Editing 1749: Mushrooms

{{comic
| number    = 1749
| date      = October 21, 2016
| title     = Mushrooms
| image     = mushrooms.png
| titletext = Evolutionarily speaking, mushrooms are technically a type of ghost.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] is looking at a {{w|mushroom}}, contemplating how weird they are, when [[Megan]] adds another layer to their weirdness by supplying the trivia that {{w|evolutionary|evolutionarily}}, mushrooms (which are basidiomycete {{w|fungi}}) are closer to the {{w|animal|animal kingdom}} than to {{w|plants}} on the {{w|Tree of life (biology)|tree of life}}. 

Both animals and fungi are part of the {{w|opisthokont}} group of eukaryotic organisms, while plants are in the {{w|archaeplastida}} group of eukaryotic organisms with the green and red {{w|algae}}. This surprises Cueball, as he, like many people, is likely to think of mushrooms as plants, as they are "grown" just like other crops. Even scientists, before the 1960s, considered fungi to be 'plants'; it took DNA-based studies in the 1990s and 2000s to 'seal the deal' and place the fungi with the animals, and not the plants. Fungi do not perform {{w|photosynthesis}}, and therefore do not need sunlight to grow. Instead, they get their energy from other living matter, either live (parasitic mushrooms) or dead (e.g. manure; saprobic mushrooms). Edible mushrooms like {{w|Agaricus bisporus}} (or white mushroom) are saprobes, [http://www.gardenguides.com/129125-growing-mushrooms-cave.html farmed] in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmhKqaobi3Q caves]. The body plans of fungi are also utterly unlike those of plants. There are a few plants that don't do photosynthesis, such as the parasitic flowering plant {{w|Monotropa uniflora}}. But these plants otherwise look like, and are built like, plants, and don't look or grow at all like fungi. Ironically, many plants, both photosynthetic and nonphotosynthetic, depend on root-associated {{w|mycorrhizal fungi}} for their survival and growth.

Megan then walks away, and Cueball, after pondering the mushroom a while further, gets up and walks away too. But as soon as Cueball has his back turned the mushroom growls after him. Cueball spins around to look back at the now again silent mushroom. This is a bit of absurdist humor; while mushrooms are ''technically'' more animal-like than plant-like, they are still so far removed from animals they wouldn't have any of the body parts needed to growl.{{Citation needed}}  Cueball's shock and astonishment is quite justified, and maybe it was just his imagination running wild after Megan's trivia. The reader is left to wonder what Cueball's next move will be - especially, those readers who have ever felt, or indulged, the urge to stomp mushrooms.

Another interpretation of the mushroom's growling is that mushrooms might be "fake" animals disguising as plants. The mushroom seems to be a plant, and acts very plantlike until Cueball looks away. The mushroom might have growled because it was planning on killing Cueball in a sort of "kill the witnesses" action. This comic might be hinting that mushrooms are evil and plotting the downfall of humanity under the disguise of "harmless" plants. Or, simply, mushrooms want to mess with other living things.

The title text takes this further, by stating that mushrooms are technically a type of {{w|ghost}}. Maybe because they arise from decaying remains. The title text may also refer to [[1240: Quantum Mechanics]] or [[1475: Technically]], suggesting caution when dealing with a statement preceded by "technically." It may also refer to the other name of {{w|Monotropa uniflora}}, "ghost plant" which hosts are certain fungi.

The title text might also refer to the behavior of ghosts (called Boos) in the {{w|Super Mario}} series, in that they only act or move when the player is facing away, as does the growling mushroom.

This comic was published later in the same week as the [[what if?]] ''{{what if|152|Flood Death Valley}}'', which referred a lot to strange records and trivia. It was the first what if? post in almost three months, the longest break between two posts during 2016 (and third longest of all time at the time of release). It is plausible that there is some a connection between said what if? and this comic, which is fitting due to the lack of common knowledge about mushroom genealogy.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is squatting in front of a group of four mushrooms (two tiny, one small and one large), touching the top of the nearest and largest mushroom with a finger. This mushroom has several small dots, which becomes more visible in later panels. The other three mushrooms do not appear to have these dots. Megan is standing behind him looking on.]
:Cueball: Mushrooms are ''so weird.''
:Megan: You know, evolutionarily, they're closer to being animals than to plants.

:[Megan starts walking away as Cueball now leans on the ground with the hand he touched the mushroom with. Only the large mushroom is visible in this and the rest of the panels.]
:Cueball: ...Really?
:Megan: Yup!

:[In a frame-less panel Cueball still squats in front of the mushroom, now resting his hand on his knees.]

:[Cueball stands up looking down at the mushroom.] 

:[Cueball is walking away as the mushroom makes a sound indicated with several small lines emanating from the top of the mushroom along with a regular speech line.]
:Mushroom: ''Grrrr''

:[Cueball snaps around to look at the mushroom again, standing in a prepared state arms slightly out and legs spread out as well.]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Animals]] <!--Mentioning that mushrooms are closer to animals than plants-->
[[Category:Mycology]]