Live data from Hacker News

Top Russian rocket scientist dies from ‘mushroom poisoning’

lbc.co.uk

111–120 of 193 posts

Re: Top Russian rocket scientist dies from ‘mushroom poisoning’

#111
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a relatively new trend in recent times following a failed coup.

putin assassinating people who displease him is not even remotely a new trend

Yes it is. Things were a lot calmer in recent decades past

Re: Top Russian rocket scientist dies from ‘mushroom poisoning’

#113

I love the internet. The first two comments for me: 1) "As an active mushroom hunter, this is extremely unlikely and uncommon, this sounds like foul play. 2) I regularly go foraging in this region, this is extremely common and nothing suspicious.

Yeah, after a few years of Reddit, I started calling this kind of thing "internet advice"... ok for a discussion, but often contradictory or wrong (if I happen to know the topic in depth). For example, people give advice to grown men and women about how to proceed with their divorce or financial planning. Lots of up votes to lend credibility.... but if you dig into their history, the advice giver is 14 years old acco…

> Yeah, after a few years of Reddit, I started calling this kind of thing "internet advice"... ok for a discussion, but often contradictory or wrong

And we wonder why ChatGPT sounds confused!

Re: Top Russian rocket scientist dies from ‘mushroom poisoning’

#114

As an active mushroom hunter (born in Russia), can confirm that this is extremely unlikely and uncommon. People who have done this since birth know how distinguish between mushrooms, and usually stick to the variety that they love the best. In Russia, the mushroom of choice is the "White Mushroom" (or Porcini, King Bolete) or Rejik (Milky cap) and Chanterreles, and a few others, and that's it, with the top 2 being th…

This article[1] from 20 years a ago paints a different picture. > Russians Dying--Literally--for Favorite Fungi > Like most Russians, Sergei Kayava and his family considered themselves mushroom experts--but the assumption proved fatal. > On July 8, he and his family eagerly dished up helpings of buttery fried forest mushrooms prepared by his mother-in-law. > “She is very good at cooking mushrooms. She boiled them and…

Amanita Phalloides is the only one I know of you can easily die from (others are possible, but harder to overdose or need some other preconditions), but it is also one that you can easily mistake for some Agarici (Agaricūs?).

I know of a case where someone ate conserved ones (thought it's Agaricus) way after they were collected and actually survived, but only barely with a liver transplant if I remember correctly. Because the reaction is hours delayed it's also not easy to find out the cause for your bad state.

edit: I think it was the liver not kidney.

Re: Top Russian rocket scientist dies from ‘mushroom poisoning’

#115
post #44

Is Russia running out of windows or what?

Prigozhin fell from the sky in a plane so at least that one was still a fall. This isn’t even trying. I’m just blown away by the gullible fools who see this dying totalitarian dystopia with statistics around birth and family life that are way worse than anything in the West as a beacon of resistance to decadence or something. Of course I guess this isn’t new with Russia. Back in the Cold War it was naive elements of…

[deleted]

Re: Top Russian rocket scientist dies from ‘mushroom poisoning’

#116

I hope he wasn't eating gyromitra esculenta, the false morel. It contains a volatile toxic substance that metabolizes into monomethylhydrazine, a rocket propellent. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470580

With the obvious reduction in budgets of the Russian space program, maybe he was doing it on purpose

Re: Top Russian rocket scientist dies from ‘mushroom poisoning’

#117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Finland it’s pretty common to go mushroom hunting. Between 1969-2006 eight people died because of mushroom poisoning. Three of them died 20-30 years after the initial poisoning due to kidney transplant issues. So at least here it’s not very common to get killed by mushrooms even though many people enjoy foraging.

And to add: in spring time many Finns pick a deadly poisonous mushroom (Gyromitra esculenta) and boil it 2x5min to remove the poison and cook it as a delicassy after that. Never heard anyone get poisoned by it.

I'll remember to skip the "mushroom delicacy" when I visit Finland :]

Re: Top Russian rocket scientist dies from ‘mushroom poisoning’

#120

Yevgeny Prigozhin faked his death in 2019 via plane crash in the Congo. So I think the jury is still out whether or not he's actually dead. But people in Putin's gaze "mysteriously" die or get poisoned by polonium or other nasty stuff.

He's probably dead this time. He was a dead man walking after his little rebellion anyway. Also, most of Wagner leadership died on that crash, including Utkin. He'd have to fake everybody's death.
Post reply on HN