It’s Halloween, and Gordy’s saving the creepiest for last. Deep in the forest, a bizarre fungus called Dead Man’s Fingers pushes up from the soil — blackened, shriveled, and disturbingly human-like. But is it just an illusion… or something stranger?

In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy explores the science and folklore behind Xylaria polymorpha, a fungus that looks like it’s clawing its way out of the grave. From its eerie anatomy and forest ecology to the myths that made it famous, this episode digs into how something so horrifying can also be essential to life itself.

Learn why these “fingers” emerge from the ground, what they’re actually doing beneath the surface, and how mycologists are now studying their bioactive compounds for potential medical and environmental breakthroughs. Creepy, fascinating, and just in time for Halloween — this is nature’s version of a horror movie with a twist ending.

So… are those fingers reaching for you, or for the next rotting log?

Watch till the end — it’s worth it.

Sources:

• Spooner, B. M., & Sherwood-Pike, M. A. (1983). Fungal Flora of the British Isles. Kew Bulletin.
  

• Mycological Society of America. (2019). Xylaria polymorpha: Ecology and Morphology.
  

• University of Wisconsin Mycology Herbarium. (n.d.). Xylaria polymorpha Database Entry.
  

• North American Mycological Association. (2020). Field Guide Entry: Xylaria polymorpha.
  

• Nova, et al. (2021). Bioactive Compounds from Xylaria Species. Mycobiology.
  

Music thanks to Zapsplat. #HalloweenFacts #CreepyNature #Mycology #Fungi #DeadMansFingers #fungus #WeirdScience #ScienceFacts #DailyFacts