{"publisher":{"name":"MediaBias News","url":"https://mediabias.news","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology","editorialPrinciples":"https://mediabias.news/editorial-principles","corrections":"https://mediabias.news/corrections"},"scoreGuide":{"trust":"How well corroborated and evidenced the source reporting is. 0-100, higher is better.","critic":"Craft quality of the source journalism: context, balance, fact vs comment. 0-100, higher is better.","hype":"How far the source presentation runs ahead of substance. 0-100, LOWER IS BETTER.","scope":"Scores assess the original reporting this article was written from, not the truth of the underlying event and not the quality of this write-up."},"assessmentGuide":{"type":"coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis","factCheck":{"status":"not-performed","note":"Media Bias News compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It does not currently publish a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true."},"sourceFactuality":{"note":"Factuality values describe published ratings of the outlets that covered the story. They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"story":{"id":"https://mediabias.news/tech/underwear-experiment-reveals-land-use-impacts-soil-health","slug":"underwear-experiment-reveals-land-use-impacts-soil-health","url":"https://mediabias.news/tech/underwear-experiment-reveals-land-use-impacts-soil-health","title":"Underwear experiment reveals land use impacts soil health","subtitle":"Swiss citizen science project uses decomposition rates to measure biological activity.","excerpt":"Researchers used buried organic cotton underwear as an indicator of soil biological activity. The experiment, involving nearly 1,000 volunteers across Switzerland, found that land use was the most significant factor influencing decomposition rates, with private gardens showing the highest activity.","category":"Science & Tech","area":null,"publishedAt":"2026-08-31T14:05:17.417Z","sourceReportedAt":"2026-08-31T13:34:39.316Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-31T14:05:17.417Z","readTime":"4 min read","scores":{"trust":42,"critic":61,"hype":41,"notes":{"trust":"Central claim attributed to named bodies, with two independent outlets and specific dates/locations cited.","critic":"Reports quote affected parties, explain why the story matters, and separate fact from comment.","hype":"Headlines use mild emphasis and lively language, but the body of the text is proportionate."}},"tags":["#SoilHealth","#CitizenScience","#EnvironmentalScience","#Decomposition","#Switzerland"],"entities":["University of Zurich","Agroscope","Plants People Planet","Marcel van der Heijden","Franz Bender"],"body":[{"type":"key_takeaways","items":["Nearly 1,000 volunteers in Switzerland buried over 2,000 pairs of organic cotton underwear at approximately 1,000 locations.","The decomposition rate of the underwear after 30 and 60 days served as an indicator of soil biological activity.","Private gardens showed the highest decomposition rates (58% after two months), followed by lawns (around 40%), with agricultural fields and meadows in between.","Land use was identified as the most significant factor influencing decomposition rates, more so than measured soil properties."]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"An experiment involving nearly 1,000 volunteers across Switzerland used buried organic cotton underwear to assess soil health. Participants buried over 2,000 pairs of underwear at around 1,000 locations. After 30 and 60 days, the underwear was exhumed, photographed, and sent to researchers along with soil samples. The rate at which the cotton decomposed was used as a measure of biological activity in the soil."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The findings, published in Plants People Planet, indicated that land use was the most critical factor affecting decomposition. Private gardens exhibited the highest decomposition rates, with 58% of the underwear breaking down within two months. Lawns showed lower activity, with approximately 40% decomposition. Agricultural fields and meadows fell between these two extremes. Researchers noted that this suggests how land is managed significantly influences soil life and quality."},{"type":"heading","text":"Disagreement on the role of soil properties"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"While the reports agree that land use was the most significant factor influencing decomposition rates, there is a divergence regarding the influence of measured soil properties. The full report from Vice states that land use was identified as the most significant factor influencing decomposition rates, 'more so than measured soil properties.' However, the full report from Phys.org notes that 'Land use proved to be the most important factor influencing how quickly the underwear decomposed. Whether a site was used as a garden, meadow, cultivated field or lawn explained the differences better than most of the soil properties measured. Chemical soil characteristics, such as nutrient levels, also played a significant role.'"},{"type":"heading","text":"What the coverage left out"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"None of the left, centre, or right-rated reports printed below mention the specific soil properties that were measured, beyond general references to nutrient levels or organic matter. The full report from Vice states land use was more significant than 'measured soil properties,' but does not specify what those properties were. Similarly, the full report from Phys.org mentions that 'Chemical soil characteristics, such as nutrient levels, also played a significant role,' but does not detail which characteristics were measured."}],"basedOn":[{"sourceName":"Science","url":"https://science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw0030","headline":"Assessing soil health with underpants","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-31T13:34:39.316Z"},{"sourceName":"The Economic Times","url":"https://m.economictimes.com/us/science-tech/why-did-scientists-ask-1000-people-to-bury-their-underwear-what-the-buried-underpants-could-reveal-about-soil-the-unusual-science-of-measuring-soil-health/articleshow/133643130.cms","headline":"Why did scientists ask 1,000 Swiss people to bury their underwear? What the buried 'underpants' could reveal about soil - The unusual science of measuring soil health","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-31T13:34:39.316Z"},{"sourceName":"bluewin.ch","url":"https://bluewin.ch/en/lifestyle/project-measures-soil-quality-using-buried-underwear-li.3576122","headline":"Project Measures Soil Quality Using Buried Underwear","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-31T13:34:39.316Z"},{"sourceName":"Polsat News","url":"https://polsatnews.pl/ciekawostki/2026-08-31/tysiac-osob-zakopalo-majtki-w-ogrodkach-naukowcy-mieli-ku-temu-dobry-powod","headline":"A Thousand People Buried Their Panties in the Ground. They Had a Good Reason.","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-31T12:37:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Science Alert","url":"https://sciencealert.com/soil-scientists-buried-2000-pairs-of-underwear-to-prove-a-point","headline":"Soil Scientists Buried 2,000 Pairs of Underwear to Prove a Point","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-31T11:00:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Malay Mail","url":"https://malaymail.com/news/life/2026/08/31/did-you-know-your-underwear-can-tell-you-about-soil-health-not-kidding-swiss-scientists-buried-2000-pairs-heres-what-they-found/233351","headline":"Did you know your underwear can tell you about soil health? Not kidding, Swiss scientists buried 2,000 pairs — here’s what they found","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-31T10:38:52.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Vice","url":"https://vice.com/en/article/scientists-buried-2000-pairs-of-underwear-to-test-the-health-of-soil-heres-what-they-learned","headline":"Scientists Buried 2,000 Pairs of Underwear to Test the Health of Soil. Here's What They Learned.","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-31T01:11:43.000Z"},{"sourceName":"EADaily","url":"https://eadaily.com/ru/news/2026/08/31/agrarnyy-striptiz-tysyacha-chelovek-zakopala-trusy-v-shveycarii","headline":"Agranic Stripping: A Thousand People Buried Underpants in Switzerland: EADaily","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-30T21:38:31.151Z"},{"sourceName":"uzh.ch","url":"https://news.uzh.ch/en/articles/media/2026/buried-underwear.html","headline":"Buried Underwear Shows Land Use Is Key to Soil Health","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-30T13:10:29.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Moneycontrol","url":"https://moneycontrol.com/world/why-were-2-000-pairs-of-underwear-buried-across-switzerland-what-scientists-found-underground-article-14018410.html","headline":"Why were 2,000 pairs of underwear buried across Switzerland? 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An Unusual Experiment Was Conducted in Switzerland to Study the Peculiarities of Different Types of Soil","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-28T12:32:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Origo","url":"https://origo.hu/tudomany/2026/08/talajvizsgalat-alsonemu-kutatas","headline":"Researchers Came up with a Bizarre Request: They Dug up the Underwear of over a Thousand People","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-28T11:58:38.000Z"},{"sourceName":"omniletters.com","url":"https://omniletters.com/cientistas-enterrem-roupas-intimas","headline":"Scientists Ask 1,000 People to Bury Their Underwear.","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-28T09:04:30.000Z"},{"sourceName":"biggo.com","url":"https://finance.biggo.com/news/983c2ed5-8ea0-49aa-9e43-4aed893ff7f3","headline":"Why 2,000 pairs of underwear were buried in the ground—Swiss researchers' 'soil health map' — BigGo Finance","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-28T04:56:07.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Science Daily","url":"https://sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260827010501.htm","headline":"Why scientists asked 1,000 people to bury their underwear","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-28T04:23:20.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Discover Magazine","url":"https://discovermagazine.com/2-000-pairs-of-buried-underwear-helped-measure-soil-health-in-this-unusual-experiment-49602","headline":"2,000 Pairs of Buried Underwear Helped Measure Soil Health in This Unusual Experiment","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-27T23:00:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Nautilus","url":"https://nautil.us/this-is-what-happens-when-1000-people-bury-their-underwear-for-science-1284574","headline":"This Is What Happens When 1,000 People Bury Their Underwear for Science","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-27T22:00:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"TV9 Marathi","url":"https://tv9marathi.com/national/for-that-special-experiment-1000-pairs-of-underwear-were-buried-underground-upon-digging-them-up-two-months-later-scientists-were-left-utterly-shocked-1743258.html","headline":"For that Special Experiment, 1,000 Underwear Were Buried Underground, and After 2 Months of Digging, Scientists Got a Huge shock,...","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-27T16:16:30.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Ars Technica","url":"https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/08/why-did-1000-swiss-citizens-bury-their-underpants","headline":"Why did 1,000 Swiss citizens bury their underpants?","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-27T15:39:42.000Z"},{"sourceName":"technewstube.com","url":"https://technewstube.com/ars-technica/1862174/why-1000-swiss-citizens-bury-underpants","headline":"Why did 1,000 Swiss citizens bury their underpants?","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-27T15:39:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Moneycab","url":"https://moneycab.com/dossiers/vergrabene-unterhosen-zeigen-landnutzung-entscheidend-fuer-bodenqualitaet","headline":"Burdened Underpants Show: Land Use Is Crucial for Soil Quality","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-27T05:10:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"studyfinds.com","url":"https://studyfinds.com/what-2000-buried-underpants-revealed-about-where-soil-is-most-alive","headline":"What 2,000 Buried Underpants Revealed About Where Soil is Most Alive","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-26T20:29:56.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Popular Science","url":"https://popsci.com/environment/bury-underwear-soil-health","headline":"'Proof by Underpants' offers a cheeky way to test soil","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-26T20:03:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"nachrichten.at","url":"https://nachrichten.at/panorama/weltspiegel/forschungsprojekt-misst-bodenqualitaet-mit-vergrabenen-unterhosen;art17,4205782","headline":"Research Project Measures Soil Quality with Buried Underpants","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-26T18:44:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Phys.org","url":"https://phys.org/news/2026-08-underwear-key-soil-health.html","headline":"Buried underwear shows land use is key to soil health","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-26T17:40:04.000Z"},{"sourceName":"BIOENGINEER.ORG","url":"https://bioengineer.org/buried-underwear-reveals-land-use-is-crucial-for-soil-health","headline":"Buried Underwear Reveals Land Use Is Crucial for Soil Health","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-26T12:38:06.000Z"}],"analysis":{"distribution":{"percent":{"left":11,"centre":56,"right":33},"count":{"left":2,"centre":10,"right":6},"totalSources":30,"untracked":12,"rated":18,"observedAt":"2026-08-31T15:15:09.442141+00:00"},"lifecycle":{"state":"developing","lastCheckedAt":"2026-08-31T15:45:08.997Z","closedAt":null,"checks":6,"changes":0,"reopened":false},"framing":{"left":["The left-rated report from Vice led with the unusual nature of the experiment, describing it as 'the best way to test the quality and vitality of the soil' by having 'a bunch of people to bury their underwear in the dirt for two months.' It highlighted that private gardens had the 'liveliest soil' and that the 'underwear index' can be used to determine soil health. The report also noted that extremely rapid decomposition could indicate a nutrient overload and an unbalanced patch of dirt. It concluded by stating that if burying undies is what it takes to gauge soil health, 'let’s all grab a shovel and our least loved cotton underpants and get to digging in the name of science.'"],"centre":["Centre-rated reports focused on the scientific findings and the methodology of the 'Proof by Underpants' project. They highlighted that land use is the key factor influencing soil health, with private gardens showing the most rapid decomposition and lawns the least. Several reports mentioned that the decomposition rate serves as an indicator of soil life and that healthy soil is crucial for fertility and ecosystem services. Some centre-rated outlets also noted that while rapid decomposition is beneficial for agriculture, it can indicate nutrient oversupply in near-natural habitats. The role of citizen science in enabling large-scale research was also a recurring theme."],"right":["Right-rated reports generally focused on the unusual aspect of the experiment and its findings regarding soil activity. Headlines often posed questions about why underwear was buried, such as in The Economic Times and Gulf News. Several reports mentioned that private gardens displayed the most rapid decomposition rates, indicating active microorganisms. Some digests, like EADaily, used more provocative phrasing such as 'Agrarian Stripping.' The core finding that the experiment aimed to raise awareness about soil ecosystems and generate data on biological activity was present across these reports."],"comparison":""},"blindspot":null,"sourceFactualityDistribution":{"low":1,"mixed":3,"high":7,"unknown":12,"veryHigh":7},"ownershipDistribution":{"privateEquity":2,"mediaConglomerate":6,"billionaire":3,"independent":2,"other":3,"corporation":1},"firstDatedReport":{"sourceName":"BIOENGINEER.ORG","url":"https://bioengineer.org/buried-underwear-reveals-land-use-is-crucial-for-soil-health","publishedAt":"2026-08-26T12:38:06.000Z"},"countries":[{"country":"Mumbai, Konkan Division, Maharashtra, India","count":2},{"country":"Douglas, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom","count":1},{"country":"Linz, Upper Austria, Austria","count":1},{"country":"Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States","count":1},{"country":"Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States","count":1},{"country":"Wilmington, New Castle County, 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