Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Science/2022 March 7

= March 7 =

Pressure melting point of water
Is there an approximate formula for the pressure melting point of water? Jo-Jo Eumerus (talk) 17:50, 7 March 2022 (UTC)


 * It's complicated. See Triple_point.--Shantavira|feed me 18:09, 7 March 2022 (UTC)
 * You can always integrate the Clausius–Clapeyron_relation. Ruslik_ Zero 20:26, 7 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Meh, found another way for the "sloping" phase in ^^. Jo-Jo Eumerus (talk) 18:37, 8 March 2022 (UTC)

Ascending testicle?
As a young woman, during gentle sex play with a boyfriend, I was dismayed and shocked when one of his testicles apparently retracted upwards into his body! I wasn't doing anything unusual, I was touching him as I had touched my other boyfriends/young men. No man, before or since, exhibited this disturbing reaction. Fortunately, the testicle resumed its proper place, very soon, much to my relief.

Admittedly, this was over 40 years ago, and my recollection may not be entirely accurate, as to a total disappearance. But it was such an astonishing event, that I have remembered the incident. What was going on? Some sort of hernia? Thanks,  Tribe of Tiger Let's Purrfect!  21:45, 7 March 2022 (UTC)


 * That sounds like Cremasteric reflex which "In boys, this reflex may be exaggerated which can occasionally lead to a misdiagnosis of cryptorchidism". Depends upon how young your boyfriend was! Martin of Sheffield (talk) 22:21, 7 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Well, this is helpful, will have to work my way through the medical terminology. My "boyfriend" (social term) was actually a healthy man, age 19. Not really a boy, but perhaps his relatively young age made a difference? In the US in the 70s, we had access to birth control, but weren't yet endangered by HIV, so we were free to explore...it was great fun, so to speak. Of course, as I aged out of the 19/20 range, so did my partners. But even when my partners were 16 to 18 yrs old, I never saw this happen. Thanks for your reply!  Tribe of Tiger Let's Purrfect!  02:31, 8 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Simplified version: there is a muscle which pulls the testes up and down to regulate the temperature. When cold they are pulled up tight to retain body heat, when warm they dangle low to cool off.  They should be about 2 C-change below body heat for optimal sperm production.  They are also pulled up in a fight or flight situation for protection.  The Cremasteric reflex triggers this effect and the word "cryptorchidism" refers to an descended testicle, in other words it looks as one has not descended when in fact it has over ascended. Martin of Sheffield (talk) 10:55, 8 March 2022 (UTC)
 * I believe Martin meant to type "refers to an undescended testicle" there. --184.144.97.125 (talk) 16:35, 8 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Oops, yes you are quite correct. "cryptorchidism" refers to an undescended testicle.  Thanks. Martin of Sheffield (talk) 16:57, 8 March 2022 (UTC)
 * I'm relying on distant memories of a James Bond novel here, but I read there that Japanese wrestlers trained to be able to "resorb" their testicles in this way, so that before fights they could pack them away to avoid the pain/damage if they were squeezed or hit. Jmchutchinson (talk) 14:14, 8 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Yes, I've read that book too. They were bound up to push them away.  However this is a James Bond novel and so hardly a WP:RS! Martin of Sheffield (talk) 14:37, 8 March 2022 (UTC)


 * I've read it too, and if I recall correctly, Fleming perpetuates the erroneous notion that boys' testicles remain inside the abdomen until puberty. In reality they (usually) descend shorly before to within a year after birth via the Inguinal canal. As mentioned in that article's section Clinical significance, partial or even full retraction back into this canal remains possible in some individuals until, or even after, puberty (and perhaps can be retained by special exercises). Certainly the canal may remain a "weak point" which unusual pressure can force the testicle into: ObPersonal – I myself experienced this a couple of times during my (long-distant) teen years. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.209.233.93 (talk) 18:55, 9 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Thanks, Inguinal canal article, Clinical significance section, describes my observation perfectly! "In males with strong presentation of the cremasteric reflex, the testes can—during supine sexual activity or manual manipulation—partially or fully retract into the inguinal canal for a short period of time." This is exactly what was "going on" when it happened.  Tribe of Tiger Let's Purrfect!  19:19, 10 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Maybe Fleming's only experience with testicles was his own? --jpgordon&#x1d122;&#x1d106;&#x1D110;&#x1d107; 19:49, 9 March 2022 (UTC)

Yeah I heard the same thing about the sumo wrestlers, which would seem to be some level of confirmation, but then I realized that my source may have been the same James Bond novel, presumably You Only Live Twice. 2601:648:8202:350:0:0:0:C115 (talk) 23:55, 9 March 2022 (UTC)