Page 79 - How It Works - Book of Amazing Answers To Curious Questions, 12

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How do you tell Is eatingfzsh good for your brain?

if a mushroom is es, especially really oily fish which are which relay signals between the brain
poisonous? Y rich 111 omega·3 fatty ac1ds called cells. The human body cannot easily
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and
synthesise these fatty ac1ds and so a
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Omega-3 is constant supply is very important.
T here are many different types of vital for brain growth/development, Just like a healthy machine your brain
mushroom so without getting a good functioning and production of needs oil, and this comes in the form
grasp of individual kinds of mushroom it neurotransmitter - the chemicals ot omega-3.
would be difficult to say whether it is
poisonous or not. A general rule would be to
never consume a mushroom unless you have How do Bonsai
a positive identification of that mushroom.
Some deadly varieties of mushroom include
the death cap, destroying angel, Galerina trees stay so
species, small Lepiota species and the deadly
webcap - to be able to detect these you small?
would need to have observed them all at
different stages in their development. Also onsai is the Japanese art form, but the
having knowledge of where the mushroom Bword is also used to cover any practice
has come from can help as some mushrooms of growing very small trees in containers.
that are safe in Europe have deadly lookalikes Unlike dwarf plants, which are genetically
in North America. small, Bonsai uses 'normal' trees and
It is very wise to avoid old wives' tales cultivates them to keep them small. The
such as 'a mushroom is poisonous if it containers in which Bonsai trees are grown
tarnishes silverware or turns blue when limit the expansion of their root system and
bruised' as these are both completely false place a cap on the amount of nutrients
statements. The truth of the matter is that available to them, limiting their growth above
there are no external easy-to-identify the pot. Rigorous pruning and artificial
characteristics that all poisonous mushrooms shaping helps them mimic the shape of large
have in common. To be absolutely safe, trees, resulting in living scale miniatures.
unless you are an expert mushroom identifier
then we would advise buying your
mushrooms from a reliable source such as
supermarkets or restaurants.

Some mushrooms What is St
that are safe in Europe Elmo's fire?

have deadly lookalikes S t Elmo's fire can be described as a more
or less continuous, luminous electrical
in North America discharge in the atmosphere, which
emanates from elevated objects above the
Earth's surface. These objects can include
Why do skunks smell bad? wings, tips or propellers of aircraft in flight.
lightning conductors, wind vanes, or on the
This electrical charge can also occur on an
S kunks are renowned for their ability to the compounds that make the smell stick and aircraft where a static charge has been
In fact scientists have successfully isolated
smell really bad. Not something you want
produced by the frictional impact of ice,
to have associated with your species, but for applied it to perfumes and fragrances in snow, rain, dust or sand. The phenomenon is
skunks it's a massive advantage. Skunks do order to give a longer lasting smell. A skunk usually of a bluish colour and has been seen
this by spraying a chemical called thiols will only spray if it is agitated or stressed and as white or violet. When St Elmo's fire is
which is made of sulphurous compounds and releases the spray from scent glands in the present, it can be accompanied by a
they have a very strong odour. Not only that anus. In addition to smelling awful, the spray crackling sound which occurs when the
but these thiols are very good at sticking to can cause vomiting and have effects similar electrical field close to the object becomes
materials and mixing with chemicals to make to tear gas, which is a great defence very strong. St Elmo's fire can also been
the smell stick. If a skunk has sprayed this on mechanism. As an interesting side note, termed 'corposant', which means 'holy body'.
any of your upholstery the smell can often skunk spray is also phosphorescent, so it will There are several other types of electrical
last for weeks. glow in the dark. phenomenon including sprites and elves.

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