In HBO’s new series ‘The Last of Us,’ Cordyceps fungus has infected humanity, turning those unlucky enough to become hosts into clicking, screaming, mushroomy monsters. Here’s what you need to know about the real fungus.

TV
An incident that shocked a 13-year-old Charlie Chaplin inspired an episode of 'The X-Files' nearly a century later.
Lisa Kudrow can’t keep a straight face when Jennifer Coolidge says ‘arse.’ Can you?
Since the character's inception, Rudolph has more closely resembled a white-tailed deer than the reindeer that live near the North Pole.
What does the 'J' stand for? And when will he get his Oscar?
Creator Mike White deserves credit for most of the cringe moments in ‘The White Lotus.’ But one was a Sabrina Impacciatore original.
Though 'Yellowstone' wasn't an immediate hit, the modern-day Western has since become one of the most popular shows on TV—and is turning into a bona fide franchise.
On December 6, 2022, 'Jeopardy!' contestant Cris Pannullo's amazing 21-game winning streak came to an end, but landed him on the list of highest-earning players.
Mr. Potato Head made history when its first television commercial aired in 1952.
'The White Lotus' was originally slated to be a one-season miniseries, but the Mike White-created dark comedy has proved to be an enormous hit, and has just been renewed for a third season.
Some TV series have just the right blend of action, gadgets, and middle-aged protagonists to really excel at capturing your dad's attention.
In 1972, filmmaker Joyce Chopra welcomed her daughter into the world—and invited all the world to see in her groundbreaking documentary, 'Joyce at 34.'
The man who made electronic television signals a reality made only one on-camera appearance. No one knew who he was.
How an Ohio-made kitchen knife was reimagined as a piece of Japanese steel—one endorsed by Lorena Bobbitt, in a manner of speaking.
John Leonard’s demand was simple. All he wanted was for Pepsi to deliver the Harriet jet he believed they had promised. In 1996, Leonard, then a 21-year-old col
'The Wire' may be the greatest television series of all time. Emmy voters didn't care.
If Twyla invited you to her murder mystery party, would you just go—or would you pull a Moira Rose and “RSVP as pending”?
Pennywise, Tim Curry's homicidal, pasty-faced clown, managed to really scare the poor little kid who played Georgie.
What was intended to be an innocuous Halloween decorating segment ended with an allegedly inebriated Ewok humping Al Roker's leg.
‘The Midnight Club’ co-creator Mike Flanagan actively tried to set the record—but not because he loves jump scares.
From groundbreaking movies to landmark novels, these are the best gifts for sci-fi fans in your life.
'Alien Autopsy,' a gruesome 1995 special that aired on Fox, purportedly depicted an extraterrestrial cadaver being dissected. Was it a hoax? Yes, but also no.