Festive Ecology

Jingle Bells, Frosty the Snowman, Let it Snow; the timeless sounds of the holiday. And to that pantheon of greats is added another track: this 30-minute-long, spoken-word science podcast!

Follow us on Twitter @SciShowTangents, where we’ll tweet out topics for upcoming episodes and you can ask the science couch questions! 

While you're at it, check out the Tangents crew on Twitter: Stefan: @itsmestefanchin Ceri: @ceriley Sam: @slamschultz Hank: @hankgreen

If you want to learn more about any of our main topics, check out these links!

[Truth or Fail]

Poinsettia monopoly

https://www.npr.org/2017/12/22/573046507/how-poinsettias-became-synonymous-with-christmas

http://www.mobileranger.com/blog/the-plant-of-christmas-the-poinsettia/

https://www.actahort.org/books/226/226_34.htm

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-dec-23-me-poinsettia23-story.html

https://pubag.nal.usda.gov/download/12136/PDF

Vanilla flavor

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ice-cream-bananas_n_55f8d911e4b0d6492d638853

https://www.webmd.com/children/features/is-poinsettia-really-poisonous

Latex/rubber

https://web.extension.illinois.edu/poinsettia/facts.cfm

http://www.industrialrubbergoods.com/natural-rubber.html

https://www.thespruce.com/facts-about-poinsettias-that-may-surprise-you-2132343

[Fact Off]

Tinniculite 

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1134%2FS1075701517070078

https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/msa/ammin/article/102/2/466/264546/new-mineral-names

https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/9/6/373/htm

Pine needle recycling

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329280439_Fuels_and_Value-Added_Chemicals_from_Biomass

https://theconversation.com/new-recycling-process-could-help-your-christmas-tree-lead-a-surprising-second-life-107984

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876610217350713

[Ask the Science Couch]

Natural vs. artificial tree

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/26/business/energy-environment/fake-christmas-tree-vs-real-tree.html

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/12/14/real-vs-fake-heres-why-artificial-christmas-trees-rise/2314418002/

https://www.sfgate.com/realestate/article/Real-vs-Artificial-Christmas-Tree-Which-Is-More-14866084.php

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/12/14/real-vs-fake-heres-why-artificial-christmas-trees-rise/2314418002/

[Butt One More Thing]

Mistletoe

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/metro/urban-jungle/pages/121218.html

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/culturing-science/mistletoe-natural-history/

https://www.etymonline.com/word/mistletoe

https://www.etymonline.com/word/missel?ref=etymonline_crossreference