Mysteries of Poop

Episode 12,   Mar 16, 2020, 05:00 AM

Why does coffee make you poop? Why do some animals eat their own poop? And just how much do you poop in your lifetime? All these poop related questions (and a whole lot more) are answered by our intrepid science reporters, Jeanna and Mindy.
 
Below you can find links to further reading on the topics discussed in this episode.

 
  • Research from the 1990s found that when some people drink coffee they experience a response in the gastrointestinal system just minutes later


Interview with Metin Eren, assistant professor at Kent State University in Ohio, and co-director of the University's Eren Laboratory of Experimental Archaeology: What a Waste! Frozen Poop Knives Are Crappy Cutters
 

  • This is called coprophagia and common in the animal kingdom 
  • For many animals it helps them digest more nutrients 


NEWS UPDATE with Live Science staff writer Yasemin Saplakoglu:  New coronavirus may spread through poop
 

  • The number can vary due to age, dietary habits, exercise and other factors 
  • On average both men and women move their bowels about once a day and produce about 14 to 17 ounces of feces 

 
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Music by Chad Crouch - Algorithms