Mental Floss Explains What Dirt and Soil Are Made of and the Difference Between the Two

Host Craig Benzine answers the viewer-submitted question “What is dirt made out of?” in a recent episode of the Mental Floss series Big Questions. Benzine explains the distinction between dirt and soil, and what basic components are present. He also explains how different the makeup of soil can be in different locations, citing the fact that there are approximately 50,000 types of soil in the United States alone.