Podcast Episode
Poop-Crete, Suspicious Salmon & Bizarre Historical Laws | This is True Really News Mailbag Ep 249
About this episode
Scot and Tony unpack a thoroughly chaotic mix of modern engineering miracles, bizarre historical legislation, and nostalgic listener comments. Whether it is exploring how raw human sewage is being transformed into a 42% stronger concrete alternative or dissecting the UK's very real 1986 Salmon Act, this episode bridges the gap between the fascinating and the completely absurd.Episode HighlightsGolf & Guard Horses: Reflections on Angel Yin's emotional Solheim Cup finish, the reality of aging out of your athletic prime, and how stoic King's Guard horses handle oblivious tourists versus respectful children.The Poop-Crete Revolution: Discover how an eco-friendly biochar made by superheating raw human sewage (with ties to Mankato, Minnesota) is replacing traditional cement. This structural super-material mimics ancient Roman concrete, reduces carbon emissions, and makes the material 42% stronger.Absurd Historical Legislation: A rapid-fire breakdown of real historical laws, including England’s 1313 ban on bringing armor into Parliament to prevent violent intimidation, and the legendary modern offense of handling salmon in "suspicious circumstances."Urine Taxes & Animal Trials: A look back at Emperor Vespasian's Roman urine tax used to fund the tanning industry, medieval European courts prosecuting and executing farm animals, and laws regulating the exact size of your bread and ale.Listener Mailbag: Celebrating Jess's verified status as "always right," bonding over the sheer survival of the lead-toy and lawn-dart generation, and forgiving George for abandoning the show to fall down a Corner Gas YouTube algorithm rabbit hole.Timestamps0:00 – Netflix casting jokes & Solheim Cup drama3:22 – King's Guard horses putting tourists in their place5:33 – Remembering September 11th & family birthdays7:15 – "Poop-crete": Engineering a super-material from sewage11:42 – Bizarre historical laws: Armor bans & suspicious fish14:44 – The Roman urine tax & medieval animal executions17:30 – Sumptuary laws & the red shirt Target hazard19:28 – Mailbag comments: Lead toys, perfection, & algorithmsDrop a comment below if you survived the era of lead toys, and don't forget to subscribe for more bizarre true news!