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How much do we fart? -

Adults produce approximately two pints (1 liter) of gas per day. This translates to an average of 14 farts a day. Though this number can go up to 21 times a day.

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How much space does a fart take up? -

Yes, researchers have conducted studies on this! The answer is somewhere between a bottle of nail polish and a can of soda.

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You shouldn’t hold farts in -

Gas can build up and a big one might come out at some point. If you still hold it, it can actually be reabsorbed and come out through your mouth.

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Fart bullying -

According to BBC, in 2019, a man in Australia sued his former company for AUS$1.8m (US$1.2 million). He claimed that his supervisor farted on him several times a day. He lost the case.

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Canada -

In 2016, the Canadian government actually debated the use of the word “fart” in the parliament. All because “MP Michelle Rempel accused the government of treating the province of Alberta 'like a fart in the room' over jobs,” according to the BBC.

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Don’t fart in Germany -

Well, at least not in front of Berlin’s police officers. A man who was asked for his ID did so, and ended up being fined €900 (US$1,012) for disrespecting the officers, says Mental Floss.

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Farts have a place in literature -

William Shakespeare for instance, has used fart jokes, such as the one in ‘A Comedy of Errors,’ where he writes “A man may break a word with you, sir; and words are but wind; Ay, and break it in your face, so he break it not behind.”

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Farts have a place in literature -

Other pieces of literature that mention farts include, Dante Alighieri’s ‘The Inferno,’ Geoffrey Chaucer’s ‘The Canterbury Tales,’ and James Joyce’s ‘Ulysses,’ among others.

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Farts have a place in literature -

Jonathan Swift even wrote a pamphlet called ‘The Benefit of Farting’ in 1722!

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James Joyce -

In addition to the reference in ‘Ulysses,’ the author did seem to have an erotic obsession with flatulence, especially those of his beloved wife and muse, Nora Barnacle.

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James Joyce -

In a letter he wrote to her in 1909, Joyce mentions farts ten times! In one part of the letter he says: “I think I would know Nora’s fart anywhere. I think I could pick hers out in a roomful of farting women.”

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Eproctophilia -

Yes, it seems that James Joyce was sexually attracted to flatulence, and he’s not alone. Some people do have this fetish. It’s called eproctophilia.

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Joseph Pujol -

The French flatulist and entertainer, also known as ‘Le Pétoman’, was known for his talent of farting on demand and did so in front of audiences in the 1890s.

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Mr Methane -

The British flatulist is the contemporary answer to Pujol. Paul Oldfield, better known as Mr Methane, has been performing since the early ‘90s.

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“Silent but deadly” -

The link between the loudness of a fart and its smell has actually not been proven scientifically. Yet.

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There’s a pill for that! -

A French inventor claimed to have invented a pill that can make farts smell like chocolate, roses, ginger, violet, or lily of the valley.

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Flatulence filtering underwear -

If you want an extra layer of protection, there’s actually a company that sells these.

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'Farting as a defense against unspeakable dread' -

This research paper by Mara Sidoli looks at the case of a boy who uses flatulence as a defense mechanism when feeling endangered.

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Farting can be a matter of life or death -

The bolson pupfish feeds on algae, and can accidentally ingest the gas algae produce. This can be potentially fatal for the fish as it can inhibit its ability to swim. The only solution is to fart.

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Termites -

Termites fart. A lot. Around 20 million tons of methane are released into the atmosphere by termites per year. That’s about 1.3% of global methane emissions!

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But not all animals fart -

Octopi and birds, for example, don’t fart at all. Sloths don't either, and are probably the only mammal that doesn’t pass gas.

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Tudor-era recipe -

An ancient recipe called Farts of Portingale was a famous English delicacy. It consisted of seasoned mutton meatballs cooked in beef broth.

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Farts smell worse in the shower -

This is due to you not having any clothes on to absorb the smell and the fact that you’re in an enclosed space. Plus, the shower steam can actually enhance your sense of smell!

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Doctors call it flatus -

The term dates back to 1651 and has its origin in the Latin word that means “the act of blowing.” It’s defined as “gas generated in the stomach or bowels.”

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Borborygmus -

This is the term used to describe the rumbling in your tummy when gas is brewing.

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Most farts are odorless -

It’s estimated that 99% of farts have no smell at all. They’re made of oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen, and methane. All these gases are in fact odorless.

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Other people's farts smell worse than ours -

This is purely due to exposure. We're simply more used to the smell of our own gas.

See also: What your farts can tell you about your health

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