logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2022
21m 55s

How Do Toilets Work?

Tumble Media
About this episode

When you have to go, where does it go? That’s what our listener Ellie wants to know. Prepare for potty humor and science as we hear from civil engineer and toilet expert Francis de los Reyes! Who invented the toilet? And what’s “The Great Stink?” We’ll be plunging into the past, present, and future of flushing to discover how toilets don’t just save us from stinky smells - they save lives.

Are you a teacher? Participate in our NSF-funded research project! Sign up here: https://bit.ly/TumbleTeachers

Learn more about toilets and sanitation around the world, on our bonus interview episode with Francis de los Reyes. It’s available to Patreons who pledge just $1 a month at patreon.com/tumblepodcast.

We have free resources about this episode on the blog on our website: https://www.sciencepodcastforkids.com/single-post/how-do-toilets-work

All episodes have transcripts now! 

Up next
Oct 3
Tumble Mailbag: Season 11 starts Oct 17 + Your Universe Questions!
This is our final Mailbag episode before all-new stories of science discovery arrive on Friday, October 17. Lindsay and Marshall share behind-the-scenes updates on what’s coming up in Season 11 — plus a special challenge to guess the topics of our first three episodes! Then, astr ... Show More
23m 56s
Sep 19
The Wild Axolotl - And Tumble en Español is Coming Back!
We have a big announcement: Tumble en Español is returning on September 25th! This is a rebroadcast of an episode of Tumble from last season. If you can't wait to hear the Spanish-language version, just go subscribe to Tumble en Español wherever you get your podcasts. Why are the ... Show More
29m 55s
Sep 5
Tumble Newsflash: Yoto Cards, Audiobook, & Your Plant Questions!
There’s so much happening in the world of Tumble, and we’re excited to share it all with you! Plus we answer questions about plants with the help of plant biologist Carina Baskett. Tumble Yoto Cards A brand-new pack of 3 cards with Tumble episodes on our most popular themes - Ani ... Show More
26m 46s
Recommended Episodes
May 2024
Terrific Toilets: how humans solved the potty problem
It’s easy to take toilets for granted, but these porcelain thrones are nothing short of marvelous. In this episode, Joy and co-host Caleb find out how bathrooms and sewers helped civilizations grow. Plus they take a pit stop in ancient Rome where public restrooms were very public ... Show More
28m 37s
Feb 2022
TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Gets Flushed
How do toilets work? What's the secret behind using a Japanese toilet? And can you enter a toilet race? Josh Clark joins the show. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
52m 32s
Jul 2020
Toilet
You may call it the toilet, the loo, the privy, the potty, the can or even the bathroom, but whatever you call it, this everyday object has its roots in Bronze Age Pakistan. It even had a seat!But how did the toilet come to be? Given one third of the world’s population still live ... Show More
27m 43s
Nov 2022
Flush! Where does our poo and pee go?
Every time you flush, your poo and pee start an epic journey. From the toilet, to the sewers, to a treatment plant, our waste travels quite a distance only to end up cleaner by the end. We'll hear from a "PooTube" star about her experience with "the flush." We'll also hea ... Show More
32m 14s
Aug 2020
PREVIEW - On The Toilet
Episode 20, a Patreon exclusive, is all about toilets. We discuss Žižek’s three examples of toilets (the German, French, and Anglo thrones) that form an ideological tripartite, each demonstrating different ways of dealing with the excrement of the Real. We also talk the austeri ... Show More
10m 42s
Mar 2022
Harper asks: What if houses were made of blueberry muffins?
A story for the origins! Go back to a time before Zack was even born, when Mamma Jamma, Papa Loo, and Zizi rented their first house. Sure the house is a blueberry muffin, but surely no one will try to eat it, right? Lessons include: quick fixes and violent solutions just lead to ... Show More
23m 25s
Mar 2019
Toilet, Part 1
While the toilet is not THE most important invention, it's certainly hard to imagine life without one -- and the advantages of modern flushing toilets go far beyond mere convivence. In this Invention two-parter, Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the ancient origins of the toi ... Show More
48m 12s
Aug 2020
Poop Party: Answers to your poo questions
Warning! This episode is all about the fascinating and gross world of doo doo. We know you have a lot of poo questions because you’ve sent many, many of them to us. So we’re finally bringing you the poo answers! It’s a poop party! We’ve invited scientists to tell us about weird a ... Show More
38m 37s
Nov 2022
Potty Training with Lisa Sherington-Boyd aka Principal Lisa aka The Potty Queen
This week we’re talking about a BIG topic when it comes to toddlers - Potty Training. The amazing Lisa Sherington-Boyd aka Principal Lisa aka The Potty Queen joins us to reveal the secrets to transitioning your little one from nappies to the potty. We have so many questions! Is a ... Show More
51m 41s