I’m sure we could all imagine a scenario in which breathing through our buttholes would be a huge help. But alas, we cannot. Or… can we? Turns out, yeah, we can. A little.
In 2021, inspired by the rectum breathing abilities of sea cucumbers, a team of Japanese researchers discovered that the mesh of fine blood vessels beneath a mammal’s rectal lining can absorb oxygen. Now, they’ve just won an award for what they found: that mammalian assholes can absorb oxygen in a medical emergency.
They tested their discovery on mice, rats, and pigs. They deprived the animals of oxygen and then gave them oxygen-rich enemas in liquid and gas form. Their theory was correct.
The animals’ blood became enriched with oxygen that was then pumped through their circulatory system. They effectively breathed through their butts. If you think that sounds like a waste of research money, the silly-sounding discovery could have huge applications in administering oxygen to emergency patients.
And now, those scientists have got their just desserts. Every year, MIT awards Ig Noble Prizes to honor fascinating and odd scientific discoveries. The award’s name is a joke—it’s meant to be read “ignoble.” The awards are split into 10 categories by field of research, each honoring the weirdest but still endlessly fascinating work of researchers worldwide. The Japanese researchers walked away with the award in physiology.
Another set of winners included researchers who discovered that a vine from Chile could imitate the growth patterns of a nearby artificial plant. Another winner studied whether the direction of a person’s hair swirls depends on whether they’re in the northern or southern hemisphere. Scientist James C. Liao won an award for his tireless research into the swimming patterns of dead trout.
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