What is the grossest thing in the world
Most of us mature adults can agree picking your nose is disgusting. So is defecating in public—no matter how much you’ve had to drink, or what philosophical point you’re trying to make. Rancid food, weeping sores, cockroaches—most of us can agree that these are pretty gross, too.
But what makes us feel that way? It’s a deep-seated, visceral response; we don’t consciously reason through it, but most of us seem to share the same sense that certain things are just repulsive.
Researchers have long believed that disgust has an evolutionary origin: It may have helped steer our ancestors away from disease. A new study builds on that idea, suggesting that disgust protects us from people, behaviors, and things that may pose a risk of disease. It also establishes six categories of disgust, each linked to the risk of disease.
We find poor hygiene abhorrent, for example, because picking your nose and not bathing increases your chances of getting sick—and thereby
our
chances of catching something from you. It’s the same with avoiding food that looks (or smells) spoiled, animals that carry illness (cockroaches, fleas), and wounds or lesions that signal infection. And when it comes to
Our top 10 most disgusting and gross objects
10. Dirty red socks
Here’s something that could be hiding under your bed: a pair of dirty socks – but there’s no way yours are 1500 years old! Despite the strange toes, these were not used by ancient bird people – at least that we know of.
9. Yeti toy
Coming in at number 9 is a toy yeti from 1910, made of real white and brown rabbit fur. Just like the socks, we imagine this creepy toy probably carries quite the stench.
8. False beard
The V&A houses an extensive collection of costumes, including this rather revolting fake beard. We’re not sure if it’s made of animal or, more disturbingly, human hair.
7. Old shoe
This adult shoe from 1520 would have been fashionable during the reign of Henry VIII. It’s definitely seen better days, and we can only guess at foot hygiene standards in the early Renaissance.
6. A handheld portable urinal
Yes, you read that right – it’s an object to pee in when a toilet isn’t available. We feel rather sorry for this 1500-year-old stoneware tiger and its tragic diet.
5. A portable throne, f
Here’s the single most disgusting thing on Earth, according to science
There’s a few things which make people go green reliably – such as hearing people sneeze or poo, and looking at pus-filled boils.
But there’s actually a scientific reason behind it, a new study has shown.
Interestingly women find all categories more disgusting than men – but the underlying reason seems to be that our emotion of disgust is structured around things which pose a risk of disease.
Volunteers were asked to rate scenarios by how disgusting they were – and infected wounds producing pus were rated as the most disgusting.
Poor hygiene, animals or insects carrying disease and risky sexual behaviour are among the distinct triggers of disgust that can help humans avoid disease and infection, according to a study led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
Disgust has long been recognised as an emotion which evolved to help our ancestors avoid infection, but the team has shown the human disgust system is likely to be structured around the people, practices and objects that pose disease risk.
They believe it is the first time the perspective of disease has
What's the Most Disgusting Thing in the World?
Seeing a stranger's tissue dripping with yellow snot might make you squirm, but this image doesn't even crack the top three on the gross scale. People universally find other images much more disgusting.
To determine just what is the grossest sight, Valerie Curtis, the Director of the Hygiene Center at the London School of Hygiene & and Tropical Medicine devised a truly gruesome experiment. Curtis and a team of researchers presented 20 images of things perceived as repulsive to more than 80,000 individuals from 172 countries in a Web-based survey [take the disgust questionnaire for yourself here]. The images included photos of skin abrasions, bugs such as wasps, lice and worms, and a soup bowl full of what looked like a bodily fluid . (Along with the images were a few blank white pages as controls.)
[CLICK HERE FOR IMAGES: The most disgusting images in the world are too gross to spring on you without warning. Follow this link if you think you can stomach them.]
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Participants were asked "How would you feel about touching this?" and rated their level of disgust on a scale of 1 (not disgusting) to 5 (very disgusting