A citizen science project in Switzerland involved 1,000 participants burying their underpants to monitor soil health.

Why did 1,000 Swiss citizens bury their underpants? It wasn't to foil the Underpants Gnomes. It was part of a citizen science project to monitor soil health across Switzerland. https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/08/why-did-1000-swiss-citizens-bury-their-underpants/

"A thousand people voluntarily buried their cotton underpants for two months—not to keep the Underpants Gnomes from stealing them, but as part of a citizen science project to map out soil health in 25 countries around the world. The results of this unique experiment were reported in a new paper published in the journal Plants People Planet." https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/08/why-did-1000-swiss-citizens-bury-their-underpants/ #Research #Soil #Environment #CitizenScience