SciShow Tangents

Latest Episodes:

Elephants Aug 31, 2021

Show notes

This week we pay tribute to our big, wrinkly, grey friends with funky trunks: elephants!

Head to https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangents to see some great pictures from Ceri’s Fact Off fact, and 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 Eclectic Bunny and Garth Riley for helping to make the show possible!

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: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreen

[Fact Off]

Elephants and bees

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/893601

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/632820

https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2015/12/beehive-fences/

https://www.livescience.com/33261-elephants-afraid-of-mice-.html

Elephant skin wrinkles

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/607368

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-06257-3

Computer simulation image: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-06257-3/figures/4

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2010JF001842

https://elephantconservation.org/elephants/just-for-kids/

[Ask the Science Couch]

Elephant communication/grief/etc.

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/animal-grief/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/do-animals-experience-grief-180970124/

https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2005/11/04/1497634.htm

https://www.audubon.org/news/how-do-elephants-talk-each-other

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/unforgettable-elephants-crack-the-code-of-elephant-communication/5885/

https://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/the-internet-appears-to-believe-elephants-worship-the-moon/

https://confluence.gallatin.nyu.edu/context/interdisciplinary-seminar/the-elephant-before-darwin

[Butt One More Thing]

Elephant gold enema

https://muse.jhu.edu/article/442189/pdf

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/a-16th-century-pope-buried-his-pet-elephant-under-the-vatican

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Water Aug 24, 2021

Show notes

Time to take a big ol’ sip of science knowledge as we dive deep on that good, wet stuff we call water!

A big thank you to Patreon subscribers Eclectic Bunny and Garth Riley for helping to make the show possible!

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: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreen

[Fact Off]

Wet water (to fight fires)

https://www.biolinscientific.com/blog/what-is-a-wetting-agent-and-where-are-they-used

https://www.fireengineering.com/leadership/fighting-fires-with-wet-water/#gref

https://childrensmuseumatlanta.org/blog/how-does-water-put-out-a-fire/

http://fcfsd.com/wetting-agents.html

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10694-016-0640-0

Water to air communication

https://news.mit.edu/2018/wireless-communication-through-water-air-0822

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/489210

[Ask the Science Couch]

Water conducting electricity

https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/conductivity-electrical-conductance-and-water

https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/water-universal-solvent

https://www.sciencealert.com/after-centuries-scientists-have-finally-figured-out-how-water-conducts-electricity

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/354/6316/1131

[Butt One More Thing]

Hippo poop water

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/05/hippos-poop-so-much-that-sometimes-all-the-fish-die/560486/

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-04391-6

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Listener Questions- Unlocked Patreon Bonus Episode Aug 17, 2021

Show notes

This week, we're sharing one of our Patreon bonus episodes with all of our listeners! Join us as we answer some questions from our audience, and be sure to check out Patreon.com/SciShowTangents if you want more content like this!

Head to the link below 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! https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangents

A big thank you to Patreon subscribers Eclectic Bunny and Garth Riley for helping to make the show possible!

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: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreen

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Volcanoes Aug 10, 2021

Show notes

In this truly explosive episode that will have you erupting with laughter, we share our lava of volcanoes! This is a hot one, folks!

Head to https://www.patreon.com/SciShowTangents to see a great video on the subject of Ceri’s Fact Off fact, and 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 Eclectic Bunny and Garth Riley for helping to make the show possible!

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: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreen

Sources:

[Hear Ye]

Round 1 Audio

Source: NOAA Ocean Exploration

https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/06fire/logs/april29/media/movies/spectragram.html

Round 2 Audio

Audio Credit: Robin Matoza

Citation: Matoza, R.S., D. Fee, M.A. Garces, J.M. Seiner, P.A. Ramon, and M.A.H. Hedlin (2009), Infrasonic jet noise from volcanic eruptions, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L08303, doi:10.1029/2008GL036486

Round 3 Audio

Audio Credit: Robin Matooza

Citation: Matoza, R.S., D. Fee, M.A. Garces, J.M. Seiner, P.A. Ramon, and M.A.H. Hedlin (2009), Infrasonic jet noise from volcanic eruptions, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L08303, doi:10.1029/2008GL036486

Round 3 Audio - Airplane

Credit: PDX Aviation

PDX Aviation - https://www.youtube.com/user/buybygb

[Fact Off]

Elephant salt mining in extinct volcano

http://faculty.jsd.claremont.edu/dmcfarlane/MtElgon/index.htm

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240675138_Formation_of_cave_salts_and_utilization_by_elephants_in_the_Mount_Elgon_region_Kenya

https://eawildlife.org/east-african-wildlife-societys-mount-elgon-elephant-project-eawls-meep/

https://volcano.oregonstate.edu/faq/how-volcano-defined-being-active-dormant-or-extinct

https://theconversation.com/how-volcanoes-recycle-the-earths-crust-to-uncover-rare-metals-that-are-vital-to-green-technology-125159

https://en.unesco.org/biosphere/africa/mount-elgon-uganda

Parícutin volcano

http://www.unmuseum.org/7wonders/mob/paricutin.htm

http://sci.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/Paricutin.html

[Ask the Science Couch]

Preventing volcano eruptions

https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-can-we-tell-when-a-volcano-will-erupt

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/865376

https://theconversation.com/explainer-why-volcanoes-erupt-44732

https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/can-we-drill-yellowstone-stop-it-erupting?qt-news_science_products=0

https://www.forbes.com/sites/robinandrews/2018/05/28/why-cant-we-artificially-drain-magma-chambers-to-stop-volcanic-eruptions/

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02600367

https://www.usgs.gov/center-news/volcano-watch-did-aerial-bombing-stop-1935-mauna-loa-lava-flow

[Butt One More Thing]

Ardley island penguin poop

https://www.audubon.org/news/how-millennia-old-penguin-poo-led-scientists-volcanic-discovery

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Toilets with Deboki Chakravarti Aug 03, 2021

Show notes

This episode was brought to you by Gates Notes, the blog of Bill Gates. Go to https://www.gatesnotes.com to learn more about the Reinvent the Toilet Challenge, which is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year!

Just because you poop and pee in them doesn’t mean that toilets don’t deserve your utmost respect! From the International Space Station to the comfort of your own home, these waste-disposing scientific wonders help make our lives cleaner and safer. So next time you see a toilet, say “thank you!”

Can’t get enough Deboki? You can follow her on Twitter @okidoki_boki, and find her on Scientific American’s Science Talk Podcast starting August 6th!

A big thank you to Patreon subscriber Eclectic Bunny for helping to make the show possible!

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: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreen

Sources:

[Fact Off]

Lemur Toilet Tree

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150513-these-animals-use-public-toilets

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00265-014-1810-z.pdf

https://www.dpz.eu/en/home/single-view/news/informativer-toilettengang.html

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26392-zoologger-shy-lemurs-communicate-using-toilet-trees/

Super Slippery Toilet

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/739396

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlYc8RfqA3I&t=10s

https://ceramics.org/ceramic-tech-today/materials-innovations/slip-and-slide-spray-on-polymer-coating-keeps-porcelain-toilet-bowls-cleaner

[Ask the Science Couch]

https://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/modern/question314.htm

https://iwaponline.com/wpt/article/13/1/157/38690/Vacuum-sewerage-systems-a-solution-for-fast

https://www.courtesyplumbers.com/blog/2016/december/three-types-of-flush-systems-the-pros-and-cons/

[Butt One More Thing]

https://patents.google.com/patent/US4320756A/en

https://www.adventip.com/blog/wackypatent/freshair-breathing-device

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Surgery Jul 27, 2021

Show notes

This week, the Science Couch is more like the Science Operating Table. Get ready to have 33 minutes of pure, surgery-inspired science implanted directly into your brain, stat!

A note about this week’s episode: Ceri is moving, and the room she normally records in is completely empty. That’s why she sounds like she’s lost in space. Sorry about that!

A big thank you to Patreon subscriber Eclectic Bunny for helping to make the show possible!

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: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreen

Sources:

[Fact Off]

Burn healing surgeries

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/burns

https://www.jstor.org/stable/3408118

https://www.americanjournalofsurgery.com/article/S0002-9610(35)90119-2/fulltext

https://www.nature.com/articles/125058a0.pdf

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/003591574003400104

https://parjournal.net/article/view/1881/1348

https://nzhistory.govt.nz/people/sir-archibald-mcindoe

Video Game Surgeons

https://www.medtechdive.com/news/robotic-surgeries-surge-to-15-of-all-procedures-despite-limited-evidence/570370/

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-04/uoo-hfa040121.php

[Ask the Science Couch]

Organ transplant DNA

https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/does-the-dna-of-a-transplanted-organ-change-to-that-of-the-recipient/

https://www.genome.gov/27544325/using-dna-sequencing-to-detect-early-organ-transplant-rejection

https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Cyclosporin-A

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18290564/

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/organ-transplants-without-life-long-drugs

[Butt One More Thing]

Louis XIV’s anal fistula

https://tidsskriftet.no/2016/08/sun-kings-anal-fistula

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1043148914000566

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Waves Jul 20, 2021

Show notes

Whether you're surfing, listening to the radio, getting an x-ray, or just looking at something, take a moment and thank waves for making it all possible!

Plus learn yet another shocking truth: all of reality is probably maybe waves! Uh oh!

A big thank you to Patreon subscriber Eclectic Bunny for helping to make the show possible!

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: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreen

Sources:

[Truth or Fail]

[Fact Off]

Ruffed grouse sonic boom

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVfiIp3QGs4

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruffed_Grouse/sounds

https://www.nps.gov/articles/netn-species-spotlight-ruffed-grouse.htm

https://northernwoodlands.org/outside_story/article/bird-sound-barrier

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/news/FactSheets/FS-016-DFRC.html

Meta-mirror

https://pratt.duke.edu/about/news/meta-mirror

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-03/du-rs030719.php

[Ask the Science Couch]

Underwater waves

https://news.mit.edu/2013/the-oceans-hidden-waves-show-their-power-0108

https://www.nature.com/articles/nature14399#affil-auth

https://research.cornell.edu/research/understanding-formation-underwater-waves

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0025322791900445

https://www.hydro-international.com/content/article/mysterious-underwater-waves

[Butt One More Thing]

Toilet waves

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/27377/why-does-toilet-water-move-when-its-windy-outside

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SciShow Tangents Classics - Allergies Jul 13, 2021

Show notes

It feels like this allergy season is never gonna end, so we decided to dig into the archives to learn a little more about the pollen, dander, and other tiny things currently making our lives a living heck! Achoo!

A big thank you to Patreon subscriber Eclectic Bunny for helping to make the show possible!

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: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreen

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Teeth Jul 06, 2021

Show notes

Get ready to take a big old bite of science (and fun)! This week, we’re sinking our teeth… into teeth! Ouch!

Plus, Hank comes up with yet another Million Dollar Idea! You can’t afford to miss this episode!

A big thank you to Patreon subscriber Eclectic Bunny for helping to make the show possible!

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: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreen

Sources:

[Tooth or Fail]

Chiton Teeth

https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2021/05/rare-mineral-from-rocks-found-in-chiton-teeth/

Pink Sea Urchin Teeth

https://www.cell.com/matter/fulltext/S2590-2385(19)30173-0

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/09/rock-munching-sea-urchins-have-self-sharpening-teeth

[Fact Off]

Piranha teeth

picture: https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/uw-s3-cdn/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2019/10/15085831/Piranha-replacement-teeth-750x422.jpg

https://www.washington.edu/news/2019/10/15/piranha-fish-swap-old-teeth-for-new-simultaneously/

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ede.12306

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3670376/

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jmor.20380

https://theconversation.com/how-sharks-could-help-us-regrow-our-own-human-teeth-63531

Baby Dino Teeth

https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(16)31269-6.pdf

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-12/gwu-ntn121516.php

https://gwtoday.gwu.edu/newly-discovered-dinosaur-species-lost-teeth-adults

Braces

https://www.healthline.com/health/how-do-braces-work

https://orthodonticassoc.com/braces/how-do-braces-work/

https://www.healthline.com/health/retainers-after-braces

[Butt One More Thing]

Fecal bacteria on toothbrushes

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/06/150602130650.htm

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Cyborgs with AshleyRoboto Jun 29, 2021

Show notes

This week, Twitch streamer and science enthusiast AshleyRoboto joins us to talk about cyborgs! Get ready to radically broaden your definition of cyborgs all the way down to “person with glasses!”

Can’t get enough AshleyRoboto? Follow her @AshleyRoboto and check out her Twitch stream here: https://www.twitch.tv/ashleyroboto

A big thank you to Patreon subscriber Eclectic Bunny for helping to make the show possible!

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: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreen

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.

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