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

[Darren Dirt]

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



via IFLS ; source text here

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!)

[Darren Dirt]

another article here, with a bit more detail as well as embedding of this video, "Mammal Micturition Reel".

[Mr. Analog]

Weird

Though I find duration varies myself, are we talking about averages here?

[Thorin]

Is that after the first beer, or are we talking five beers before finally getting up to go the bathroom?

[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...

[Mr. Analog]

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.

[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?

[Mr. Analog]

Good question haha

[Darren Dirt]

By the way, why are we talking about peeing?

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

[Mr. Analog]

I just had a "Mr. Wong" flashback

*collapses into coma*

[Lazybones]

I just had a "Mr. Wong" flashback

*collapses into coma*

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

[Mr. Analog]

lol I wonder if some of those sites survived?