Although they never met each other, Bruce Lee was afraid that Muhammad Ali would kill him if they ever fought. Lee studied Ali’s footwork.

To catch tree poachers, some park rangers have installed magnetic plates beneath some forest floors that detect the sound of chain saws.

The Star Trek: Discovery character Lt. Cmdr. Paul Stamets, who uses fungi to develop powerful technologies to save humanity, is based on Paul Stamets, an expert mycologist and owner of fungi.com.

During World War II, Los Angeles banned the wearing of zoot suits, which were associated with Mexican American youth. Servicemen who were on leave sought out these youths to start racially charged fights, which culminated in the Zoot Suit Riots of June 1943.

A potent hallucinogenic mushroom, Psilocybe azurescens, can adapt to use dimethyl methylphosphonate, a deadly component of VX nerve gas, as its primary food source.

This article appears in May 26 • 2023.

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