Contrary to myth, objects that King Midas touched didn’t change into gold. In death, however, his body helped transform his tomb’s furnishings in another way, researchers report.
Recently, scientists identified soft-rot fungus as the culprit in the decay of Midas’ 2,700-year-old Turkish tomb and its contents, including the king’s wooden coffin and the tables used for a feast during his burial (SN: 11/4/00, p.