Holy men who met their unholy ends
The bolson pupfish feeds on algae, and can accidentally ingest the gas algae produce. This can be potentially fatal for the fish as it can inhibit its ability to swim. The only solution is to fart.
If you want an extra layer of protection, there’s actually a company that sells these.
Octopi and birds, for example, don’t fart at all. Sloths don't either, and are probably the only mammal that doesn’t pass gas.
This research paper by Mara Sidoli looks at the case of a boy who uses flatulence as a defense mechanism when feeling endangered.
Yes, researchers have conducted studies on this! The answer is somewhere between a bottle of nail polish and a can of soda.
Termites fart. A lot. Around 20 million tons of methane are released into the atmosphere by termites per year. That’s about 1.3% of global methane emissions!
A French inventor claimed to have invented a pill that can make farts smell like chocolate, roses, ginger, violet, or lily of the valley.
The British flatulist is the contemporary answer to Pujol. Paul Oldfield, better known as Mr Methane, has been performing since the early ‘90s.
In 2016, the Canadian government actually debated the use of the word “fart” in the parliament. All because “MP Michelle Rempel accused the government of treating the province of Alberta 'like a fart in the room' over jobs,” according to the BBC.
The link between the loudness of a fart and its smell has actually not been proven scientifically. Yet.
Well, at least not in front of Berlin’s police officers. A man who was asked for his ID did so, and ended up being fined €900 (US$1,012) for disrespecting the officers, says Mental Floss.
Jonathan Swift even wrote a pamphlet called ‘The Benefit of Farting’ in 1722!
According to BBC, in 2019, a man in Australia sued his former company for AUS$1.8m (US$1.2 million). He claimed that his supervisor farted on him several times a day. He lost the case.
Yes, it seems that James Joyce was sexually attracted to flatulence, and he’s not alone. Some people do have this fetish. It’s called eproctophilia.
Other pieces of literature that mention farts include, Dante Alighieri’s ‘The Inferno,’ Geoffrey Chaucer’s ‘The Canterbury Tales,’ and James Joyce’s ‘Ulysses,’ among others.
William Shakespeare for instance, has used fart jokes, such as the one in ‘A Comedy of Errors,’ where he writes “A man may break a word with you, sir; and words are but wind; Ay, and break it in your face, so he break it not behind.”
Adults produce approximately two pints (1 liter) of gas per day. This translates to an average of 14 farts a day. Though this number can go up to 21 times a day.
Gas can build up and a big one might come out at some point. If you still hold it, it can actually be reabsorbed and come out through your mouth.
This is the term used to describe the rumbling in your tummy when gas is brewing.
It’s estimated that 99% of farts have no smell at all. They’re made of oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen, and methane. All these gases are in fact odorless.
The term dates back to 1651 and has its origin in the Latin word that means “the act of blowing.” It’s defined as “gas generated in the stomach or bowels.”
This is purely due to exposure. We're simply more used to the smell of our own gas.
An ancient recipe called Farts of Portingale was a famous English delicacy. It consisted of seasoned mutton meatballs cooked in beef broth.
In a letter he wrote to her in 1909, Joyce mentions farts ten times! In one part of the letter he says: “I think I would know Nora’s fart anywhere. I think I could pick hers out in a roomful of farting women.”
In addition to the reference in ‘Ulysses,’ the author did seem to have an erotic obsession with flatulence, especially those of his beloved wife and muse, Nora Barnacle.
The French flatulist and entertainer, also known as ‘Le Pétoman’, was known for his talent of farting on demand and did so in front of audiences in the 1890s.
This is due to you not having any clothes on to absorb the smell and the fact that you’re in an enclosed space. Plus, the shower steam can actually enhance your sense of smell!
Everybody farts. This is how the body works and there's nothing we can do about it. Or is there? Well, there are pills that will reportedly make your farts smell like flowers, and there's even flatulence-filtering underwear on sale. Though we can't attest to the efficiency of either of these, we can tell you that there are indeed many interesting facts about farts, and you'll find them in this gallery!
Curious? Browse through the following gallery and discover many phenomenal facts about flatulence.
Phenomenal facts about flatulence
How much space does a fart take up?
LIFESTYLE Fun facts
Everybody farts. This is how the body works and there's nothing we can do about it. Or is there? Well, there are pills that will reportedly make your farts smell like flowers, and there's even flatulence-filtering underwear on sale. Though we can't attest to the efficiency of either of these, we can tell you that there are indeed many interesting facts about farts, and you'll find them in this gallery!
Curious? Browse through the following gallery and discover many phenomenal facts about flatulence.