Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

meegbear

(25,438 posts)
Fri Oct 18, 2013, 04:01 PM Oct 2013

Mathematicians discover universal law of mammal urination

Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta have arrived at a universal law of urination that explains why dogs, goats, cows and elephants — male and female — all take approximately 21 seconds to empty their bladders. According to New Scientist, the research team studied local zoo animals and hours of YouTube videos to arrive at their results.

Patricia Yang and her colleagues study fluid dynamics and specifically how animals interact with liquids. The team previously used high-speed imaging to determine how dogs shake themselves dry.

The new research took into account each animal’s mass, bladder pressure and urethra size as it studied videos of several different species of mammals peeing. Investigators were able to create a mathematical model of urinary systems across species, explaining why divergent groups of mammals spend roughly the same amount of time emptying their bladders.

“Previous models,” explained New Scientist, “have only considered the effects of bladder pressure, but the length of the urethra turns out to be important as well.” Yang told the publications, “Most of the research is on humans or animals smaller than humans,” and in these animals, gravity is not a huge factor in the rate at which the bladder empties.

<snip>

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/10/18/mathematicians-discover-universal-law-of-mammal-urination/

Is that I Nobel I smell? I hope that's what that smell is.

32 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Mathematicians discover universal law of mammal urination (Original Post) meegbear Oct 2013 OP
I would think it must be genetic based on survival rates berni_mccoy Oct 2013 #1
next time I am pissing in the woods... DontTreadOnMe Oct 2013 #27
Listen for the ticking sound n/t Oilwellian Oct 2013 #30
Finally, I can sleep at night. RedCappedBandit Oct 2013 #2
Perhaps an Ig(r) Nobel... PoliticAverse Oct 2013 #3
I think this falls more toward qualifying... lastlib Oct 2013 #4
Man, I'm glad I'm not doing a dissertation on this. winter is coming Oct 2013 #5
Figured it out a long time ago. NuclearDem Oct 2013 #6
21 seconds? Really? How I wish. Xipe Totec Oct 2013 #7
They are studying the NORMAL. Eventually it will help them understand the ABNORMAL. kestrel91316 Oct 2013 #8
Approximately half of men in their 50s and as many as 90 percent of men in their 70s and 80s Xipe Totec Oct 2013 #9
Shouldn't a normal human be dead by that age? Shrike47 Oct 2013 #14
Ageism is alive and well. Even in DU. Xipe Totec Oct 2013 #15
By the time we're 60, we're no longer fit to be Soylent Green JustABozoOnThisBus Oct 2013 #19
I do not know what is more amazing: brer cat Oct 2013 #10
Hmmmmmm LondonReign2 Oct 2013 #11
Leave it to Tech!!! MNBrewer Oct 2013 #12
They are #1! Dr. Strange Oct 2013 #16
Dawgs? I don't think so. Ilsa Oct 2013 #18
um.... MNBrewer Oct 2013 #20
Sorry, I thought you were referring to GTech as Dawgs... Ilsa Oct 2013 #23
call me when they can apply that to the curse of sudden incontinence librechik Oct 2013 #13
I've noticed some below zero temps can shorten that time seveneyes Oct 2013 #17
Russian racehorses timed much higher. rucky Oct 2013 #21
God how I envy those creatures that can piss in 21 seconds or less 1-Old-Man Oct 2013 #22
lol, that was funny. tillikum Oct 2013 #29
So, since we're studying animal urination, how long would it take for a Tea Party member to pee? icymist Oct 2013 #24
This message was self-deleted by its author woo me with science Oct 2013 #25
The full research paper was leaked before the publication date jberryhill Oct 2013 #26
Thank you. I really needed to know this. scarletwoman Oct 2013 #28
Wow...I'll have to time myself with a stopwatch next visit… regnaD kciN Oct 2013 #31
Outlier ... Scuba Oct 2013 #32
 

berni_mccoy

(23,018 posts)
1. I would think it must be genetic based on survival rates
Fri Oct 18, 2013, 04:05 PM
Oct 2013

Animals are vulnerable while performing bodily functions. Perhaps 21 seconds is the average time of urination by all animals to avoid being killed by some other animal. A bigger bladder causing longer urination... those animals got eaten out of the evolutionary chain. Just a theory though...

winter is coming

(11,785 posts)
5. Man, I'm glad I'm not doing a dissertation on this.
Fri Oct 18, 2013, 04:09 PM
Oct 2013

I hope they're somehow filming this, but I can imagine some research grunt whose job is hanging around, waiting for animals to piss. Then again, fast-forwarding through tape looking for urinating animals is weird enough.

Xipe Totec

(43,890 posts)
7. 21 seconds? Really? How I wish.
Fri Oct 18, 2013, 04:16 PM
Oct 2013

Did they study prostate enlargement and the effects on urination time?

No?!!!



 

kestrel91316

(51,666 posts)
8. They are studying the NORMAL. Eventually it will help them understand the ABNORMAL.
Fri Oct 18, 2013, 04:22 PM
Oct 2013

At least one would hope.

Xipe Totec

(43,890 posts)
9. Approximately half of men in their 50s and as many as 90 percent of men in their 70s and 80s
Fri Oct 18, 2013, 04:25 PM
Oct 2013

Approximately half of men in their 50s and as many as 90 percent of men in their 70s and 80s have enlarged prostates.

That sounds like a normal age progression event to me.

http://urology.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=478&ref=21&action=detail


Xipe Totec

(43,890 posts)
15. Ageism is alive and well. Even in DU.
Fri Oct 18, 2013, 04:49 PM
Oct 2013

Shall we talk about infant mortality rate over the same period?

brer cat

(24,576 posts)
10. I do not know what is more amazing:
Fri Oct 18, 2013, 04:27 PM
Oct 2013

that these highly educated individuals spent countless hours watching You Tube videos of animal peeing or that hours of such videos even EXIST on You Tube.

LondonReign2

(5,213 posts)
11. Hmmmmmm
Fri Oct 18, 2013, 04:27 PM
Oct 2013

One of my dogs totally disproves this theory; he spends 5-7 seconds at each and every ones of the dozens of mailboxes along the route of our walks. Also, any fire hydrant, sign post, stray newpaper, and fallen branch that he can find.

All in all he spends approximately 12-14 minutes emptying his bladder. Hell, he trys to empty his bladder when there can't possibly be anything left.

Ilsa

(61,695 posts)
18. Dawgs? I don't think so.
Fri Oct 18, 2013, 05:24 PM
Oct 2013

Try Yellow Jackets for Georgia Tech. The Bulldogs are the mascot for UGA, or University of Georgia. Different university.

MNBrewer

(8,462 posts)
20. um....
Fri Oct 18, 2013, 07:38 PM
Oct 2013

I happen to be an alumnus of UGA.

Leave it to Tech.... meaning, to do something as stupid as studying mammalian pissing volume/time

Idiotic "biology" at Tech.

They should stick to electrical or chemical engineering.

Real biologists go to UGA.

Go DAWGS!

I think so....

Ilsa

(61,695 posts)
23. Sorry, I thought you were referring to GTech as Dawgs...
Fri Oct 18, 2013, 07:54 PM
Oct 2013

I usually yell for the Dawgs too.

(Since GTech was the focus of the thread, it looked as if you were calling them "Dawgs".)

 

seveneyes

(4,631 posts)
17. I've noticed some below zero temps can shorten that time
Fri Oct 18, 2013, 05:17 PM
Oct 2013

Sometimes not even penetrating the snow pack.

1-Old-Man

(2,667 posts)
22. God how I envy those creatures that can piss in 21 seconds or less
Fri Oct 18, 2013, 07:47 PM
Oct 2013

It would not bother me so much that I have to pee every 15 minutes if it didn't take me 20 minutes to do it. Such is old age.

icymist

(15,888 posts)
24. So, since we're studying animal urination, how long would it take for a Tea Party member to pee?
Fri Oct 18, 2013, 08:00 PM
Oct 2013

I mean, like tea, if caffeinated is a diuretic and Tea Party people always seem to be pissed off anyways...

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Response to meegbear (Original post)

scarletwoman

(31,893 posts)
28. Thank you. I really needed to know this.
Fri Oct 18, 2013, 08:11 PM
Oct 2013

Now I don't feel so bad about pissing away so much time on DU. My chamber pot of knowledge truly runneth over.

regnaD kciN

(26,044 posts)
31. Wow...I'll have to time myself with a stopwatch next visit…
Fri Oct 18, 2013, 08:39 PM
Oct 2013

Last edited Fri Oct 18, 2013, 09:16 PM - Edit history (1)

…to see if I fit the norm. (And you thought the only pissing contests were in politics!)

P.S.: 24.9 seconds…told you they were wrong!


Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Mathematicians discover u...