How to Make........with Zoe Laughlin
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- Episode
- The Toothbrush
- Broadcast Info
- 2020 (59 mins)
- Description
- Zoe Laughlin, designer, maker and materials engineer is fascinated by the science and technology hidden within the everyday objects we take for granted. In this series she’ll dismantle and dissect three classic items, to understand the wonders of form, function and material that go into making them, before building her own truly bespoke versions step by step. In this episode, Zoe explores an item so ubiquitous, most of us don’t give it a moment’s thought, The Toothbrush. With 200 milion thrown away each year in the UK she’s on a mission to find a sustainable solution. In search of inspiration she heads to Sweden’s impressive low impact mega factory, Tepe where handles made from sugarcane bio-based plastic are ahead of the pack. She explores bespoke production techniques employing 3D laser sintering and dips into the archives of the British Dental Association revealing the light bulb moment the modern brush was hit upon in a prison cell. Turning to the toothpaste, pioneering scientists using bio-active glass to get more fluoride to our teeth and unconventional options at Lush Cosmetic’s Willy- Wonker style lab get Zoe’s taste buds tingling. All before revealing her final Toothbrush and alternative ‘paste’ which are uniquely Zoe, and just ‘a bit bonkers’ but could provide a very real eco-friendly answer to our daily brushing needs.
- Genre
- Culture; Design; Science; Technology; Chemistry
How to cite this record
The Open University, "How to Make........with Zoe Laughlin". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ou/search/index.php/prog/236077 (Accessed 10 Jan 2025)