The Scientists Who Studied Pee, Poop, and Won Prizes

Send us Fan MailSubscribe and prepare to learn something you will never un-know.In this Niche Scientists minisode of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole spotlight two researchers whose work sounds ridiculous… until you realize it’s brilliant.Meet Dr. David Hu and Dr. Patricia Yang, engineers who study fluid dynamics by asking the questions no one else would:Why do almost all mammals pee in the same amount of time?Why is wombat poop shaped like a cube?And how can studying animal waste improve engineering, medicine, and early cancer detection?🚽 Why mammals over 3 kg empty their bladders in ~21 seconds 🐘 How urethra length turns gravity into an efficiency tool 🧊 The real reason wombat poop is square (and it’s NOT the sphincter) 🏆 How this research earned two IG Nobel Prizes 🧠 Why “weird” science often leads to the biggest breakthroughsWhat starts as slow-motion videos of animals peeing ends up influencing biomimicry, manufacturing, plumbing systems, and colon cancer diagnostics.🎧 This episode proves that curiosity-driven science—even the gross kind—can quietly change the world. Support the show🎉 Support us on Patreon to keep the episodes coming! 🪼🦤🧠 For more laughs, catch us on YouTube!Track a real wild animal. Support conservation. Feel slightly cooler than you did five seconds ago. Visit the Fahlo tracking bracelets website to get 20% off tracking bracelets with code WildlyKaty.