tall order

Fossil facts

Have you ever seen a 20-feet-tall fungus? Probably not, but scientists have identified the fossil of a fungi that is as tall and became extinct 350 million years ago. In fact, the fossil was so big that scientists initially thought it belonged to the conifer family. And the fungus, known as protoaxites, had a huge tree-like trunk, which confused the scientists even more. Fungus, which includes yeast, mold and mushroom are neither plant nor animal, they represent their own kingdom. Once classified as plants, they are now considered a closer cousin to animals but they absorb rather than eat their food. In case you didn’t know fungi are among the first group that made their home on dry land, along with bugs and worms. During that period there were no vertebrates on land. In fact, the tallest trees were no more than a couple of feet high. It’s a wonder how the fungi grew as tall as the Godzilla.

music mania

New notes

It would be so nice if you could be at the world’s best music concerts and not have to bother about your grades or the money. England’s top eight symphony orchestras have promised every school child free entry to a classical music concert. It is part of a 10-year plan, “Building on excellence: Orchestras for the 21st century”, to promote classical music, which also includes a prize for budding composers. The organisers fear children are giving up on music to cope with a crowded curriculum, peer pressure and the pace of modern life. There will also be a national singing competition for primary schools to encourage music among children.