New research maps vast fungal networks beneath our feet episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 15, 2026 · 7 MIN

New research maps vast fungal networks beneath our feet

from The World: Latest Stories · host Hannah Chanatry

For the first time, scientists have mapped the vast networks of fungi that run beneath the Earth's surface. If you stretched them out, they would run more than a billion times longer than the distance from the Earth to the sun. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Professor Katie Field, who worked on the study, about why these networks are so important to plant and ecosystem health.

For the first time, scientists have mapped the vast networks of fungi that run beneath the Earth's surface. If you stretched them out, they would run more than a billion times longer than the distance from the Earth to the sun. The World's Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Professor Katie Field, who worked on the study, about why these networks are so important to plant and ecosystem health.

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New research maps vast fungal networks beneath our feet

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For the first time, scientists have mapped the vast networks of fungi that run beneath the Earth's surface. If you stretched them out, they would run more than a billion times longer than the distance from the Earth to the sun. The World's Host...

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