We at Speaking of Science are pretty into poop science. You can actually click the "poop" tag and read all of our poop-related content at once! We're serious about this stuff.
[Today is World Toilet Day. Time to play ‘Game of Thrones.’]
But #WorldToiletDay isn't about poop jokes. So before you check out our No. 1 and No. 2 stories, here's something to chew on:
2.4 billion people in the world live without improved sanitation (flush, dry composting, or safe latrine toilets) and over 1 billion still defecate out in the open. That's 15 percent of the global population.
Why is that a problem? Because a lack of sanitary toilets is bad for both human health and for the environment. Every year, around 1.5 million children die of diarrheal diseases — many cases of which could be prevented if the little ones weren't exposed to unsanitary waste. Even the children who don't die of these diseases are less able to absorb nutrients from their food, putting their overall health and wellness at risk.
Thursday is all about spreading awareness, which you can do by tweeting with the proper hashtag or even making your own poo emojis to share with friends (warning for a foul word for feces at the link).
Okay, okay. On to the poop that was promised. Some of these stories are #WorldToiletDay relevant, but some will just get you in the spirit of things. Enjoy.
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1. Reinvent the toilet, save the world? Ecuador is betting on it.
A toilet doesn't have to be fancy in order to save lives. In Ecuador, cheap plastic composting toilets might be just what the doctor ordered.
2. Does treating koala chlamydia hurt their gut microbes?
Did you know that baby koalas eat their mom's poop? Now you know. Go learn more about that.
3. Pandas literally evolved to be lazy
Share this articleSharePandas have to poop A LOT. Here's why.
4. Here’s why coffee makes you poop
About one out of three humans feel the need to go after a cup of joe. Have you ever wondered why that is?
5. You can earn $13,000 a year by donating your poop
This remains one of our most popular poop stories, because a story about making money off poop is a great story indeed. If you live in the Boston area and think you might make the cut, you can get more info here. But fair warning: The poop bank has a lower acceptance rate than MIT.
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6. Pile of whale puke will auction for upward of $10,000
This story appears to be about puke. But ambergris, the substance that perfume makers are willing to pay top dollar for, can actually be excreted in whale vomit or poo.
7. NASA reminds us that astronaut poop burns up ‘like shooting stars’
8. Ask a MacArthur genius: Can feces fuel cars?
Here's another serious one: A researcher who wants to use the fecal sludge that pollutes countries without proper toilets to power vehicles. It's a win-win! Get that crap off the streets and put it to use — on the streets.
Other researchers estimate that burning up humanity's waste could yield $9.5 billion in energy each year.
9. This brilliant plant pretends to be poop
I cannot overstate the brilliance of this poop plant.
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