Farts in private: Oh, so relaxing. Farts in public: Oops, embarrassing! Earlier farts used to be the butt of all jokes, but now scientists are becoming serious about this topic. That’s because nature hasn’t reserved farts only for humans, rather animals and even fishes fart too. Science has become so serious about farts that scientists have created a twitter hashtag #DoesItFart along with a Google spreadsheet of details containing flatulence habits of more than sixty animals! Here are 15 Weird And Interesting Facts You Never Knew About Farts.
1. The word “fart” is one of the oldest words in the English vocabulary.
Fart may seem like a modern slang word but it has existed since time immemorial. The immediate root of the word “Fart” is in the Middle English words ferten, feortan and farten which are quite similar to the Old High German word ferzan. Its cognates are found in Old Norse, Slavic, Greek and Sanskrit.(1,2)
2. Chimpanzees fart so loudly and frequently that occasionally scientists locate them in the forest by following their farts.
Gas produced by chimpanzees primarily depend on their diet. A diet of fruit produces smellier farts than leaves. Figs produce the worst smelling farts. Often these audible farts are useful for researchers to pinpoint their location in the wild. According to Adriana Lowe, a researcher of biological anthropology at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom, some of the Chimpanzees have very long, air-being-released-from-a-balloon quality farts. Locating Chimps by the aid of such farts becomes an easy task.(source)
3. A pill called “Father Christmas” can make your farts smell like chocolate!
Hate fart smells? Fret not. A French inventor, Christian Poincheval, has found the perfect solution for smelly farts: a fart pill called “Father Christmas”. After ingestion, the Father Christmas pill will emit sweet chocolate-like smelling farts instead of the usual malodorous gas.
According to Poincheval, the idea for fart pills came from an embarrassing situation after a night out with friends. During the meal, they could not control their farts and their gas was so smelly that they nearly suffocated. This incident gave him the idea and he started researching and experimenting with natural ingredients. Finally, he zeroed in on a recipe and started selling the Father Christmas pills online.(1,2)
4. Farts in shower smell worse because our nose works better in high heat and humidity.
Normally when we fart, the odor gets filtered through the layers of our garment. But in a shower, there is no such resistance. So, the gas immediately enters the surrounding and smells worse.
The second reason of the intensified smell is the warmth. Warm shower water maximizes the intensity of the stinky farts.(source)
5. There are pads you can wear in your underwear to make your farts not stink.
Stinky farts are uncomfortable for everyone. Sometimes we can control them but at other times, such as during digestive disorder, farts are hard to control. If you or your friends suffer from such problem then there are special pads available through which you can control the smell. These pads contain either activated charcoal or other compositions which curb the stinky smell. These pads are specifically designed to be worn with boxer shorts, panties, briefs and even pantyhose.(1,2)
6. Farts and burps of cows are quite damaging to the environment because their farts contain a high percentage of methane gas which is eighty-four times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Each cow releases 200-400 pounds of methane gas a year through flatulence. French company Valorex SAS is encouraging farmers to feed cows alfalfa and flaxseed to reduce the methane release by as much as 25%.
The silent curd chewing cows are the source of 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions!
Surprising, isn’t it? The main culprits are the farts and burps of cows. Cows release a significant amount of methane gas through their burps and farts. Carbon dioxide is the primary cause of global warming yet methane gas is eighty-four times more powerful in trapping heat in the atmosphere.
In order to reduce the methane emission, companies like Valorex SAS are making feed additives. These feed additives will reduce the production of methane in cow’s guts, thereby reducing their methane emissions.(1,2,3)
7. Human poop and farts get their foul smell primarily from the chemical compounds skatole and indole. These compounds smell flowery at low composition and are used in perfumes. The USA and Israel have used skatole in crowd control sprays and the stench does not wash off the skin for three days.
The benzo pyrrole volatiles indole and sakotale are the chemical compounds causing the nasty smell of human poop and farts. They occur naturally in human guts. Due to their unbearably unpleasant odor, they are used in making stink bombs for crowd control. The odor of these smelly compounds changes once its concentration is lowered. At a very low concentration, it has a flowery smell and is a natural constituent of flowers such as orange blossoms. It is even used in making perfumes.(1,2,3)
8. Some people in China are professional fart smellers and earn $50,000 a year smelling farts.
It may seem disgusting, but there exist people who are professional fart smellers. This job is in demand in China due to their unique medical beliefs. According to traditional Chinese medical professionals, the flatulence of each person has particular nuance such as savory, sweet, bitter, fishy and others. A trained fart smeller can detect these undertones and detect a disease according to the smell. In China being a fart smeller is rather an exclusive job because only people of age eighteen to forty-five are licensed to do this job. Also, the person must be free of any nasal impairment or disease and refrain from all smoking and alcohol.(source)
9. The bacterial composition of fart is unique to an individual, just like our fingerprints. That’s why you aren’t bothered by your own but are nauseated by the farts of others.
We all have noticed that often our own farts don’t bother us but when someone else’s gas reaches our nose, all hell breaks loose. The reason behind this is that the bacteria producing these smells in our body are completely different and unique from other individuals. So, our nose can recognize when it’s our own smell and when it is someone else’s. Also, it’s a psychological fact that the more familiar you are with something, whether it be a song, picture, or even a smell, the more likely you are to prefer it. So, we don’t feel nauseated by our own fart smell but are appalled by others.(source)
10. Scientists claim that holding in farts during flights is bad for your body and can affect the pilot’s ability to control the plane. The solution suggested is flatulence-absorbing blankets and seats.
According to a study published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, high altitude air pressure dramatically adds to the build up of farts in our body. In such situation holding in the gas can cause problems in our body. The study also stated that in the pilot’s case it could affect his abilities to control the airplane. A team of British and Danish gastroenterologists recommends that passengers should release gas freely during the flight. During a flight, we sit in close proximity to others so scientists have recommended using flatulence-absorbing blankets and seats on flights.(source)
11. Farts can come out of the vagina during or after sex or exercise but these farts don’t have any specific odor associated with it.
We usually associate farts with the rear end of our body. But in females fart expulsion may sometimes occur through their vagina. It usually occurs during or after sexual intercourse or exercise. In medical terms, it is called “vaginal flatulence”. The sound is somewhat comparable to farts produced from the anus. Usually, farts from vagina are odorless as it does not contain any waste gasses. If any strong odor is emitted along with vaginal gas then you should consult a specialist as it may be a result of the serious medical condition called colovaginal fistula.(source)
12. People who fart in front of their partner are more likely to have a lasting relationship.
While the world is leaning towards couple therapy in order to sort out problems, farts actually hold the real key to a happy relationship. According to a new research couples who fart in front of each other without any inhibition are likely to have a long-lasting relationship. The author of the book Naked Parenting, Leah Decesare, has written a research paper confirming that trust and sincerity are the pillars of a lasting relationship and that includes farting in front of our partner.(source)
13. In the 18th century there existed a Farting Club which was founded in Cripplegate, London where members competed with each other to see who could produce the loudest and longest farts.
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