Buried underwear shows soil health

Scientists at the University of Zurich asked 1,000 volunteers to burn pairs of cotton underwear and tea bags around Switzerland, waited five years, and dug them up. Analyzing photos of how much each item decomposed, and samples of each, gives scientists a remarkably accurate map of soil health. The more the items decomposed the more active the microorganisms and the healthier the soil. Where on the wall you see underwear mostly intact, you're seeing heavy land use—uncovered soil, pesticides, fertilizers, and frequent disturbance.