All Episodes

March 5, 2024 45 mins

Trash, rubbish, waste, refuse...we have a lot of words for the gunk that goes on the truck, because whether we like it or not, humans make a lot of garbage. Get comfy with some grossness as we root around in garbage's past, present, and future. We're all on a path, you guys!

SciShow Tangents is on YouTube! Go to www.youtube.com/scishowtangents to check out this episode with the added bonus of seeing our faces! 

Head to www.patreon.com/SciShowTangents to find out how you can help support SciShow Tangents, and see all the cool perks you’ll get in return, like bonus episodes and a monthly newsletter! A big thank you to Patreon subscribers Garth Riley and Glenn Trewitt for helping to make the show possible!

And go to https://store.dftba.com/collections/scishow-tangents to buy some great Tangents merch!

Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! 

While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @im_sam_schultz Hank: @hankgreen

Garbage

[The Scientific Definition]

Neptune balls

Laser broom

Wishcycling

[Trivia Question]

Eugene Poubelle garbage can ordinance in France

https://www.connexionfrance.com/article/Mag/French-Facts/Dustbins-are-named-after-French-recycling-innovator

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/poubelle

https://doodles.google/doodle/eugene-poubelles-190th-birthday/

[Fact Off]

Sulfur-crested cockatoos opening garbage cans because of social learning

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abe7808

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/963482

https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(22)01285-4

Hermit crabs are using plastic trash as shells

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969723075885

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hermit-crabs-using-trash-as-shells-across-the-world-scientists-find-180983701/

[Ask the Science Couch]

Waste-to-energy methods: power plants/incineration, gasification, landfill gas, anaerobic digestion

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652617317316?via%3Dihub

https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/biomass/waste-to-energy-in-depth.php

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780857090119500090

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5530419

https://www.epa.gov/lmop/basic-information-about-landfill-gas

https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate2804

https://www.epa.gov/agstar/how-does-anaerobic-digestion-work

[Butt One More Thing]

Poop composition of gull flocks that eat garbage from landfills

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004313541730489X?via%3Dihub

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/558545  

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Dateline NBC
Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

The Nikki Glaser Podcast

The Nikki Glaser Podcast

Every week comedian and infamous roaster Nikki Glaser provides a fun, fast-paced, and brutally honest look into current pop-culture and her own personal life.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2024 iHeartMedia, Inc.