Jungus

Go on a fungi foraging foray with the president of the Mycological Society of America and get some tips on how to identify wild mushrooms. Don’t eat the death caps!

Though fungi is essential in the production of bread, beer and some cheeses, it can also be a threat to human life in the form of deadly disease and infection. Fungus experts discuss the diverse and complex nature of the underappreciated “fifth kingdom” of organisms.

Different types of beers — ales, stouts, etc — are distinguished primarily by their yeast, but now these groupings might get even more complicated. Scientists have examined the genetic sequences of 17 unique lager yeast strains tracing variations in their genetic code back through time.

In the new computer game, players create and control an entire species, directing their evolution from single-celled organisms into an interstellar civilization. An evolutionary biologist discusses the science behind the game with Will Wright, creator of “Spore.”

Scientists believe that a certain genetic sequence, which is uniquely unstable in human beings, may explain how humans became so good at using tools and walking upright. The gene sequence, named HACNS1, is thought to regulate both hand and limb formation in embryos.