Shiver me timbers

Today I am starting a new feature called Science Diet where I will scour the Internet, pear under every byte of information, and digest the seedy underbelly of every worthless Blog/Site/News group there is to find explanations to the most sought after questions in the universe.

All, I'm sure, will eventually lead you to the meaning of life and the realization that Mommy and Daddy never took your pet Winky to live on a Hamster Farm.

That said, today I start with revealing what causes the unexplained body phenomenon known as the "piss shivers".



Piss Shivers defined:

Commonly known as the "Pee Shakes", "Shimmies", or if you're an adult, the "Piss Shivers." It's a tingling sensation down the spine which causes an involuntary twitch. Also it is the best excuse to use if you happen to piss on your urinal neighbor's shoes while drunk.

The uncontrollable shaking is similar to the prolonged shivering someone experiences when very cold, however others have reported it feels like a miniature orgasm. Researchers have since decided to keep golden shower enthusiasts out of their surveys.

According to research, 83 percent of males say they've experienced this, but only 58 percent of females have gotten the shivers--probably the whole "standing vs. sitting" thing.

Piss Shivers- The cause:

Inadequate government funding toward piss-related mysteries has lead to several "educated guesses" as to why the shaking occurs. Some have offered a highly technical and uninteresting explanation involving changes in the nervous system when the bladder is relaxed.

The simplest explanation, though, is that the rapid release of warm fluid lowers the body's overall temperature leaving it to react the same way you would in a cold breeze. Why you don't shake when vomiting or giving blood was not answered, because those particular researchers apparently decided they had thought about it long enough.....

.....and Winky is not on a Hamster Farm.