We know so little about the ocean, but a simple bath toy helped us understand it better. Dive into the story of what happened when 30,000 bath toys washed overboard and how these cute plastic critters helped scientists uncover the mysteries behind ocean currents with our host Nihal Arthanayake.

In this episode, curator Alex Rose reveals the epic ocean voyage taken by ordinary bath toys, while beachcomber Tracey Williams shares her interesting finds on the Cornish coast. You’ll hear stories of flotsam and the global beachcomber network and discover more about the ocean and our impact on it.   

This episode was inspired by Friendly Floatee bath toys from the Science Museum Group Collection. This incredible collection contains more than 7 million items which illustrate the impact of science, technology, engineering and medicine on all our lives.

Find out more about the items in this episode and read the transcript on our website, you can also discover more stories about the everyday objects around you.

Follow @sciencemuseum on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for more insights into the collection and use #ABriefHistoryOfStuff to join the conversation on social media.

Follow @LegoLostAtSea to see more of Tracey’s fascinating beach-combing finds.

A Brief History of Stuff is a Storythings and Science Museum Group production. Each episode features a story inspired by incredible items from the Science Museum Group Collection.

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