The Biggest Chemical Coverup In History
Why Hacker News recommends it
Recommended as a good, accessible explanation of PFAS, its low safe limits and why regulation matters.
What it is
Veritasium investigates PFAS forever chemicals, from Teflon's history to pollution of the global water system and their presence in the US population. It covers the corporate cover-up and the host's own blood tests.
Recommended by 3 HN commenters across 3 different months, 2025 to 2026.
What Hacker News said
Strong rec chiph · 2025-05 · on “Derek Muller confronts PFAS "forever chemicals" in his own blood”
Based on his video, I have given up eating microwave popcorn and have gone back to stove-top made. If his numbers are to be believed (and I do), the coating on the inside of a microwave popcorn bag that is used to keep the cooking oils from soaking into the paper emit PFAS chemicals. Which leach into the popcorn oils - later to be consumed by you. In the chart comparing them with other coated papers such as fast food burger wrappers, they are far and away the leading source of PFAS. I still have questions - do the PFAS chemicals leach into the oils while sitting on the store shelf, or are they emitted when they get heated up in the microwave and exceed some temperature (like getting a Teflon
Recommends ourmandave · 2025-06 · on “Microplastics shed by food packaging are contaminating our food, study finds”
If you want a good explanation of PFAs, Veritasium did a video on it. [this video] The safe allowable ppm counts are insanely low for this shit.
Recommends starwatch · 2025-10 · on “3M May Escape Toxic Chemical, PFAS Manufacturing Legacy”
If you want more context on PFAS, I recommend this Veritasium video [0]. It expanded on my usual thought of "PFAS = bad," explaining why non-stick cookware is probably fine while other forms of PFAS are problematic. The video also covers the environmental damage caused by PFAS manufacturing. [0]: [this video]
Cites aptj · 2025-06 · on “Ask HN: How are parents who program teaching their kids today?”
@all Don't forget to help your kids learn to communicate, cooperate, stand for the healthy life on this wonderful planet (our common habitat) and resist being fooled and bullied. > Veritasium: How One Company Secretly Poisoned The Planet [this video] Edits: minor typos.
Cites sakesun · 2025-07 · on “If writing is thinking then what happens if AI is doing the writing and reading?”
Just watched Veritasium's "How One Company Secretly Poisoned The Planet" [this video] Inventions created for convenience decades ago have now become health concerns. I wonder how AI might affect our intellectual well-being in the decades to come.
Cites vincnetas · 2025-09 · on “EPA Seeks to Eliminate Critical PFAS Drinking Water Protections”
Veritasium had video explaining about PFAS and environment protections that were needed to keep people/animals from being sick. Somewhere around minute 23 in video. [this video]
Cites alt227 · 2026-04 · on “How to breathe in fewer microplastics in your home”
Fully agree with you, however eating small bits of PFAS from pans seems to be pretty non toxic. Even in the recent Veritasium video about it they said that unless the chemical was heated to above ~300 degress C if will pass through the human digestive system without causing any harm. [this video]
Cites Joel_Mckay · 2026-07 · on “GAO: DOE Is Prematurely Excluding Less Expensive Options for Nuclear Cleanup”
The toxicology of soluble heavy-metal bioavailable material is a well understood area of research, and can bioaccumulate in humans several times higher than background if a food chain allows biomagnification of a contaminant. The publication assumes the reader has first year biology, and will understand test subject mortality data implications. I would recommend studying the story of Polychlorinated biphenyls in whales, Mercury levels in salmon, and PFAS in the Veritasium hosts blood. [this video] "Particle Accelerator vs Egg" is a great demonstration of purely irradiated cell decomposition, and is great entertainment for all ages. =3 [LINK]