SciShow Tangents

Here at Tangents, we don't mess around when it comes to Halloween. So each week in October, the topic will be one of our greatest fears! Hank was apparently too afraid to even be on this episode, so instead special guest Caitlin Hofmeister confronts her fear of failure as we tell her tales of science gone wrong! Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! If you want to learn more about any of our main topics, check out these links:[Truth or Fail]Bubble Wraphttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/accidental-invention-bubble-wrap-180971325/Whoopee Cushionhttps://torontoist.com/2013/04/toronto-invents-the-whoopee-cushion/Vaselinehttps://www.dummies.com/education/history/american-history/the-history-of-an-incredibly-useful-u-s-product-vaseline/https://www.damninteresting.com/nugget/story-of-vaseline/[Fact Off]Mosquito self-limiting geneFour Pests campaignhttp://blogs.discovermagazine.com/bodyhorrors/2014/02/26/mao-four-pests-china-disease/#.XKzfDOtKhxwhttps://io9.gizmodo.com/china-s-worst-self-inflicted-environmental-disaster-th-5927112https://chineseposters.net/themes/four-pests.phphttp://www.zonaeuropa.com/20061130_1.htmhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1127087/[Ask the Science Couch]Killifishhttps://science.sciencemag.org/content/354/6317/1305https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/against-tide-fish-adapts-quickly-lethal-levels-pollution/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/09/science/atlantic-killifish-evolution-pollution.htmlRadiotrophic fungihttps://www.scientificamerican.com/article/radiation-helps-fungi-grow/https://mbio.asm.org/content/7/6/e01483-16https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0000457Birdshttps://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140424223057.htmhttps://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1365-2435.12283https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/pdf/S0169-5347(16)00019-7.pdf[Butt One More Thing]Artificial poop pillshttps://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/08/sham-poo-washes-out/493811/https://academic.oup.com/jid/article/214/2/173/2572105 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Plastic: space age wonder material or planet-destroying scourge? The real answer may lie... somewhere in the middle (but leaning more towards scourge). Plus, learn exactly how many LEGO minifigures you can eat before you die! Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions!  If you want to learn more about any of our main topics, check out these links:[Truth or Fail]Milkhttps://blogs.getty.edu/iris/galalith-alchemy-in-the-age-of-plastic/https://www.chemistryworld.com/podcasts/casein/3007625.articlehttps://www.ganoksin.com/article/galalith-jewelry-milk-stone/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bring-science-home-milk-plastic/Bloodhttps://books.google.com/books?id=3uoiAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA9https://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/rjrtags/ill65.htmlhttps://surface.syr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1261&context=beadshttps://materialdistrict.com/material/blood-plastic/https://surface.syr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1261&context=beadspictures: https://www.hippohardware.com/blogs/news/at-deaths-door-a-history-of-hemaciteVenomhttp://www.t3db.ca/toxins/T3D2544[Fact Off]Bees and plastichttps://www.sciencealert.com/wild-bees-have-been-found-building-nests-entirely-out-of-plastic-for-the-first-timehttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs13592-019-00635-6https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-03/pp-bsw030117.phphttps://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1890/ES13-00308.1Celluloid billiard balls http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/05/13/the_death_of_billiards_and_the_rise_of_plastic_on_99_invisible_with_roman.htmlhttps://www.liveabout.com/what-pool-balls-are-made-of-368742https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/once-upon-time-exploding-billiard-balls-were-everyday-thing-180962751/http://mentalfloss.com/article/64247/first-plastic-billiard-balls-routinely-exploded[Ask the Science Couch]Corn plastichttps://www.scientificamerican.com/article/environmental-impact-of-corn-based-plastics/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/corn-plastic-to-the-rescue-126404720/https://mcgillcompost.com/blog/recycling-number-7-pla-plastics[Butt One More Thing]Cigarette buttshttps://www.sciencealert.com/this-company-recycles-cigarette-butts-and-turns-them-into-plastic Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For humans, the teenage years are marked by angst, self-discovery, and homework. For elephants, they’re marked by pus-weeping face glands, uncontrollable rage, and a green penis!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! If you want to learn more about any of our main topics, check out these links:[Truth or Fail]Guevedoces:https://secondnexus.com/opinion/the-intersex-children-of-salinas/https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34290981https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/924291-overviewhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2265.1991.tb03769.xCat scratch disease: https://www.sciencealert.com/a-case-of-schizophrenia-found-to-be-a-bad-case-of-cat-scratch-disease[Fact Off]Musichttps://www.scientificamerican.com/article/in-teen-music-choices-fear-rules/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=%22Gregory+S.+Berns%22Elephant Musthhttps://www.bbcearth.com/blog/?article=teenage-elephants-need-a-father-figurehttp://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/index.php?s=1&act=pdfviewer&id=1253211728&folder=125[Ask the Science Couch]Risk taking/brain developmenthttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3445337/https://opentextbc.ca/introductiontopsychology/chapter/6-3-adolescence-developing-independence-and-identity/Lyinghttp://www.jeffreyarnett.com/articles/articles/ARNETT_the_right_to_do_wrong.pdfhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691815300184https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0109591[Butt One More Thing]Koala paphttps://www.savethekoala.com/about-koalas/life-cycle-koalahttp://koalainfo.com/pap-the-first-solid-food-of-koalas Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

New York Fashion Week is in full swing, and the world's most stylish science podcast is celebrating by exploring the intersection of fashion and science! Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions!  If you want to learn more about any of our main topics, check out these links:[Truth or Fail]Beards & miasma theoryhttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/plague-know/https://mentalfloss.com/article/31056/why-did-people-wear-powdered-wigshttps://io9.gizmodo.com/the-science-behind-todays-plague-doctor-costume-1737404375Lightning rodshttps://www.newspapers.com/clip/9256546/lubbock_morning_avalanche/https://books.google.com/books?id=UEH1AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA184https://books.google.com/books?id=g6cwDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA190Pictures: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning_rod_fashionBulletproof silkhttps://jaoa.org/article.aspx?articleid=2578879http://mentalfloss.com/article/24039/brief-history-bulletproof-vestshttps://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/jul/29/bulletproof-silk-vest-prevent-first-world-war-royal-armouries[Fact Off]Julie and ear grassLizards and human shirts[Ask the Science Couch]Bamboohttp://www.patagonia.com/static/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-PatagoniaShared/default/dw0de5a5be/PDF-US/bamboo_rayon.pdfHemphttps://slate.com/technology/2011/04/hemp-versus-cotton-which-is-better-for-the-environment.htmlWoolhttps://www.iwto.org/news/environmental-impacts-wool-textilesLinenhttps://econation.co.nz/linen/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320307130_GOING_ECO_GOING_DUTCH_A_local_and_closed_loop_textile_production_systemMass production (dyeing, burning)https://e360.yale.edu/features/can_waterless_dyeing_processes_clean_up_clothing_industry_pollutionhttps://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/9/17/17852294/fashion-brands-burning-merchandise-burberry-nike-h-and-m[Butt One More Thing]Cow manure clotheshttps://www.huffpost.com/entry/poop-clothing_n_58e7d6f0e4b058f0a02efa77 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wether it's a human trying to figure out the quickest way to the airport, a salmon returning to the waters where they were born, or a dog trying to figure out the perfect place to poop, almost everyliving thing uses some sort of innate or technological navigation system every day.  Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! If you want to learn more about any of our main topics, check out these links:[Truth or Fail]Orientation of mental maps:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0135803Humans sensing magnetic fields:https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/can-humans-sense-the-magnetic-field--65611[Fact Off]Marine chronometerhttp://www.jgiesen.de/LunarDistance/index.htmlhttps://www.jstor.org/stable/3087198?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contentshttps://timeandnavigation.si.edu/navigating-at-sea/longitude-problemhttps://archive.org/details/principlesmrhar00unkngoog/page/n22https://www.timeandwatches.com/p/the-detent-escapement-from-marine.htmlEtak navigator[Ask the Science Couch]Sunstone/calcite:https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2011/11/viking-sunstone-revealedhttps://arstechnica.com/science/2018/04/mysterious-sunstones-in-medieval-viking-texts-could-really-have-worked/https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.172187https://www.nature.com/news/2011/110131/full/news.2011.58.htmlImage of calcite: https://www.sciencesource.com/Doc/TR1_WATERMARKED/6/9/f/3/SS2509789.jpg?d63642476241 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Almost all of human culture and economics is structured around a handful of pretty metals that we have arbitrarily assigned value to!  Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions!  If you want to learn more about any of our main topics, check out these links:[Truth or Fail]Silver nanoparticleshttps://jnanobiotechnology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12951-017-0254-9https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-05/osu-elc051418.phphttps://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/07/embryo-inspired-bandage-17-times-stickier-band-aidhttps://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-02/ez-pnf021419.phpCopperhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK225400/https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/copper-toxicityPlatinumhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29632935https://www.forbes.com/sites/carmendrahl/2017/04/14/why-is-platinum-in-some-chemotherapy-drugs-and-can-we-improve-them/#1a89a88417d4[Fact Off]Alchemy and phosphorus:https://phys.org/news/2019-01-phosphorus-years-discovery-vital-element.htmlhttps://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/02/02/465188104/phosphorus-starts-with-pee-in-this-tale-of-scientific-serendipityGold vein earthquakes: https://www.nature.com/news/earthquakes-make-gold-veins-in-an-instant-1.12615https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/earthquakes-are-basically-gold-factories-4659100/[Ask the Science Couch]Nickel allergy/reactivity:https://www.nickelinstitute.org/about-nickel/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4783936/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3047925/https://books.google.com/books?id=CpAM1U1efqcC&pg=PA120Gold allergy/reactivity:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11244133https://books.google.com/books?id=1mk3lFVtBSQC&pg=PA104Implant metals:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9440845[Butt One More Thing]Metals in poop:https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es505329qhttps://www.pnas.org/content/112/29/8803.full Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Extremophiles are tough little guys that not only survive but thrive in the harshest environments on Earth; unforgiving places like volcanic vents at the bottom of the sea, lakes of acid, and your bellybuttonTo learn more about extremophiles and a whole universe of other microscopic creatures, check out Journey to the Microcosmos at https://www.youtube.com/microcosmosFollow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! If you want to learn more about any of our main topics, check out these links:[Truth or Fail]Single-species Ecosystemhttps://www.newscientist.com/article/dn10336-gold-mine-holds-life-untouched-by-the-sun/Extremophile Cheesehttps://www.businessinsider.com/belly-button-innie-inside-cheese-bacteria-lint-fungi-2019-7Fluffy Pink Golden Fungushttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-fungus-capable-collecting-gold-its-environment-180972293/[Fact Off]Berkeley pit extremophiles:https://medium.com/vision-2018/life-from-the-pit-70d3e0fbc0f6https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEnWZcG3Nzkhttps://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/natural-products/Scientists-mine-potential-drugs-Berkeley/97/i18PCR & Taq polymerase:https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/Polymerase-Chain-Reaction-Fact-Sheethttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/probe/docs/techpcr/https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/10342020https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/yellowstone-bacteria-beer-science[Ask the Science Couch]Extremophiles:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4187170/Bacteria vs. Archaea:http://bio1520.biology.gatech.edu/biodiversity/prokaryotes-bacteria-archaea-2/https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/archaea/archaea.htmlArchaea characteristics:https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/astrobiology/environments/https://microbiologyonline.org/about-microbiology/introducing-microbes/archaeahttps://ucmp.berkeley.edu/archaea/archaeamm.html[Butt One More Thing]Pompeii worm:https://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/marinesymbiosis/pompeii.htmlhttp://faculty.montgomerycollege.edu/gyouth/FP_examples/student_examples/sathya_ramachandran/pompeiiworms.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, the Other Couch's high-school-level understanding of chemistry is really put to the test as we talk about acid! What is it? How does it dissolve things? It has something to do... with protons? It seems way simpler in the movies!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! If you want to learn more about any of our main topics, check out these links:[Truth or Fail]Formic acid (general):https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Formic-acidFire ant antivenom:https://science.sciencemag.org/content/343/6174/1014.abstracthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/invasive-crazy-ants-are-eating-up-invasive-fire-ants-in-the-south-65189409/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-rise-of-the-crazy-ants/Bone-house wasps:https://www.wired.com/2014/07/the-spider-eating-bone-house-wasp/Electricity-generating wasps:https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/12/101221-solar-power-hornet-science-animals/[Fact Off]Internal sensor:https://www.seeker.com/when-swallowed-this-sensor-is-powered-by-stomach-acid-2248294501.htmlPregnancy gif:https://giphy.com/gifs/pregnancy-baby-fetus-WS91RYT47sA6Ihttps://imgur.com/gallery/d7n3eIHMoss bandage:https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-humble-moss-helped-heal-wounds-thousands-WWI-180963081/https://images.app.goo.gl/TWkw555pqQcRF4Ap8[Ask the Science Couch]Battery energy storage:https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-do-batteries-store-an/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV4IUsholjg&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtPHzzYuWy6fYEaX9mQQ8oGrLead-acid batteries:https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/lead_based_batterieshttp://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/leadacid.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You might think you know everything there is to know about deserts: big, sandy, hot, etc. But between the alien mummies and the ice blades, we're guessing there's a lot you don't know. All that and you get to see Hank just totally embarrass himself while trying to talk about Pokemon. Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! If you want to learn more about any of our main topics, check out these links:[Truth or Fail]Atacama Desert:Ata:https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/22/science/ata-mummy-alien-chile.htmlhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tiny-alien-skeleton-found-chile-was-likely-result-genetic-mutations-180968576/Ice Blades: https://www.sciencealert.com/eerie-ice-spires-harbour-life-in-one-of-the-harshest-environments-on-earthMicrobes:https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-35051-whttps://earthsky.org/earth/mars-like-atacanda-desert-rain-brings-death[Fact Off]Thorny devil lizard:https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsos.170591Libyan Desert glass:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5196362.stmhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0022309384901777https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/article-abstract/47/7/609/570318/overestimation-of-threat-from-100-mt-class?redirectedFrom=fulltexthttps://theconversation.com/how-we-solved-the-mystery-of-libyan-desert-glass-117253[Ask the Science Couch]Sand depth:https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-1-4614-9213-9_325-1https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-65661-8_10https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/92232/grand-erg-oriental-algeriahttps://www.nps.gov/zion/learn/nature/sand-dunes-sandstone.htm[Butt One More Thing]Dung beetles:https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-10/uotw-bud101912.phphttps://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822%2812%2901061-5  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 When you think metamorphosis, you might think a beautiful butterfly coming out of its cocoon. However, lots of things metamorphose in much less graceful, much more sticky, gooey, unsettling, and potentially dangerous ways!Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! If you want to learn more about any of our main topics, check out these links: [Truth or Fail]https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-01/uoc-sbb010308.php http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4460030.stmKind of gross but very cool, highly recommend this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCo2uCLXvhk[Fact Off]Cryptometamorphosis:https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/11/science/snail-metamorphosis.htmlhttps://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2018.1099#sec-3Figure from paper: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/cms/attachment/12748a2e-c968-4fff-912a-9f9cd2c3d514/rspb20181099f01.gifWax moths and plastic:https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/04/25/525447206/a-worm-may-hold-the-key-to-biodegrading-plastichttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28441558[Ask the Science Couch]Grasshoppers/locusts:http://mentalfloss.com/article/57104/whats-difference-between-grasshoppers-and-locustshttps://www.scientificamerican.com/article/when-grasshoppers-go-bibl/(includes picture) https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2009/01/serotonin-makes-locusts-swarmhttps://science.sciencemag.org/content/306/5703/1881 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.