Groups | Search | Server Info | Login | Register

Groups > alt.usage.english > #1136102

Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia

From Snidely <snidely.too@gmail.com>
Newsgroups alt.usage.english
Subject Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia
Date 2026-01-27 17:56 -0800
Organization Dis One
Message-ID <mn.dc347ea1653fcaab.127094@snitoo> (permalink)
References <re9iqlx5m4.ln2@news.ducksburg.com> <1rpftyj.atlgbowpi7bmN%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl> <mtrpinFisonU1@mid.individual.net> <1rplnes.1a4ohxb1be5ia3N%nospam@de-ster.demon.nl>

Show all headers | View raw

On Tuesday or thereabouts, J. J. Lodder declared ...
> occam <occam@nowhere.nix> wrote:
>
>> On 24/01/2026 11:36, J. J. Lodder wrote:
>>> Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> A little while ago (in connection with the Erin Patterson case) I made
>>>> the comment that as far as fungi are concerned, unusually, Australia
>>>> is no deadlier than anywhere else in the world.
>>>> 
>>>> I have subsequently learned that Amanita phalloides is only native to
>>>> Europe and North Africa; it has been accidentally introduced with
>>>> trees (it's mycorrhizal) to North America (late C.19), Australia (mid
>>>> to late C.20), & a few other places.
>>> 
>>> That's one of those things that evolution cannot explain.
>> 
>> Evolution does not revolve around humans. Any living entity (plant,
>> animal, virus) can evolve. They each have their reasons for evolving one
>> way or another. Unless you believe that God created mushrooms only to be
>> eaten by humans - in which case your next question makes sense.
>> 
>> 
>>> What's in it for those mushrooms to be that deadly to humans?
>>> 
>>> Maybe this isn't the best of all possible worlds after all,
>
> The problem is with naive evolutionism,
> which holds that evolution optimises everything.
> (nothing to do with humans in particular)
>
> And hence that organisms have no business having properties
> that are of no use to them.
>
> Jan

And of course, the story is more like "evolution tries everything, some 
things help, some things don't, and some don't matter".

/dps

-- 
"What do you think of my cart, Miss Morland? A neat one, is not it? 
Well hung: curricle-hung in fact. Come sit by me and we'll test the 
springs."
(Speculative fiction by H.Lacedaemonian.)

Back to alt.usage.english | Previous | Next — Previous in thread | Next in thread | Find similar

Thread

Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2026-01-24 11:36 +0100
  Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia Snidely <snidely.too@gmail.com> - 2026-01-24 03:06 -0800
    Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia "Anders D. Nygaard" <news2012adn@google.com> - 2026-01-26 15:53 +0100
      Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia occam <occam@nowhere.nix> - 2026-01-26 16:40 +0100
        Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia Bertel Lund Hansen <rundtosset@lundhansen.dk> - 2026-01-26 17:23 +0100
          Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2026-01-26 17:39 +0000
      Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia Snidely <snidely.too@gmail.com> - 2026-01-26 15:29 -0800
    Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2026-01-28 16:34 +0000
  Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2026-01-26 17:36 +0000
    Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2026-01-26 20:55 +0100
    Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia Bertel Lund Hansen <rundtosset@lundhansen.dk> - 2026-01-26 21:02 +0100
    Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia Silvano <Silvano@noncisonopernessuno.it> - 2026-01-26 21:10 +0100
      Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2026-01-27 14:43 +0000
    Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2026-01-28 16:30 +0000
  Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia occam <occam@nowhere.nix> - 2026-01-27 13:32 +0100
    Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2026-01-27 23:34 +0100
      Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia Snidely <snidely.too@gmail.com> - 2026-01-27 17:56 -0800
        Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2026-01-28 13:44 +0100
          Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2026-01-28 14:27 +0000
            Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia Hibou <vpaereru-unmonitored@yahoo.com.invalid> - 2026-01-28 16:42 +0000
              Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org> - 2026-01-29 08:33 +1100
                SF: Book recommendations Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-01-29 04:51 +0200
                Re: SF: Book recommendations kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) - 2026-01-28 22:16 -0500
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org> - 2026-01-29 15:11 +1100
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org> - 2026-01-29 15:50 +1100
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org> - 2026-01-29 16:08 +1100
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-01-31 05:32 +0200
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Titus G <noone@nowhere.com> - 2026-01-31 18:36 +1300
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Titus G <noone@nowhere.com> - 2026-01-31 18:37 +1300
                Re: SF: Book recommendations occam <occam@nowhere.nix> - 2026-01-31 09:42 +0100
                Re: SF: Book recommendations occam <occam@nowhere.nix> - 2026-01-31 09:42 +0100
                Re: SF: Book recommendations occam <occam@nowhere.nix> - 2026-01-31 09:42 +0100
                Re: SF: Book recommendations nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2026-01-31 10:51 +0100
                Re: SF: Book recommendations The True Melissa <thetruemelissa@gmail.com> - 2026-01-31 07:18 -0500
                Re: SF: Book recommendations doctor@doctor.nl2k.ab.ca (The Doctor) - 2026-01-31 15:30 +0000
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Don <g@crcomp.net> - 2026-01-31 16:31 +0000
                Re: SF: Book recommendations scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2026-01-31 18:37 +0000
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Ignatios Souvatzis <u502sou@bnhb484.de> - 2026-01-31 18:28 +0000
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Ignatios Souvatzis <u502sou@bnhb484.de> - 2026-01-31 19:01 +0000
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Titus G <noone@nowhere.com> - 2026-02-01 17:04 +1300
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org> - 2026-02-01 15:17 +1100
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Titus G <noone@nowhere.com> - 2026-02-02 17:03 +1300
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-02-02 07:13 +0200
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Ignatios Souvatzis <u502sou@bnhb484.de> - 2026-02-02 08:27 +0000
                Re: SF: Book recommendations kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) - 2026-02-02 19:27 -0500
                Re: SF: Book recommendations The True Melissa <thetruemelissa@gmail.com> - 2026-02-01 06:15 -0500
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Don <g@crcomp.net> - 2026-02-01 14:14 +0000
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Titus G <noone@nowhere.com> - 2026-02-01 17:03 +1300
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-02-01 16:41 +0200
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Don <g@crcomp.net> - 2026-02-01 16:48 +0000
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Snidely <snidely.too@gmail.com> - 2026-02-03 18:11 -0800
                Re: SF: Book recommendations William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com> - 2026-01-31 15:26 -0500
                Re: SF: Book recommendations John Ames <commodorejohn@gmail.com> - 2026-02-02 08:04 -0800
                Re: SF: Book recommendations The True Melissa <thetruemelissa@gmail.com> - 2026-02-02 12:25 -0500
                Re: SF: Book recommendations John Ames <commodorejohn@gmail.com> - 2026-02-02 10:59 -0800
                The Martian Chronicles (was Re: SF: Book recommendations) The True Melissa <thetruemelissa@gmail.com> - 2026-02-02 15:05 -0500
                Re: The Martian Chronicles (was Re: SF: Book recommendations) Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2026-02-02 13:03 -0800
                Re: The Martian Chronicles (was Re: SF: Book recommendations) The True Melissa <thetruemelissa@gmail.com> - 2026-02-02 17:19 -0500
                Re: The Martian Chronicles (was Re: SF: Book recommendations) John Ames <commodorejohn@gmail.com> - 2026-02-02 14:54 -0800
                Re: The Martian Chronicles (was Re: SF: Book recommendations) John Ames <commodorejohn@gmail.com> - 2026-02-02 15:01 -0800
                Re: The Martian Chronicles (was Re: SF: Book recommendations) Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org> - 2026-02-03 10:57 +1100
                Re: The Martian Chronicles (was Re: SF: Book recommendations) Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-02-03 08:09 +0200
                Re: The Martian Chronicles (was Re: SF: Book recommendations) doctor@doctor.nl2k.ab.ca (The Doctor) - 2026-02-03 16:33 +0000
                Re: The Martian Chronicles (was Re: SF: Book recommendations) John Ames <commodorejohn@gmail.com> - 2026-02-02 13:05 -0800
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-02-03 07:05 +0200
                Re: SF: Book recommendations lar3ryca <larry@invalid.ca> - 2026-01-29 23:30 -0600
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2026-01-31 05:20 +0200
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Pluted Pup <plutedpup@outlook.com> - 2026-01-30 14:46 -0800
                Re: SF: Book recommendations Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org> - 2026-01-31 11:19 +1100
            Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2026-01-28 21:25 +0100
              Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> - 2026-01-29 01:19 +0000
                Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2026-01-29 10:27 +0100
      Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia occam <occam@nowhere.nix> - 2026-01-28 11:54 +0100
        Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2026-01-28 13:44 +0100
          Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia occam <occam@nowhere.nix> - 2026-01-28 15:38 +0100
            Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2026-01-28 21:25 +0100
        Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2026-01-28 14:59 +0000
          Re: Deadly mushrooms in Australia nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) - 2026-01-28 21:25 +0100

csiph-web