“Butt breath” might sound like a middle school-level insult, but it is apparently the subject of an awarding-winning scientific study.
According to The Guardian, a team of Japanese researchers won an Ig Nobel prize — which honors scientific achievements that “first make people laugh, and then make them think” — for proving that when oxygen is delivered into the rear-ends of mice, rats and pigs, they were able to absorb it into their bloodstream.
As for why making certain animals breathe through their butts is important, it could pave the way for a similar method in humans who have trouble breathing.
Much like the Razzies happen right before the Oscars, the Ig Nobels take place ahead of the more famous Nobel Prize. Other 2024 Ig Nobel winners include research into using pigeons to help guide missiles.