A few things about pee from the new book Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Attack of the Factoids.
When ancient Greek physicians discovered that urine is sterile, they began using it as an antiseptic on wounds. It worked so well that the Romans later used concentrated urine as a toothpaste and dental rinse.
All the human urine produced worldwide in one day would take about 2 ½ hours to flow over Niagara Falls.
Human urine is 98 percent water and 2 percent sodium, calcium, urea, phosphates, and ammonium.
When General George S. Patton reached Germany’s Rhine River during World War II, he showed his contempt for the country by peeing in the water.
The male strawberry poison dart frog keeps its mate hydrated and warm by peeing on them.
The 16th-century insult pissant comes from “piss ants,” a large wood ant, so called because its anthills smelled like urine.
Researchers in Singapore have created a battery powered by urine. It’s about the size of a credit card, and a drop of urine produces 1.5 volts for 90 minutes.
Tiger pee supposedly smells a lot like buttered popcorn.
Only 20 percent of people admit to having peed in a public swimming pool, but 93 percent of surfers admit to having peed in their wetsuits at least once.
Frank Lloyd Wright designed a building for Florida Southern University, which he allowed students to help build for a break on tuition. He also let the students help age its copper into a nice green patina by having them pour their urine over it.
In French, dandelions are called pissenlit, which means “pee in bed.”
Alkaptonuria is a rare genetic disorder that causes urine to turn black.
The biggest draw at the Harlekin Toilet Museum of Modern Arse (yes, that’s the real name) in Wiesbaden, Germany, is a urinal with Adolf Hitler’s face painted inside the bowl.
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The article above is reprinted with permission from Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Attack of the Factoids. Weighing in at over 400 pages, it's a fact-a-palooza of obscure information.
Since 1988, the Bathroom Reader Institute had published a series of popular books containing irresistible bits of trivia and obscure yet fascinating facts. If you like Neatorama, you'll love the Bathroom Reader Institute's books - go ahead and check 'em out!