Watching strangers have sex isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of groundbreaking research.
But some scientists have gone so far as to test their hypotheses.
Here are some of the weirdest experiments scientists have ever attempted, from simmering in petri dishes to studying porn stars’ pubic hair to wiring them during sex in a lab.
The photo shows a doctor applying electrodes to a man. In the original experiments, 145 women wore electrodes to monitor their heart rate and brain activity. Then these devices were used to measure women’s reactions to pornography, masturbation and vibrators
Saw strangers having sex
Watching someone have sex may sound like voyeurism, but it is also the basis of some sexology studies.
The first American scientists to study sex in a laboratory in the 1950s also had sex with each other, all in the name of science.
William H. Masters and Virginia E. Johnson of Washington University in St. Louis were pioneers in their field. The couple’s work, who married two decades later, had a major impact on what was considered normal when it came to sex.
Concerned that no one would come forward for their early experiments, which aimed to study how the human body responds during sexual activity, the pair actually considered prostitutes.
More than 140 women wore electrodes to test their responses to pornography, masturbation and vibrators by tracking their heart rate and brain activity.
The scientists later turned to the general public and observed more than 300 couples having sex.
Eventually, the scientists went on to investigate their own sexual responses by having sex with each other while attached to a lab.
watched pornography to study pubic hair
Other weird science studies have evaluated the shape of pubic hair and genitalia by researchers.
The bizarre method was published for a review in the Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2022.
It examined trends in the appearance of female genitalia – including the size of hair, labia and clitoris.
Pornography may affect the way people groom their pubic hair, with many looking to the content for what is “normal,” the Californian researchers suggested.

Man watches online pornographic videos as pictured above. Researchers explained that the appearance of female genitalia has been influenced by social media and the entertainment industry, with many viewing pornography to learn about “normal genitalia appearance.” After studying 25 pornographic videos online, they found that hair removal habits were influenced by pornography
Meanwhile, demand for labiaplasty — surgeries to shrink the flaps of skin on either side of the vaginal opening — has risen 56 percent in the past decade, possibly influenced by pornography, they said.
To determine whether pornography is a trend, the researchers looked at the 25 most viewed videos on the most popular free porn sites.
The researchers found that the videos looked different in terms of labia size – making it unclear whether the videos were encouraging people to undergo plastic surgery.
However, pornography “definitely influenced grooming habits,” with 14 out of 25 videos showing fully removed pubic hair in men and women, the researchers said.
Cotton is used to test vaginal lubrication in cats
The scientists hoped their experiment could lead to a breakthrough for thousands of women with spinal cord injuries who struggle with sexual problems.
But the first step on the road was to use cotton to test vaginal lubrication in cats.
After anesthetizing the animals, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh tested whether the nerve that controls the pelvic floor muscle was stimulated. can cause vaginal lubrication and the contractions necessary for orgasm.
Previous experiments in dogs, rats and cats have shown that this method restores bladder function – which is controlled by the same nerve – after spinal cord injury.

Scientists wanted to find a breakthrough for thousands of women with spinal cord injuries suffering from sexual problems. But the first step on the road was to use cotton to test vaginal lubrication in cats
To test the theory, a small piece of cotton wool was placed in the cat’s vagina for 10 minutes, both with and without nerve stimulation.
The moisture was measured by the weight of the cotton.
A small balloon catheter was also inserted to time the contractions.
The study, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2022, found that stimulation of the pudendal nerve (PNS) can improve vaginal lubrication and contractions in female cats.
Despite the strange method, the results suggest that PNS may be useful in improving sexual function in women with spinal cord injuries, who often suffer from reduced lubrication and often have difficulty reaching orgasm.
Asked a colleague to simmer in a Petri dish
Scientists jumped right into a petri dish to see if feces floated around afterwards.
This simple experiment was undertaken after an Australian doctor was asked by a nurse whether a quiet fart during an operation would contaminate the operating theatre.
Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki told listeners of his Brisbane science phone-in radio show: “I realized I didn’t know.
“But I was determined to find out.”
DR Kruszelnicki contacted his friend Luke Tennent, a microbiologist in Canberra, who responded by having a colleague stick two inches from a petri dish.
The experiment was performed once with clothes on and once without pants.

Scientists poked around in a petri dish to find out if scraps pollute the air with bacteria. The dishes were left overnight and one dish sprouted visible clumps of two types of bacteria normally found only in the gut and on the skin
Dishes were left overnight.
Visible growths of two types of bacteria normally found only in the gut and on the skin developed on one bowl, which was sprayed onto the bowl by the force of the simmer.
But the fart that went through the clothes had no effect, suggesting the pants acted as a filter, the journal BMJ reported.
DR Kruszelnicki told the Canberra Times in 2001: “The enteric zone in the second petri dish was caused by the bloat itself, and the splash around it was caused by the sheer speed of the flute blowing skin bacteria off the cheeks and exploding. it on the court.
“So it appears that gas can cause infection when the sender is naked, but not when he or she is clothed.”
However, the scientists stressed that the results should not be taken as alarming, as the bacteria found were not harmful.
In fact, it was similar to the “friendly” bacteria in yogurt, but they suggested it was probably best to “simmer naked near food.”
Most popular porn videos watched
A second group of scientists found a reason to look at the most viewed pornography on the Internet.
But this time it was about finding out how women’s sexuality is misrepresented.
They examined the 25 “Most Viewed Videos” based on internet ratings and noted the porn stars’ sexual behavior.

Scientists examined the 25 most viewed pornographic videos based on Internet ratings and noted the sexual behavior of the porn stars. They found that many did not represent what they considered to be common real-life sexual scenarios
The 2022 review, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, categorized the videos into sexual scenarios.
The Californian researchers found that most of the videos focused on male pleasure and did not depict actual sexual scenarios.
Most of the videos revolved around male pleasure, with only five showing clitoral stimulation before reaching orgasm.
Similarly, only eight videos featured a woman as the recipient of oral sex, while all but three videos featured the man as the recipient.
But even after watching 25 porn videos, scientists said more research is needed to identify the best porn sites and video types that should encourage people to avoid unfulfilled expectations and anxiety during sex.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.