTICATED TRAVELING GENE OF

VIRAL SIZE INSERTED ITSELF INTO

THIS ORGANISM FOR SOME PURPOSE

BEYOND OUR CAN? BECAUSE YOU SEE,

TO ME THE MIRACLES OF PSILOCYBIN

IS THE HALLUCINATIONS, THE

VISION, THE INFORMATION. I'M

COMPLETELY CONVINCED THAT THIS

STUFF CAN'T COME FROM ME,

AND I'M A JUNGIAN!

>>IT IS ALMOST MIDNIGHT BEFORE

THE BRUJO APPEARS. HE HAS

PRACTICED THE SECRET AND ALL BUT

FORBIDDEN RITES OF THE SACRED

MUSHROOM FOR DECADES, RITES

PASSED ON FROM FATHER TO SON

PERHAPS 4,000 YEARS. TO ACHIEVE

SPIRITUAL UNION, OUR SCIENTISTS

ALSO MUST EAT THE MUSHROOM. THE

STRANGELY AROMATIC ROOT IS

BURNED, INHALED. THE BRUJO

MURMURS INCANTATIONS IN CHATINA,

A LANGUAGE UNKNOWN ANYWHERE ELSE

ON THIS EARTH. THE FIRST SOUND

WE HEAR AS THE CHEMICAL IN THE

MUSHROOM TAKES EFFECT, IS

LAUGHTER.

>>WHAT IS THAT?

>>OH THIS IS MYCELIUM PRESSED

WITH SPORES FROM SOME KIND OF

MAGIC MUSHROOM.

>>I LIKE THEM. NICE. WANT ONE?

>>SURE.

>>I'D GET ONE WITH A CAP, THAT

ONE. YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD ONE.

WHOOP! (IMITATES POLICE SIREN)

>>IS THIS YOUR FIRST TIME HERE?

>>THIS IS MY FIRST TIME HERE,

YES.

>>AND HOW DO YOU LIKE THE

TELLURIDE MUSHROOM FESTIVAL?

>>IT'S GOOD MAN, IT'S GREAT MAN.

I WAS TRYING TO FIND THE DRUMS,

MAN, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH

LUCK. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY

MIGRATED TO, MAN, WHERE THEY

WENT, MAN. YOU KNOW?

>>TERENCE MCKENNA TALKS ABOUT

MUSHROOMS AS HAVING BEEN THE

CATALYST FOR HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS

AND HE HAS THE WHOLE THEORY OF

THIS, THAT WHEN WE CAME OUT OF

THE TREES WE WENT TO THE DUNG OF

THE UNGULATES AND WE TURNED THEM

OVER AS MONKEYS AND THEY STILL

DO THIS TODAY IN THE SAVANNAHS

AND THEY PICK OUT THE MUSHROOMS

TO EAT. WELL, SINCE PSYLOCYBES

SPECIES IS COPROPHILIC AND LIVES

ON DUNG, THEY WOULD PICK OUT

PSYLOCYBES. IT TURNS OUT, IN LOW

DOSES, PSYLOCYBE INCREASES

VISUAL ACUITY, SO IN A

HUNTER-GATHERER SOCIETY IF YOU

GOT BETTER EYESIGHT, YOU HUNT

BETTER, YOU'RE SELECTED FOR

ADVANCEMENT. PEOPLE WHO ATE THE

MUSHROOMS ADVANCED OVER TIME. IT

TURNS OUT YOU EAT MORE OF THOSE

MUSHROOMS YOU GET KIND OF HORNY

AND IF YOU GET KIND OF HORNY YOU

HAVE MORE KIDS AND HERE YOU ARE

A BETTER HUNTER, HAVING MORE

KIDS. AND THEN IF YOU TAKE

MASSIVE DOSES WHICH OF COURSE IS

WHAT HAPPENS SOMETIMES, YOU SEE

GOD WHICH IS WHY WE CALL IT AN

ENTHEOGEN SO HE SAYS HUMAN

CONSCIOUSNESS DEVELOPED THAT

WAY. WELL WHETHER THAT'S TRUE OR

NOT, I THINK MUSHROOMS HAVE HAD

A HUGE IMPORTANT PART TO PLAY IN

EVERY CULTURE THAT WE'VE DEALT

WITH, AND BECAUSE OF THE

PSYCHOTROPIC ASPECT OF IT, MANY

CULTURES USE THEM AS THE ALLY,

THE SPIRIT ALLY, TO TAKE THEM TO

THE OTHER WORLD.

>>PSYLOCYBIN MIMICS THE EFFECTS

OF SEROTONIN IN THE BRAIN. IT

ALSO ENHANCES THE BRAIN'S

PERCEPTUAL SYSTEM SO THAT USERS

OFTEN REPORT TRAILS AND AURAS

AROUND EXISTING SOURCES OF

LIGHT, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT

EFFECTS HAVE TO DO WITH THE

DEEPER IDEAS AND FEELINGS THAT

PSILOCYBIN GENERATES IN THE

USER. MUSHROOMS HAVE WHAT THE

PSYCHOLOGIST WILLIAM JAMES HAS

CALLED A "NOETIC" QUALITY. THEY

PRODUCE PROFOUND STATES OF

KNOWLEDGE AND INSIGHT.

>>THE OUTDOORS, THE SETTING OF

CHOICE FOR A MUSHROOM TRIP, IS

TRANSFORMED SO THE FOREST FEELS

MORE LIKE A LIVING, BREATHING

CATHEDRAL. A FORUM FOR THE DEEP

APPRECIATION OF NATURE THROUGH

WHICH THE WONDROUS MUSHROOM

EATER MOVES IN A STATE OF

ECOLOGICAL GRACE.

>>I WAS IN L.A. FOR A FORAY, AND

I WAS WANDERING AROUND IN ONE OF

THE CANYONS LOOKING FOR

MUSHROOMS. TWO PEOPLE CAME UP TO

ME AND THEY SAID DO YOU KNOW

GARY LINCOFF? AND THEY SAID WELL

THEY NEEDED GARY LINCOFF TO HELP

THEM TO FIND THE FLY AGARIC,

AMANITA MUSCARIA, WHICH THEY

KNEW GREW IN THAT CANYON. THEY

WERE PREPARING THEMSELVES TO

LEAVE THE PLANET. AND THEY SAID

THEY THOUGHT THE MUSCARIA, THE

FLY AGARIC WOULD SHOW THEM THE

WAY. THEY CONTINUED TO TALK, AND

I TOLD THEM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S

WHO I WAS, AND THE ONE GUY SAYS

'LISTEN, YOU HAVE TO COME OVER

TO MY PLACE.' AND 'I'VE GOT

SOMETHING I REALLY HAVE TO SHARE

WITH YOU.' SO I HAD THE NIGHT

FREE, AND I WENT OVER. SO I

WALKED INTO THIS GUY'S HOUSE AND

I WAS A LITTLE NERVOUS BECAUSE I

DIDN'T KNOW THEM, AND HE HAS A

REFRIGERATOR FULL OF DRUGS. I

MEAN HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY NORMAL

FOOD, LIKE NO LOAF OF BREAD, YOU

KNOW, NO BUTTER, NOTHING! JUST

DRUGS. AND HE HAD A COUPLE EGGS,

AND HE HAD GUNS ALL OVER HIS

WALL. NOW, I LIVE IN NEW YORK

CITY AND THAT'S NOT THE SORT OF

THING WE HAVE ON OUR WALL. WE'RE

NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE HANDGUNS.

PLUS, THERE WERE A LOT OF DOGS

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD BARKING

THEIR HEADS OFF AND THEY SOUNDED

ANGRY, SO THIS WAS LIKE NOT A

GOOD SCENE. BUT, HE SAID 'YOU'RE

HERE AND YOU HAVE TO SHARE THIS

WITH US.' SO HE MAKES UP THIS

THING WITH MAGIC MUSHROOMS,

WHICH I HAD NOT HAD, AND I EAT

THEM, AND THEN HE SITS ME DOWN

ON A SOFA AND HE SAYS 'JUST

STARE AT ME' AND HIS ENTIRE

LIVING ROOM WITHIN A HALF AN

HOUR TURNED FROM A MULTI COLOUR

INTO KIND OF A DESERT GREY. AND

HE TURNED INTO A WOLF, SITTING

THERE, STARING AT ME. HE SAID

'YOU LOOK APPREHENSIVE, IS THERE

A PROBLEM?' AND I SAID 'I

COULDN'T BEGIN TO TELL YOU WHAT

THE PROBLEM IS,' BUT I WAS

THINKING THIS IS THE LAST DAY OF

MY LIFE, AND THIS IS LIKE

ENDING. HE SAID JUST, LIKE, 'LET

IT GO' AND NOT BEING PREPARED

FOR WHAT WAS TO COME, I

EVENTUALLY RELAXED. HE SAID 'DO

YOU SEE A LIGHT' AND I SAID

'YES', HE SAYS 'WHAT COLOUR IS

IT?' AND I SAID 'WHITE' HE SAID

'WELL ARE YOU GOING TO FOLLOW

IT? I SAID 'DO I HAVE A CHOICE?'

AND HE SAID WELL, 'THAT'S WHAT

YOU SHOULD DO.' AND THEN THE

ROOF OPENS UP OVER MY HEAD AND

BEFORE I KNOW IT I'M OUT OF MY

BODY AND I'M GOING, I'M NOT

FLOATING, I'M ACTUALLY MOVING.

SO I FOLLOW THIS THING OUT AND

WE ARE GOING OUT INTO OUTER

SPACE AND SOMEWHERE NEAR WHERE

HE SAID MUST HAVE BEEN THE

ANDROMEDA GALAXY, I WAS GETTING

COLD AND HE SAID 'WELL WHY DON'T

YOU STOP BY THE FIRE?' HE SAID

'WELL THERE'S A FIREPLACE OUT

THERE'. OKAY, SO I FOUND IT AND

I GOT WARM, AND I KEPT TRAVELING

AND AFTER I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY

HOURS, HE SAID 'DO YOU WANT TO

COME BACK?' AND I WAS THINKING,

WELL YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY NICE

OUT HERE, WHY WOULD I WANT TO GO

BACK? BUT HE THOUGHT IT WAS A

GOOD IDEA, AND SO I START COMING

BACK AND RE-ENTRY WASN'T AS

DIFFICULT AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD

BE, AND THERE WAS L.A. AND THEN

THERE WAS THE STREET, AND THERE

WAS THIS ONE HOUSE WITH A BIG

HOLE IN IT'S ROOF AND I SAID

'THAT MUST BE WHERE I GO!' AND I

LOOKED DOWN AND SURE ENOUGH,

THERE I WAS SITTING ON THE SOFA,

AND IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF

GETTING WHATEVER IT WAS OF ME

OUT THERE BACK INTO THAT BODY.

AND THAT WAS ESSENTIALLY THE

WHOLE NIGHT, AND HE WASN'T A

SHAMAN, HE WASN'T A HEALER, HE

WASN'T SOME KIND OF MYSTIC

GUIDE, HE WAS JUST A GUY WHO WAS

IN THE MOUNTAINS WHO HAD THIS

PREDILECTION FOR USING A

REFRIGERATOR FULL OF DRUGS AND

HE HAD ONE HE WANTED TO SHARE

WITH ME. HOPING, I THINK, TO GET

ME TO JOIN THEM TO LEAVE THE

PLANET. WHICH I WASN'T READY TO

DO BECAUSE I WASN'T SURE THEY

HAD A REAL GOOD GAME PLAN. NOW,

HEY, THAT MIGHT BE AN

INTERESTING THING! COULD YOU GO

THROUGH A WORMHOLE WITH THE

MUSHROOM? AND FIND YOURSELF ON A

PLANET LIKE EARTH? IT SOUNDS

LIKE FANTASY, WHATEVER, BUT AS I

KEEP TELLING PEOPLE, YESTERDAY'S

SCIENCE FICTION IS TODAY'S

SCIENCE, AND THINGS THAT WE

DIDN'T THINK WERE POSSIBLE, ARE

POSSIBLE. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF

PARTIALLY TECHNOLOGY, BUT

LARGELY IMAGINATION.

>>ONE SIDE WILL MAKE YOU GROW

TALLER, THE OTHER SIDE WILL MAKE

YOU GROW SHORTER.

>>ONE SIDE OF WHAT?

>>THE MUSHROOM!

>>WHICH SIDE WILL MAKE ME GROW

LARGER?

>>THE LARGE MAKING SIDE OF

COURSE.

>>I'LL TAKE A LITTLE OF BOTH TO

MAKE SURE.

>>MR. CATERPILLAR SIR,

WHERE ARE YOU?

>>YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO THINK

ABOUT MUSHROOMS IN A RATIONAL

WAY BECAUSE EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK

THEY SEEM TO EXUDE MYSTERY. YOU

LOOK AT A LAWN AND YOU SEE A

RING OF MUSHROOMS AND YOU KNOW,

WE CALL THAT A 'FAIRY RING.'

WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM? WELL,

THE IDEA AT NIGHT, MIDNIGHT,

THERE ARE FAIRIES DANCING IN

CIRCLES, AND IN THE DAYTIME WHEN

WE CAN'T SEE THEM, THERE'S A

RING OF MUSHROOMS WHICH WE CALL

THE FAIRY RING. THIS LEADS TO A

WHOLE MYTHOLOGY ABOUT MUSHROOMS

AND FAIRIES AND THE LITTLE

PEOPLE, AND THIS IS ALMOST LIKE

AN ALTERNATE WORLD LIVING RIGHT

ALONG WITH US.

>>THOSE OF US WHO SPEND A LOT OF

TIME WITH MUSHROOMS WORRY ABOUT

IS, WE END UP WITH A KIND OF A

MYCOCENTRIC VIEW OF THE

UNIVERSE, EVERYTHING CAN BE

EXPLAINED BY MUSHROOMS, OR WITH

MUSHROOMS, SO IT'S HARD TO LOOK

AT SANTA CLAUS AND NOT SEE THIS

GUY THAT LOOKS LIKE A FLY AGARIC

WITH THESE REINDEER RIDING

ACROSS THE SKY. SURELY THAT MUST

HAVE BEEN INSPIRED BY THE USE OF

FLY AGARIC MUSHROOMS AND

REINDEER IN THE ARCTIC, AND IT

MAKES SENSE, AND THEN WE FIND

OTHER THINGS AND WE SAY, GEE, IT

ALL FITS TOGETHER. AND IT CAN

ALL BE, THE WHOLE WORLD CAN BE

EXPLAINED BY MUSHROOMS, AND ALL

MAJOR RELIGIONS CAN BE EXPLAINED

BY THE USE OF MUSHROOMS.

>>I'M PUZZLED, ARE YOU REALLY

SERIOUSLY SUGGESTING THAT JESUS

CHRIST WAS A MUSHROOM?

>>AH, PUT PRETTY BLANKLY, YES.

>>SURELY YOU DON'T SUGGEST THAT

JESUS CHRIST AND HIS VARIOUS

DISCIPLES WERE NOT HUMAN

CREATURES?

>>YES, YOU ARE DEALING WITH A

SECRET CULT, A SECRET SOCIETY.

THE STORIES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

CONTAIN CERTAIN INCANTATIONS,

CERTAIN MAGIC NAMES WHICH WERE

REALLY THE NAMES OF THE

MUSHROOM.

>>NO, BUT THE WRITERS! THE

WRITERS! MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE,

JOHN, THESE MEN WHO WROTE THE

STORY, YOU ARE TELLING ME THEY

DID NOT EXIST?

>>NO.

>>NONE OF THEM EXISTED?

>>NO, IT'S PART OF MYTHOLOGY,

IT'S PART OF MUSHROOM MYTHOLOGY.

>>SOME OF THE MUSHROOMS WE CAME

ACROSS IN BOLIVIA WERE LIKE

SOMETHING OUT OF SCIENCE

FICTION.

>>DO YOU GUYS KNOW ABOUT

CORDYCEPS? CORDYCEPS ARE

MUSHROOMS THAT EAT INSECTS. THE

INSECTS WANDER AROUND AND INGEST

THE CORDYCEPS AND THE FUNGUS

JUST GRADUALLY GROWS RIGHT

THROUGH THE INSECT ATTACKING THE

NERVOUS SYSTEM AND WHEN IT IS

ATTACKING THE NERVOUS SYSTEM IS

WHEN IT CONTROLS THE ANIMAL'S

MOVEMENTS AND KIND OF DIRECTS IT

TO MOVE INTO A LOCATION THAT IS

MORE FAVORABLE FOR THE MUSHROOM

TO FRUIT. THIS INFECTED ANT

CLIMBS UP HIGHER AND HIGHER, AND

HERE THE MUSHROOM GROWS RIGHT

OUT OF THE BACK OF ITS HEAD.

SURE GLAD THERE'S NO CORDYCEPS

FOR PEOPLE, HUH?

>>SEVEN YOUNG PEOPLE SHIPWRECKED

ON A MYSTERIOUS ISLAND,

WHAT DID THEY FIND?

>>FOOD WAS SCARCE, AND THEY

WERE FORBIDDEN TO EAT THE

MUSHROOMS THAT GREW ON THE

ISLAND.

>>PLEASE, CAN'T WE EAT THE

MUSHROOMS NOW?

>>THAT WOULD REALLY BE THE END

OF US.

>>CAN THEY ESCAPE THE HORRIBLE

MUSHROOMS?

>>WHEREVER I GO, THERE ARE

MUSHROOMS TO HUNT.

>>OKAY MUSHROOMS.

>>HASTA LA VISTA, BABY.

>>THE SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS WE EAT

HAVE GREAT CAPABILITIES. THEY

HELP LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE

ACCORDING TO A STUDY BY OUR

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH.

TWO MICE WITH HIGH BLOOD

PRESSURE: THE MOUSE ON THE LEFT

RECEIVED WATER WITH SHIITAKE,

THE ONE ON THE RIGHT, PLAIN

WATER FOR TWO WEEKS. THEY TOOK

THE BLOOD PRESSURE OF BOTH MICE.

THE MOUSE GETTING PLAIN WATER,

262. THE MOUSE GETTING WATER

WITH SHIITAKE, 160. THAT'S ABOUT

100 POINTS LOWER. SHIITAKE

MUSHROOMS ARE GOOD FOR PEOPLE

WITH HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.

>>I'M GOING TO PUT SOME

MUSHROOMS IN THE SALAD FOR

DINNER TONIGHT?

>>WILD MUSHROOMS? YOU SHOULD

COOK THE MUSHROOMS.

>>WHAT ABOUT THE ONES WE BUY AT

THE STORE, JUST SLICE THEM UP

RAW?

>>YOU SHOULDN'T BUY ANYTHING IN

THE STORE. A LOT OF THE STUFF

THAT'S IN THE STORE HAS BEEN SO

HEAVILY SPRAYED THAT YOU'RE

DEALING WITH CONTAMINANTS THAT

HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH

MUSHROOMS, AND THE COMMERCIAL

MUSHROOM PRODUCES TWO, THE GUY

THAT DID THE WORK, IT'S BEEN

PUBLISHED, STARTED DOING ORAL

FEEDINGS WITH LAB ANIMALS AND

PRODUCED SIGNIFICANT TUMORS FROM

EATING AGARICUS BISPORIS.

>>I'VE GOT TO CHECK THAT OUT.

>>I'LL HAVE THE KUNG POW BEAN

CURD.

>>KUNG POW BEAN CURD.

>>AND DO YOU HAVE MU-HER? THE

BLACK MUSHROOM.

IT'S VERY WIGGLY, LIKE AN EAR?

>>YEAH.

>>YOU HAVE THAT? YOU HAVE THAT

IN THE SOUP?

>>JUST IN THE HOT AND SOUR SOUP.

>>HOT AND SOUR SOUP THEN, YEAH,

WE'LL GO FOR THE MU-HER.

>>I'LL TRY THAT SWEET AND SOUR

COMBINATION. THERE IT IS, IS

THAT ON THE MENU?

>>THIS IS A CURTISINE, IF YOU'RE

SICK, THIS STUFF IS MORE

PRECIOUS THAN GOLD. ONE OF MY

FAVOURITE GIGS IS TO GIVE THIS

TO SOMEBODY WHO'S AT THE

FARMERS MARKET COMING BY GOING,

I SAY 'NASAL PROBLEM?

CHEW THIS.' THEY KEEP

WALKING DOWN THE MARKET AND

BEFORE THEY'VE GONE TWENTY FEET

THEY'RE TURNED AROUND GOING 'HOW

MUCH? HOW MUCH? WHAT DO YOU WANT

FOR IT?' YOU KNOW. NOW THIS ONE

HERE, THIS ONE HAS AN

INTERESTING HISTORY. THIS, I

FOUND THIS ONE IN A CLEAR-CUT

THAT HAD BEEN DONE ON PRIVATE

PROPERTY, A RANCH, BACK IN THE

'50'S, OR THE '40'S, THEY'D CUT

THESE TREES. AND HERE WAS THIS,

COMING UP, YOU KNOW, EIGHT, TEN

FEET AWAY FROM A BIG STUMP. WELL

THERE'S A FUNGAL TREATMENT RIGHT

THERE. AND THEN THE OTHER, THIS

ONE, THIS LING CHI IS

CULTIVATED, AND AGAIN, IT'S GOT

THIS STAG HORN, THEY CALL THIS A

STAG HORN, AND THE REASON FOR

THAT IS BECAUSE IT'S GROWN IN

LOW CARBON DIOXIDE ENVIRONMENT

SO AS LONG AS THE MUSHROOM

DOESN'T GET OXYGEN IT TENDS TO

KEEP GETTING LONGER AND LONGER

AND LONGER. LING CHI'S ARE

REPEATEDLY CITED IN THE

LITERATURE AGAINST THINGS LIKE

LUPUS, RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS,

TYPES OF ECZEMA AND PSORIASIS,

DIABETES, ANYTHING THAT SEEMS TO

BE RELATED TO AN AUTO-IMMUNE

DISEASE, THIS DOES SEEM TO GIVE

YOUR BODY A BETTER ABILITY TO

TELL SELF FROM NON-SELF, AND

THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT THING IN

IMMUNE RESPONSE. YOU KNOW, IF

YOU WANT TO, IF YOU'RE GOING TO

ATTACK SOMETHING LET'S NOT HAVE

IT PART OF THE BODY, THAT COULD

BE COUNTER PRODUCTIVE.

LET'S EAT!

>>I THINK THIS WOULD MAKE A GOOD

TIP. SOME LING CHI FOR LATER.

>>OKAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>>A RECENT STUDY THAT I READ

SAID THERE ARE 485 SPECIES OF

MUSHROOM THAT ARE COMMERCIALLY

TRADED AS MEDECINE. BUT IT'S NOT

IN AMERICAN AWARENESS RIGHT NOW.

>>THE NOKI PRODUCTION IN JAPAN

MOSTLY TAKES PLACE IN THE

PREFECTURE OF NAGANO, WHICH IS A

MOUNTAINOUS REGION IN CENTRAL

JAPAN. AND A VERY HIGH

PERCENTAGE OF ALL THE NOKIS IN

JAPAN ARE GROWN WITHIN A FORTY

MILE RADIUS OF THE CITY OF

NAGANO, AND WITHIN THAT CIRCLE

THERE IS A STATISTICALLY LOWER

INCIDENCE OF CANCER OF ALL KIND

THAN THE REST OF THE JAPANESE

POPULATION AND SCIENTISTS AT THE

JAPANESE NATIONAL CANCER

INSTITUTE ATTRIBUTE THAT TO HIGH

CONSUMPTION OF THE NOKI

MUSHROOMS BY GROWERS AND THEIR

FAMILIES. SO HERE'S A MUSHROOM

THAT YOU CAN GET, IT'S IN

SUPERMARKETS, IT'S CHEAP, YOU

KNOW ITS TASTE IS UNINTERESTING

BUT YOU KNOW YOU CAN GET THEM

DOWN FAIRLY EASILY, AND IT'S ONE

THAT I COMMONLY RECOMMEND TO

PEOPLE WHO HAVE CANCER OR HAVE

HIGH RISKS OF CANCER. IT CAN'T

HURT AND THERE IS GOOD RESEARCH

SUGGESTING THAT IS AN ORALLY

ACTIVE TUMOR-INHIBITING

COMPOUND.

>>TOMMY AND HIS BROTHER DAVE,

HAVE FOUND AN OLD DEAD TREE IN

THE WOODS NEAR THEIR HOME. TOMMY

HAS FOUND SOMETHING THAT PUZZLES

HIM. THIS HARD, SMOOTH PLANT IS

CALLED A FUNGUS. IT GROWS ON THE

OLD TREE JUST AS OTHER PLANTS

GROW IN SOIL. FUNGUS PLANTS LIKE

THESE, AND OTHERS TOO SMALL TO

SEE, HELP BREAK DOWN THE WOOD OF

THE OLD TREE. THIS IS A PART OF

WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY THAT

THE OLD TREE DECAYS. THE DECAYED

MATERIAL WILL SOMEDAY BECOME A

PART OF THE SOIL, WHERE IT WILL

FURNISH FOOD FOR OTHER PLANTS TO

GROW. NOW TOMMY AND DAVE HAVE

DISCOVERED SOMETHING IN THE

HOLLOW END OF THE OLD TREE.

>>THESE MUSHROOMS ARE DOING

THINGS OUT THERE AND MOSTLY WHAT

WE KNOW THEY'RE DOING IS WHAT WE

LEARNED IN HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH IS

THAT THEY'RE DECOMPOSERS. AND

ONE OF THE NEW THINGS THAT'S

GOING ON NOW IS HOW PEOPLE CAN,

AS THEY SAY, PROACTIVELY USE

MUSHROOMS TO BENEFIT OURSELVES.

AND SO WE'VE DEVELOPED SOMETHING

NOW THAT WE CALL MYCOREMEDIATION

AND WE'VE BEEN USING DIFFERENT

MUSHROOMS EXPERIMENTALLY TO FIND

OUT WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU HAVE AN

OIL SPILL AND YOU WANT TO CLEAN

IT UP, AND ONE OF THE THINGS

THAT HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL

HAS BEEN THE USE OF OYSTER

MUSHROOMS. THE SAME OYSTER

MUSHROOMS THAT YOU FIND IN THE

WOODS, IN PARKS, THE SAME OYSTER

MUSHROOMS THAT YOU EAT. THESE

OYSTER MUSHROOMS CAN BE GROWN

OUT, THAT IS SO THE MYCELIUM,

THE LITTLE MICROSCOPIC THREADS,

ARE IN A KIND OF A MAT, WHICH

YOU CAN PUT IN THIS OIL SPILL.

AND WHAT HAPPENS IS, AND THIS

HAS BEEN TESTED A NUMBER OF

DIFFERENT TIMES IN DIFFERENT

PLACES, THE OYSTER MUSHROOM

CONSUMES THE OIL.

>>OIL EATING MUSHROOMS, IT MAY

SOUND LIKE SCIENCE FICTION, BUT

THEY'RE REAL. THESE ARE PICTURES

OF OYSTER MUSHROOMS WHICH CAN BE

USED TO BREAK DOWN OIL THAT'S

BEEN COLLECTED ON MATS. AND

THAT'S WHAT VOLUNTEERS AND SOME

ENVIRONMENTALISTS WOULD LIKE TO

USE TO HELP GET RID OF SOME OF

THE OIL THAT'S BEEN COLLECTED ON

BEACHES DURING THE LAST FEW

WEEKS.

>>IT'S GOING TO MAKE A COMPOST

HEAP AND WITHIN THE NEXT TWELVE

WEEKS IT WILL BE DETOXIFIED AND

IT WILL BE NON-TOXIC, LANDSCAPE

GRADE COMPOST. I THINK SAN

FRANCISCO'S GOING TO

REVOLUTIONIZE OIL SPILL CLEANUP.

>>TWO THINGS HAPPEN WHEN THEY DO

THIS: ONE IS THAT YOU GET REALLY

BEAUTIFUL CLUSTERS OF OYSTER

MUSHROOMS COMING UP OUT OF THIS

OIL SLICK, AND YOU'D THINK,

WELL, YOU'D NEVER WANT TO EAT

THOSE, BUT THEY'VE BEEN TESTED

AND FOUND TO BE PERFECTLY

HARMLESS. THAT IS THAT THEY

DON'T HAVE PETROLEUM IN THEIR

CELLS. THEY ARE CLEAN, AS IT

WERE. THE OTHER IS, AND THE MORE

IMPORTANT ONE FOR THE

ENVIRONMENT, IS THAT THE AREA IS

CLEAN. THERE IS NO RESIDUE

THERE, NO REMNANT OF THE OIL

SPILL. AND THIS OPENS UP THE

POSSIBILITIES FOR, NOT JUST OIL

SPILLS BUT WHAT ABOUT AREAS THAT

HAVE BEEN POLLUTED FROM DUMP

SITES OF VARIOUS KINDS. ANY OF

YOU WHO USE WHITE PAPER TO TAKE

NOTES ON THIS LITTLE TALK, KNOW

THAT YOU'RE USING PAPER THAT IS,

ACID HAS BEEN USED TO TURN THAT

WOOD PULP WHITE. AND WE KNOW

THAT YOU CAN USE FUNGI MUCH MORE

EFFICIENTLY AND WITHOUT THE ACID

RUNOFF, THERE SHOULD BE A LITTLE

NOTE AT THE BOTTOM OF ALL THE

PAPER SAYING 'THIS PAPER WAS

PRODUCED USING FUNGI.' MAYBE

THAT'S SOMETHING FOR THE FUTURE.

>>THE HIGH POINT OF THE

TELLURIDE MUSHROOM FESTIVAL IS

ALWAYS OUR PARADE DOWN COLORADO

AVENUE, TELLURIDE'S MAIN STREET.

AND LIKE MUSHROOMS WE LOVE THE

RAIN, SO YOU KNOW WHAT? WE HOPE

IT RAINS ON OUR PARADE!

>>MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN DRESS

LIKE MUSHROOMS AND FAIRIES.

IT'S WONDERFUL.

>>SECOND YEAR FOR THE COSTUME,

SEVENTH YEAR FOR THE PARADE,

FESTIVAL, WHATEVER.

>>LARRY, WHO DID YOU DRESS UP AS

TODAY?

>>I'M GOING TO GO INCOGNITO.

>>LARRY! COME ON, GET YOUR ASS

UP, WE'VE GOT TO GO!

>>ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT.

>>I GOT YOU SOME COFFEE.

>>OH ALL RIGHT.

YUM.

>>HOW'D YOU SLEEP?

>>OH THE MUSHROOMS KEPT ME UP.

>>YEAH, WELL, NOT SURPRISED TO

HEAR THAT!

>>PESKY MUSHROOMS.

>>I'VE BEEN A MUSHROOM GYPSY FOR

YEARS NOW. I GO FROM ONE PLACE

TO ANOTHER LOOKING FOR

MUSHROOMS, 'CHASING THE RAIN' AS

TAYLOR WOULD SAY, FOLLOWING THE

PRECIPITATION EVENTS FROM ALASKA

AND MOVING DOWN THE COAST

THROUGH OREGON AND WASHINGTON,

AND THEN AFTER WINTER, JANUARY

ROLLS AROUND, IT'S TIME TO GO

SOUTH OF THE BORDER. DIP DOWN IN

MEXICO, ECUADOR, COSTA RICA,

WHEREVER THE MUSHROOMS ARE. AND

IT'S GREAT! IT'S A GREAT LIFE!

>>THE MUSHROOM FESTIVAL ENDED

THIS PAST WEEKEND, ACCORDING TO

ORGANIZERS, A RECORD NUMBER OF

MUSHROOMS ATTENDED THIS YEAR'S

FESTIVAL. WEEKEND UPDATE: COMING

UP LABOR DAY, OUR ANNUAL FILM

BUFF BUFFET, THE TELLURIDE FILM

FESTIVAL. OPENING NIGHT'S FILM

IS THE WORLD PREMIER OF KNOW

YOUR MUSHROOMS. YOU MUSHROOM

PEOPLE WON'T WANT TO MISS THAT!

>>PUFFBALLS ARE UNUSUAL

MUSHROOMS, LACKING GILLS OR ANY

OTHER SPORE PRODUCING

STRUCTURES, THEY PRODUCE THEIR

SPORES INTERNALLY THEN RELEASE

THEM IN ASTRONOMICAL NUMBERS.

CARRIED BY THE WIND, CLUSTERS OF

PUFFBALLS ARE KNOWN TO TRAVEL

HUNDREDS OF MILES. WITH SPORES

EXPLODING IN EVERY DIRECTION

EACH TIME THE PUFFBALL HITS THE

GROUND.

>>ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IRKS ME

MOST ABOUT BIOLOGY, IS THAT WHEN

YOU LOOK AT ANY COLLEGE BIOLOGY

TEXTBOOK, IT'S ABOUT 1,200

PAGES, ON AVERAGE. THE AMOUNT OF

ROOM GIVEN TO FUNGI, OR

MUSHROOMS IS TWENTY PAGES.

TWENTY PAGES OUT OF TWELVE

HUNDRED, HOW COULD THAT BE? I

MEAN, WHO'S IN CHARGE? AND WHY

AREN'T THEY UP TO DATE WITH WHAT

WE KNOW ABOUT THE INTERACTION

BETWEEN PLANTS AND MUSHROOMS?

WHY CAN'T THEY GET IT TOGETHER

AND REALIZE IT'S NOT JUST A

TWENTY PAGE ADDITIONAL SECTION

THAT COULD JUST AS EASILY BE

EXCLUDED, BUT IT'S A TERRIBLY

IMPORTANT PART AND THAT'S ONE

AREA WHERE WE'RE FAILING THE

NEXT GENERATION IF WE DON'T GIVE

THEM THAT KIND OF INFORMATION.

AND TELLURIDE, THAT'S ONE OF THE

REASONS WE'RE HERE,

IS TO PROMOTE THIS.