Ars Technica
Why did 1,000 Swiss citizens bury their underpants?
Thursday, August 27, 2026
Researchers in Switzerland buried organic cotton underpants in soil to measure decomposition rates as part of a study on land use and organic material breakdown. The study examined how different environmental conditions affect the degradation of cotton fabric. The findings indicated that land use practices were the primary factor influencing decomposition speed across the test sites.
