this post was submitted on 04 Feb 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] [email protected] 55 points 2 days ago (4 children)
  • Eating and breathing pathways no longer intersect. This should prevent the bug when food could block the airway and result in death.
[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yeah, it's crazy to me that people believe we were "intelligently designed" when our food hole and breathing hole are so close that we can only use one at a time, and that our waste dumping grounds are right next to the amusement park.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 hours ago

you mean the slightly more muddy amusment park, that is next to the new, purprose built one, right?

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

This is actually a result of changes to our larynx and stuff, which allows us to make such a variety of sounds when speaking. In other animals (and human babies), the air and food tubes are physically separated at rest. But in humans, our epiglottis can't properly keep things separate because our larynx is further down in our throat.

So, I'm gonna have to deny this request on the grounds that it will necessarily break the speech feature, which many of our users depend on heavily.

[–] ryedaft 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Wasn't this a compromise that allows speech? Babies can drink and breathe at the same time.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

I remember reading humans can still "breathe" amniotic fluid once they get passed the gag reflex. I remember wondering how someone figured that out... Maybe it's just a theory

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago

"left user note to pause breathing while swallowing to prevent esophageal trespass when backup breathing interface used for food consumption. No change recommended to emergency breathing access. Closing DOC_UPDATE"