this post was submitted on 04 Aug 2025
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Today I Learned

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[–] howler@lemmy.zip 9 points 4 hours ago

I appreciated the TIL by itself, but the video added a whole new dimension of "definitely, this is not what I was imagining".

Thank you!

[–] Grass@sh.itjust.works 7 points 4 hours ago

Won't it get really hot after a while?

[–] a_wild_mimic_appears@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

thats a nice clean blue flame, looks like a burner on a gas stove

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 5 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Since it comes out my butt, is it MEthane or BUTTane?

[–] a_wild_mimic_appears@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 4 hours ago (2 children)
[–] dingleberrylover@lemmy.world 3 points 2 hours ago

Randy Bobandy would approve

[–] jawa21@piefed.blahaj.zone 2 points 3 hours ago

Whatever. Taste the meat, not the heat!

[–] crystalmerchant@lemmy.world 30 points 7 hours ago

Lmao they literally flare off the cow??

[–] ada@piefed.blahaj.zone 69 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

Specifically, it occurs when the cows eat high volumes of clover or other nitrogen fixing plants (most legumes fall in to this category). Ruminants produce a lot of gas in their digestive process, because their stomachs are designed to ferment their food, allowing them to better access highly fibrous food sources like grass. Normally, they belch or fart the gas away, but in the case of nitrogen fixing clovers, they produce too much gas to be able to burp and fart away, and they end up with fatal bloating!

I remember learning this in school in rural Australia. The most amazing thing is that I still remember it :P

[–] icelimit@lemmy.ml 1 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

But wouldn't nitrogen lead to ammonia? Methane is ch4, with no nitrogen? Or does nitrogen fixing vegetation somehow induce other digestion paths?

[–] topherclay@lemmy.world 2 points 3 hours ago

yeah I think the extra ammonia and hydrogen gas emitted from the nitrogen fixation process fucks with the regular breakdown of sugars to make more CH4 instead of CO2.

The products of the nitrogen fixation make the environment inside the stomach less aerobic so you end up with the anaerobic breakdown of sugars.

[–] PrincessLeiasCat@sh.itjust.works 12 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

Stupid question, but could a similar thing happen to a human? I don’t belch/burp, and I can get insanely bloated. I should probably see a doctor to see if this is normal or if there’s a treatment, but it’s kind of embarrassing!

[–] onslaught545@lemmy.zip 16 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (1 children)

It might be a rare condition called RCPD where a muscle in your esophagus is too strong. The treatments are a shot of Botox to weaken the muscle, or getting it cut a little bit if Botox doesn't work.

I have issues with it intermittently.

[–] PrincessLeiasCat@sh.itjust.works 11 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

Holy shit this is 100% me! Holy shit it has a name!!! Thank you!!!!!!

[–] RacerX@lemmy.zip 5 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Not a doctor, and you should definitely talk to one before trying it, but I have found Eno to be remarkable in solving gaseous bloating.

[–] Delphia@lemmy.world 26 points 9 hours ago (11 children)

That cow is very slightly rocket powered.

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[–] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 14 points 8 hours ago

Cutting out the middle man to light your farts on fire.

[–] altphoto@lemmy.today 2 points 5 hours ago

That cow takes one wrong breath and its over for both the cow and the torch guy. But that's just a worst case possibility. I'll wait for the video.

[–] Ulvain@sh.itjust.works 17 points 10 hours ago

You just know there's some old vet that systematically lights up his cig on this every time he does it, all casual

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 20 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) (1 children)

So its... kinda like a tracheotomy, but for your gut, so... gastrotomy?

Ah, 'gastrostomy'.

A medically necessary, emergency fart valve.

Amazing.

[–] Stovetop@lemmy.world 6 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

Pericentesis is probably a closer analogue.

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 hours ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracentesis

Do you mean this?

Either way, TIL!

Though, if I am understanding this right, paracentesis typically is targetted at... some kind of fluid build up basically outside of the actual gastrointestinal tract, in the paracenteal cavity, the space between your abdominal muscles and organs...

... the procedure does seem to outwardly more resemble this cow fart valve in appearence, but it doesn't actually directly pierce, go into the intenstine directly.

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 1 points 5 hours ago

G (I'm no veterinarian but I'd guess you'd number which stomach it's going into since G means gastric) tube?

[–] Thalion@lemmy.ca 91 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Ignoring the gigantic needle piercing its body, that pressure relief must feel amazing

[–] akamar@feddit.cl 10 points 5 hours ago (2 children)

It feels barely nothing for cows. A typical "syringe" for them looks like a freaking gun

[–] abbadon420@sh.itjust.works 8 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

I can't read pixelese, but I think that's an insemination device, not a syringe.

[–] lars@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 3 hours ago

That’s one of my pickup lines!

[–] CTDummy@aussie.zone 4 points 3 hours ago

What on earth is that for? I’ve injected a lot of cattle with vaccines/antibiotics in a former life and never saw a needle this size. Unless it’s something requiring a vet maybe?

[–] answersplease77@lemmy.world 5 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

I ate so much I feel like I need this fr

[–] TeamAssimilation@infosec.pub 3 points 6 hours ago

Pro tip: don’t close the wound after the incident, install a valve, hose, and flamethrower nozzle.

[–] Brujones@lemmy.world 59 points 15 hours ago

Oh, neat! Message received: if I eat enough beans, I can be my own creme brulee torch!

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