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Technology8h 19m ago
Neil Donahue suggests that based on calculations, even mammals have probably peed more than an ocean since they took over, indicating that all water on Earth might have been peed before.
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Carnegie Mellon University, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Who
Neil Donahue, director of the Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research and a professor of chemistry and chemical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University; David Kreamer, a professor of hydrology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
What
Neil Donahue suggests that based on calculations, even mammals have probably peed more than an ocean since they took over, indicating that all water on Earth might have been peed before.
When
Sat, 13 Jun 2026 09:00:00 GMT · 8h 19m ago
Where
Carnegie Mellon University, University of Nevada, Las Vegas ·
Why
The article explores the question of whether all water on Earth has passed through an animal's urinary system at some point, considering the water cycle and geological processes.
The Frontline Impact
How this affects you
This discussion on the planet's water cycle highlights the interconnectedness of all life and geological processes over vast timescales, raising awareness about the continuous repurposing of Earth's resources. It shows how scientific inquiry can lead to different conclusions based on assumptions and the scope of analysis.
Story chain
14 events in this thread- Technology8h 19m agoScientists Neil Donahue and David Kreamer offer contrasting perspectives on whether all water on Earth has been part of animal waste.Open article
- Technology8h 19m agoScientists disagree on whether all water on Earth has been "peed" before due to differing approaches to the question and assumptions about the water cycle and biological contributions.Open article
- Technology8h 19m agoExperts have differing opinions on whether all the water on Earth has been peed before, with some suggesting yes based on calculations of animal waste over geological time, and others arguing no due to water trapped as glacial ice, deep groundwater, and 'juvenile water' from inside the Earth.Open article
- Technology8h 19m agoScientists are debating whether all the water on Earth has been excreted by animals at some point.Open article
- Currently Reading8h 19m agoNeil Donahue suggests that based on calculations, even mammals have probably peed more than an ocean since they took over, indicating that all water on Earth might have been peed before.
- Technology8h 19m agoScientists disagree on whether all water on Earth has been peed before, with Neil Donahue of Carnegie Mellon University suggesting yes based on calculations, while David Kreamer of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, argues no due to factors like trapped glacial ice and "juvenile water."Open article
- Technology8h 19m agoScientists disagree on whether all of Earth's water has been urinated by animals, with one calculation suggesting it has within 19 million years, while another points to water that has never entered the cycle.Open article
- Technology8h 19m agoScientists offer differing perspectives on whether all the Earth's water has been urinated by animals, with one suggesting 'emphatically yes' based on calculations, while another argues 'no' due to factors like trapped glacial ice, deep groundwater, and juvenile water.Open article
- Technology8h 19m agoScientists explored whether all water on Earth has been excreted by animals, with opinions differing based on assumptions about water cycling and the existence of 'juvenile water.'Open article
- Technology8h 19m agoScientists offer differing perspectives on whether all water on Earth has been excreted by animals at some point.Open article
- Technology8h 19m agoExperts have differing opinions on whether all the water on Earth has been peed before, with some calculations suggesting it's possible over geological timescales, while others point to water sources that have never entered the biological water cycle.Open article
- Technology8h 19m agoScientists offer differing perspectives on whether all water on Earth has been part of an animal's urine, with some calculations suggesting it's possible over long timescales, while others point to 'juvenile water' that has never entered the cycle.Open article
- Technology8h 19m agoScientists offer contrasting views on whether all the water on Earth has been previously urinated by an animal.Open article
- Technology8h 19m agoScientists have differing opinions on whether all the water on Earth has been peed before, with one estimating it would take 19 million years to pee out the whole ocean and another noting that juvenile water has never been part of the water cycle.Open article