How Nitrous Oxide Works

# Summary

This Stuff You Should Know episode takes listeners on a fascinating journey through the history and science of nitrous oxide, from its discovery in the late 1700s through its modern recreational use and medical applications. The hosts trace how scientist Joseph Priestley and experimenter Humphrey Davy first explored the gas's effects in the 1790s, leading to its adoption by dentist Horace Wells in the 1840s as a pain reliever—though his famous public demonstration didn't go quite as planned. The episode covers everything from how nitrous works in the brain to why it became known as "hippie crack" at concerts and festivals, while also diving into the real dangers of recreational use, including potential brain damage and oxygen displacement.