Ever since Eve accidentally let one slip in front of Adam after she ate that fiber-filled apple, the world has been fascinated with farts. They’re funny; they’re stinky; they’re a time-honored tradition. These 12 facts show farts are more than just bacterial fermentation and swallowed air.
1. The word fart was coined in 1632, defined as “to send forth as wind from the anus.”
Even in the Dark Ages farts were used as a way to lighten the mood. Coming from the Old English word ‘feortan’ meaning ‘to break wind’, the term was often used in famous epic poems from Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare. Variants include the Old Norse ‘freta’ and the Old High German ‘ferzan.’
3. In at least five plays – including “Othello,” “King Lear,” and “The Comedy of Errors” – Shakespeare cracks fart jokes like a pimply teenager.
“Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage, blow!” – “King Lear”
“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.” – “The Comedy of Errors”
5. 9.41 million gallons of human farts are released into our atmosphere daily.
For comparison, nearly 10 million gallons of water flooded UCLA’s campus this year. Where are you, Al Gore?
7. In China, “professional fart smellers” make up to $50,000 detecting flatulent odors to diagnose disease.
According to Rocket News, these courageous men and women are able to identify anal illnesses and pinpoint their bodily location. The scent – whether meaty, fishy, raw, bitter or sweet – can predict whether one has a malady, such as intestinal infection or inflammation. If you’re trying to find a job overseas, tell your parents you found the golden opportunity.
9. The Yanomami tribe of South America uses flatulence as a means of saying hello.
It is said when Ferdinand Magellan stumbled upon the Yanomami, they gave him quite the flatulent welcome. Just kidding. But these people actually exist, and numerous sources support their reputation as fart whisperers.
11. It would take nine farts from every person on earth to make a hydrogen bomb.
Let’s break it down: The average fart is combustible for 147 Joules, according to this Yahoo! Answers genius. The energy and mass of a hydrogen bomb is 1e13 Joules, according to Dr. Jay Maron. In sum, it would take 68 billion farts to create the energy of a thermonuclear weapon. Every person on the planet would have to bottle nine farts.
Fun!
