Sep 2, 2026 · 10 min · 7 segments
When you see a mushroom popping up from the forest floor, that mushroom is just the tip of the fungal iceberg for a vast world beneath the surface. But the nature of fungal life makes it hard to…
Kristin AleklettGuest
Flora LichtmanHost
When you see a mushroom popping up from the forest floor, that mushroom is just the tip of the fungal iceberg for a vast world beneath the surface.
But the nature of fungus makes it hard to answer some basic life questions, like what exactly is one individual organism, and how do you tell how old a fungus is when parts of it can recycle, regenerate, and grow again? Dr.
Christine Aleklepp is trying to understand what fungi are doing in the world underground and tackle some of these questions.
Read the full transcript.
Create an account to read the whole episode, search across every transcript, and follow the shows you care about.
When you see a mushroom popping up from the forest floor, that mushroom is just the tip of the fungal iceberg for a vast world beneath the surface.
But the nature of fungus makes it hard to answer some basic life questions, like what exactly is one individual organism, and how do you tell how old a fungus is when parts of it can recycle, regenerate, and grow again? Dr.
Christine Aleklepp is trying to understand what fungi are doing in the world underground and tackle some of these questions.
