IFLS: the next time you pee, think about this...

Started by Darren Dirt, November 07, 2013, 09:04:23 AM

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Darren Dirt

wow, "duration of urination" approximately the same no matter how big the bladder of your mammalian species (!)



via IFLS ; source text here
Quote
Saying an elephant pees for the same amount of time as a domestic cat seems impressive enough, but it gets even more impressive when you consider just how much urine the elephant produces: several bathtubs' worth. It's like having 60 showerheads all going at full blast.

(photo of the elephant's ridiculously wide urethra in action here -- yikes, imagine the electricity that could generate!)
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Strive for progress. Not perfection.
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Darren Dirt

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Strive for progress. Not perfection.
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Mr. Analog

Weird

Though I find duration varies myself, are we talking about averages here?
By Grabthar's Hammer

Thorin

Is that after the first beer, or are we talking five beers before finally getting up to go the bathroom?
Prayin' for a 20!

gcc thorin.c -pedantic -o Thorin
compile successful

Darren Dirt

I guess they did some measurements including time-lapse photography to figure out the total volume in a typical (?) deployment of the fluid... Although some of the comments for the first linked article mention maybe the elephant is only 16L, not 160L (i.e. 4 gallons, not 40) ... although when you think about how much volume a typical outdoor garbage can is, 160L seems a possibility.

Also other comments point out that even humans typically empty the bladder at around 20% of capacity, so maybe the math is a bit "off" for the rest of the animals too.

Makes for interesting "slow news day" contents anyway...
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Strive for progress. Not perfection.
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Mr. Analog

Quote from: Thorin on November 07, 2013, 09:34:46 AM
Is that after the first beer, or are we talking five beers before finally getting up to go the bathroom?

Well given I'm on 2 diuretics and I drink coffee in the morning I go upwards of 4-5 times a day, not always the same amount

Oddly when I'm consuming alcohol I typically keep pace and the quantity is consistent.
By Grabthar's Hammer

Thorin

When I was younger I was in the hospital for a while.  At one point they had to measure input vs output.  I had six liters of intravenous fluid and didn't have to go at all.  I was very, very, dehydrated.  Another time I had IVs and had to measure output myself as I was better.  They gave me a liter container.  I filled it.  I gotta tell ya, that actually takes a while, to fill a one-liter container all the way to the top.

By the way, why are we talking about peeing?
Prayin' for a 20!

gcc thorin.c -pedantic -o Thorin
compile successful

Mr. Analog

By Grabthar's Hammer

Darren Dirt

Quote from: Thorin on November 07, 2013, 12:39:37 PM
By the way, why are we talking about peeing?

You're in the weird part of the internet, people!

_____________________

Strive for progress. Not perfection.
_____________________

Mr. Analog

I just had a "Mr. Wong" flashback

*collapses into coma*
By Grabthar's Hammer

Lazybones

Quote from: Mr. Analog on November 07, 2013, 02:15:31 PM
I just had a "Mr. Wong" flashback

*collapses into coma*

Awww the flash golden age.... (no pun intended)

Mr. Analog

By Grabthar's Hammer