Ig Nobel Prize for team that discovered mammals can breathe through anuses

That prize-winning breakthroughs can come from the most unexpected places is evident from the fact that researchers won an Ig Nobel Prize for their discovery that mammals can breathe through their anus.

After a series of tests on mice, rats and pigs, Japanese scientists discovered that the animals absorb oxygen through the rectum. These results form the basis for a clinical study to see if the procedure can treat respiratory failure.

The team is one of 10 to win this year's Ig Nobel awards (see below for more), the irreverent accolades given for achievements that "first make people laugh and ...