Ig Nobel Prize awarded for discovery mammals can breathe through their anuses
By Ryan General
A team of Japanese scientists were honored with the Ig Nobel Prize in physiology on Thursday for their groundbreaking discovery that mammals, including humans, can absorb oxygen through their rectums. The research, while humorous on the surface, has significant implications for emergency medicine and could provide a lifesaving alternative for patients in respiratory distress.
- Unusual findings : The annual Ig Nobel Prize ceremony, held by Improbable Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, recognizes unusual scientific achievements that “first make people laugh, and then make them think.” The Japanese research team, led by Ryo Okabe and Takanori Takebe, demonstrated that mice, rats and pigs could absorb oxygen through their rectums, potentially offering a new method to support critically ill patients with respiratory difficulties.
- A new paradigm: This innovative approach, known as “enteral ventilation,” could be crucial in situations where traditional ventilators or artificial lungs are unavailable, such as during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The scientists published their findings in the journal Med in 2021, stating that enteral ventilation represents “a new paradigm” for addressing respiratory failure. Other Ig Nobel Prize winners this year included researchers who explored the probability of a flipped coin landing on the same side, the use of chromatography to separate drunk and sober worms and the mimicking behavior of real plants near fake ones. Actual Nobel laureates presented the winners with a now-obsolete Zimbabwean 10 trillion-dollar bill (worth $22 on eBay) and a “transparent box” containing items related to “Murphy’s Law,” the theme of this year’s ceremony.
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