So maybe you were too embarrassed to ask, but we're guessing you've been wondering why your flatulence is so much less offensive than that of other people.
It turns out that science has several explanations, according to a new video (above) from the YouTube series ASAPScience.
For starters, "the more familiar you are with something, whether it be a song, picture, or even a smell, the more likely you are to prefer it," series co-creator Mitchell Moffitt says in the video, "and because the bacterial population in your body producing these smells is completely unique from every other individual, our farts truly have a one-of-a-kind brand that your nose can differentiate."
And then there's the fact that others' farts can actually make you sick.
"There are many reported cases of farts spreading Streptococcus pyogenes, a pathogen that can cause tonsillitis, scarlet fever, heart disease, and even flesh-eating disease," Moffitt says in the video. "The pathogen is expelled as fecal matter or poop particles in the air... Of course, this was a major concern for our ancestors who ran around naked, but for us underwear or pant-wearing folks, farts don't pose a real threat."
You're welcome.
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