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Feb 18 2014

How Salt Works

43 min 4 movies discussed
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A Roman senator once said, "Mankind can live without gold, but not without salt." Right he was. The human body needs salt so much we have developed a taste for it specifically. But too much salt can be toxic. Learn about salt's role in human history and how we get it from the Earth in this episode.

AI Summary

In this episode of Stuff You Should Know, Josh and Chuck dive deep into the fascinating world of salt, exploring everything from its crucial role in human history to the science behind why our bodies crave it. They cover salt's impact on ancient civilizations, trade routes, and even Gandhi's famous salt march, while also breaking down the different types of salt available today and the ongoing controversy over how much we should actually be consuming. The hosts also share some colorful salt-related expressions and idioms, making this a surprisingly engaging look at one of humanity's most essential minerals.


Movies Discussed

Hey Dude
Hey Dude
1989
★ 6.8
"Hey Dude, the 90s called, David Lasher and Christine Taylor, stars of the cult classic show, Hey Dude — Referenced in podcast advertisements as a cult classic 90s TV show starring David Lasher and Christine Taylor."
Idiocracy
Idiocracy
2006 1h 24m
★ 6.4
"You don't want to water your cropland with it, though, as we found from the movie Idiocracy — Referenced when discussing Gatorade and electrolytes, alluding to the movie's famous scene about watering plants with sports drinks." — Josh
Poltergeist
Poltergeist
1982 1h 54m
★ 7.2
"Do you remember AOL Instant Messenger and the dial-up sound like poltergeist? — Referenced in the Hey Dude podcast advertisement comparing dial-up internet sounds to the movie."
The Hangover
The Hangover
2009 1h 40m
★ 7.3
"Just remember in the Hangover episode, why drugs are so fatal — Josh references a previous SYSK episode about The Hangover to explain how kidneys process substances." — Josh

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