Japan, U.S. scientists win Ig Nobel prize for study on anal breathing

A group of 11 Japanese and U.S. scientists won the Ig Nobel physiology prize Thursday for finding that many mammals can breathe with their intestines via the anus.Group leader Takanori Takebe, a professor at Tokyo Medical and Dental University, said in remarks about receiving the spoof prize that he hopes the finding can someday help treat people who suffer from respiratory problems. Ig Nobel organizers say the awards are for research that "makes people laugh and then makes them think."The researchers first paid attention to loaches that can breathe through their intestines in low-oxygen en…READ FULL ARTICLE