Written by West
Concrete is one of the most common building materials used today. It has a high compressive strength, meaning it takes a lot of force to crush it, but a low tensile strength, meaning it can be pulled apart relatively easily. To combat this, a lot of concrete structures are reinforced with materials that have high tensile strength, often steel cages or bars.
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Written by West
Clathrus archeri - Octopus Stinkhorn
Image: A photograph of Clathrus archeri, a fungus with red octopus-like tentacles. Source: Steveb68 on Wikicommons
Originating from Australia these fungi have spread to Europe, North America and Asia, and can occasionally be found in the UK. They can be first noticed above ground in their "egg" form, already looking like something that's going to hatch into a horror movie monster.
Written by West
Mycorrhiza is the combination of the Greek words Mykos (fungus) and Rhiza (root). It is the name of a system that connects fungi and plants together.
Mushrooms you see above ground are just the tip of the iceberg, peeking above ground to spread some spores. Below the mushrooms are thin roots that spread out to form a mycelium, which attaches itself to the roots of various plants. This creates a network that plants can use to share nutrients, water, and information, or they can even sabotage the growth of unwanted neighbours.
Image: A close up photo of Mycorhizae fungus. Source: Wikimedia
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