Visiting a mummy factory, and improving the IQ of … toilets

<p>On this week’s show: New clues to the chemicals used for mummification, and the benefits and barriers to smart toilets</p> <p>First up this week: <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/secrets-mummy-making-revealed-residues-ancient-urns">What can we learn from a mummy factory</a>? Contributing Correspondent <a href="https://www.andrewcurry.com/">Andrew Curry</a> talks with host Sarah Crespi about mummy chemistry and why we don’t know much about what was used to preserve these ancient bodies. Online News Editor Michael Price makes a special appearance.</p> <p>Next up, how having a smart toilet can contribute to your health. Seung-Min Park, an instructor in the Department of Urology at Stanford University School of Medicine, wrote this week in <em>Science Translational Medicine</em> about the <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abk3489">powers of data-collecting toilets to improve health</a> and the psychological and ethical barriers to adopting a smart toilet of your very own.</p> <p>This week’s episode was produced with help from <a href="https://podigy.co/">Podigy</a>.</p> <p>[Image: Portugal2004/iStock; Music: Jeffrey Cook]</p> <p>[alt: toilet with podcast symbol overlay]</p> <p>Authors: Sarah Crespi; Andrew Curry; Michael Price</p> <p>Episode page: <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adg9654">https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adg9654</a> </p> <p>About the Science Podcast: <a href="https://www.science.org/content/page/about-science-podcast">https://www.science.org/content/page/about-science-podcast</a></p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>