Learn about Starlink’s unintended consequences for astronomy from astrophysicist Vivienne Baldassare, NASA Einstein Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale University. Then, learn why toilet paper is white.
Learn about Starlink’s unintended consequences for astronomy from astrophysicist Vivienne Baldassare, NASA Einstein Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale University. Then, learn why toilet paper is white.
If you think the night sky should be included in assessments of the environmental impact of government projects, you can get involved in the Council on Environmental Quality’s Proposal to Update its NEPA Implementing Regulations. Comments should be submitted on or before March 10, 2020.
Read the document and submit comments here: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=CEQ-2019-0003-0001
Tips on how to submit effective comments: https://www.regulations.gov/docs/Tips_For_Submitting_Effective_Comments.pdf
More information:
Why toilet paper is white by Ashley Hamer (Listener question from Gerald)
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Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/astronomys-problem-with-starlink-w-vivienne-baldassare-and-why-toilet-paper-is-white
CODY: Hi! You’re about to get smarter in just a few minutes with Curiosity Daily from curiosity-dot-com. I’m Cody Gough.
ASHLEY: And I’m Ashley Hamer. Today, you’ll learn about why Starlink has caused some serious problems for astronomers — and how you can help — from astrophysicist Vivienne Baldassare, who’s a NASA Einstein Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale University. We’ll also answer a listener question about why toilet paper is white.
CODY: Let’s satisfy some curiosity.
CODY [in “Houston, we have a problem” voice]: “Astronomy, we have a problem.” There’s an ambitious project underway to launch a network of satellites into orbit, to provide satellite Internet access around the world — but it’s having some unexpected consequences for researchers. In case you haven’t heard about this, the project is called Starlink. And today astrophysicist Vivienne Baldassare [Vivian Vivvy-in ball-di-s-AIR-ee] joins us to tell you what the problem is, AND what you can do about it. Here’s our conversation.
[CLIP 6:05]
CODY: Vivienne told us that SpaceX is aware of the issue with their satellites, and they ARE working on the problem. They’ve tested some ways to make the satellites darker, but haven’t released the results yet — and like she said, there are lots of other companies who could get in the game and create the same problem. Fortunately, there’s something you can do to get involved. Right now, the US Council on Environmental Quality is proposing changes to National Environmental Protection Act regulations. And right now they’re soliciting comments on those regulations, with a deadline of this coming Tuesday, March 10! If you feel the night sky should be included in assessments of the environmental impact of government projects, then now is the time to make your voice heard. You can find a feedback form at regulations-dot-gov, and we’ll put direct links to the form and resources for learning more in today’s show notes. Thanks again to astrophysicist Vivienne Baldassare, who’s a NASA Einstein Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale University.
We got a listener question from Gerald, who writes, “Why is toilet paper white? Wouldn't the world save humongous quantities of chemicals and water and energy, if we used unbleached natural brown toilet paper?” Great question, Gerald!
It might seem like the color of toilet paper is just a matter of marketing — and, to be fair, it is a little — but that’s only a small part of why toilet paper is white. The bigger reason? Well, bleaching paper does more than just make it look pure and clean.
That mostly comes down to a polymer called lignin. Ok, so paper comes from wood, right? Wood has two main components that are important for papermaking: cellulose, which makes up the cell walls; and lignin, which acts as a stiffening agent and cement that holds the cells together. Lignin, importantly, is brown. But more importantly, the less lignin a paper contains, the softer and more absorbent it is. Softness and absorbency are what most of us want in our toilet paper.
Luckily, removing lignin is a major part of the papermaking process. That process begins by separating the cellulose fibers from the lignin — that’s either using chemicals, if you’re using virgin wood, or a mechanical blender type thing if you’re making recycled paper. The longer the pulp spends processing, the more lignin is removed. But this step can never remove all of the lignin, and too much spent processing can actually degrade the cellulose, resulting in a weaker product. How do you remove more lignin without damaging the cellulose? Bleaching. That’s usually done using chlorine dioxide gas, which might sound scary, but is actually considered a pollution prevention technology that’s hailed by the EPA and the United Nations because it doesn’t produce the toxic substances that previous methods did. The bleaching process does make the toilet paper white, but more importantly, it makes it soft, absorbent, and let’s be honest, nicer to use on your sensitive parts.
Now, that doesn’t mean that we need to clear cut forests and pollute waterways just to make our behinds comfortable. While it is harder to remove lignin from recycled materials, there are plenty of companies making recycled toilet paper that does the job just fine. You can also buy TP made from bamboo or sugarcane, which are more sustainable than the pine and spruce trees that standard toilet paper comes from. You can also try using a bidet! But whatever you do, don’t judge a toilet paper by its color. There’s a lot more going on beneath the surface. Thanks for your question, Gerald! If you have a question, then send an email to podcast-at-curiosity-dot-com. Or leave us a voicemail on our studio line at 312-596-5208. Stay subscribed to Curiosity Daily and you might even hear your voice on a future episode! One more time, that’s 312-596-5208.
CODY: Before we recap what we learned today, here’s a sneak peek at what you’ll hear next week on Curiosity Daily.
ASHLEY: Next week, you’ll learn about new neurological research into why yoga can reduce depression;
The health differences between brown and white rice;
How bumblebees are able to carry 80 percent of their own body weight;
Whether binaural beats are worth the hype;
And more! Okay, so now, let’s recap what we learned today.
[ad lib optional]
CODY: Today’s stories were written by Ashley Hamer, Kelsey Donk, and Mae Rice, and edited by Ashley Hamer, who’s the managing editor for Curiosity Daily.
ASHLEY: Today’s episode was produced and edited by Cody Gough.
CODY: Have a great weekend, and join us again Monday to learn something new in just a few minutes.
ASHLEY: And until then, stay curious!