In October 2018, the FDA gave psilocybin-containing mushrooms a “breakthrough therapy” designation, allowing scientists to work alongside the FDA to study the effects on human test subjects.
Although its common name describes its fire-starting capabilities, the Tinder Polypore, also known as Horse Hoof Fungus or Fomes Fomentarius, actually has several uses. Otzi the Iceman (link to post) carried chunks of it with him, stored alongside his fire-starting tools, indicating that simplifying fire starting was likely his purpose.
Otzi the Iceman lay where he was killed for roughly 5,300 years before hikers discovered his frozen, mummified body. Originally thought to be a modern corpse, like many found in the area, Otzi and the items he had with him were brought to authorities. Upon investigation, however, they discovered that he was the oldest natural mummy we’ve found.
At first glance, the two look a lot alike, but there are plenty of ways that they differ. Chanterelles grow in singles or very small groups out of the soil, while Jack-o-Lanterns band together in large bundles on or very near dead hardwoods. There are also differences in their looks. Gills are the biggest of which to look for. Although Chanterelles look like they have gills, they’re actually folds.
Sounds like a cheap horror flick, right? It’s not. Entire colonies of insects experience this type of catastrophe quite often, actually. Cordyceps mushrooms are the culprit here, and they’re much more terrifying than the mysterious viruses of traditional zombie lore.
Skeptical about my chances of finding a vibrant blue mushroom that was actually edible, I started my search there. If I failed to find one, the whole experiment would have ended immediately, but it didn’t even require excess effort.