Fungi: mycelia, mushrooms & more

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Relevant video: Fungus-controlled biohybrid robots

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A British family was poisoned by mushrooms after using a tutorial for beginner mushroom pickers written by a neural network.

It turned out that the pictures of mushrooms in the book generated by the neural network did not match the description. The phrase was also found in the book: "Morels are delicious mushrooms that can be eaten from August to the end of summer. Let me know if there's anything else I can help you with."

The book is still on sale in the online store, where many people have already bought it. The media is sounding the alarm, as this can lead to serious poisoning, and in some cases, death.

The seller is trying to hush up the situation by offering customers to return the book in exchange for a small compensation.

Earlier, The Guardian wrote that mushroom pickers are being asked to "avoid searching for books on Amazon that seem to be written by artificial intelligence," as experts warn that they contain harmful advice.

To recognize such books, examples of phrases are given that even a graphomaniac would hardly write: "The sweet smell of freshly cooked mushrooms is in the air, evoking warm memories of my mother" and "Picking wild mushrooms is a deeply rewarding experience that connects us with the abundance of nature and the rich tapestry of flowers that the Earth gives."

Relevant article from The Guardian (1 Sep 2023) Mushroom pickers urged to avoid foraging books on Amazon that appear to be written by AI

The Healing Advocacy Fund reported that over 3,500 clients received psilocybin-assisted therapy at Oregon’s first psilocybin service center in 2023. The cost of these treatments is typically much lower than what is projected for FDA-approved MDMA therapies.

(...)"Fungal computing offers several advantages over brain-organoid-based computing," Adamatzky says, "particularly in terms of ethical simplicity, ease of cultivation, environmental resilience, cost-effectiveness and integration with existing technologies."(...)

An Australian start-up is hoping fungi can pull carbon dioxide from the air and stash it underground. It’s one of several ventures trying to deploy the superpowers of soil to slow global warming.

"Many iconic Australian animals, such as bilbies, potoroos, bettongs and bandicoots, feed directly on soil fungi -- including native truffles. The same pathways are likely to be responsible for their distribution in the environment."

To ensure the long-term survival of species that depend on soil fungi, especially the glossy black-cockatoo, Dr Crowley says conservation efforts need to consider the value of habitats on poor soils.

The study: Geology controls the distribution of a seed-eating bird: Feeding-tree selection by the glossy black-cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami

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