ELI5 Rubber Bands - why do they become brittle over time?

ELI5 Explain Like I'm 5: Bite sized answers to stuff you should know about - in a mini podcast

What are rubber bands actually made of? Why do they become brittle over time? Why is it near impossible to let go of a stretched rubber-band with both hands at the same time? Which drug cartel was spending a reported $2500 per month on rubber bands?

... we explain like I'm five

Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: party-pupper, tdscanuck, jozer99, uhly, carlmmii,readdit___4score, and iklegemma

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