pkar – Page 9 – BBC Science Focus

FROM THE EDITOR Earlier this year, I went to a wedding and caught up with some old friends. We’re in our late-30s now, so half of us were chasing rug rats around the reception, while the half with babysitters inhaled wine. Anyone over 30 will know how most of our conversations went: “Kids… Yeah, everything […]

Magic mushrooms

NATTAI NATIONAL PARK, AUSTRALIA Halloween may have been and gone, but how’s this for a spooky scene? The eerily glowing fungi you see here is officially known as Omphalotus nidiformis, although it has a rather more apt nickname: the ghost mushroom. Commonly found growing on dead or dying trees in Australia, the mushrooms are funnel-shaped […]

Upside-down icicles

SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA These might look like ice formations, but they are actually a type of slime mould (Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa). They’re also tiny, with each branch measuring just a couple of millimetres in length. This slime mould can be found growing all over the world, typically covering decaying wood like a layer of frost. But […]