Vatican unveils official anime mascot - I hope she (“Luce”) starts vtubing soon
(upload.wikimedia.org)
You're viewing a single comment thread. View all comments, or full comment thread.
Comments (49)
sorted by:
They have a gene difference (ABCC11) that determines if a human has wet or dry earwax and if they have underarm odor. One of the downsides of the dry wax is that if it gets wet then it can inflame very badly (swelling their ears shut) and allowing them to catch colds from cold, wetness easier (the reason for that isn't as known, might be unrelated).
Its why "ear cleaning" is a common thing in Japanese media too, because they genuinely need to clear out that powdery nonsense in a way that us sticky, wet ears don't.
Wet wax is the dominant gene, so only in the insulated East Asian countries can the dry wax be common.
Fascinating.
The predilection to otitis externa (swimmer's ear) makes sense with the dry wax gene/rainwater.
I'm more skeptical about the connections to the common cold.
It's considered a myth in the West that cold exposure increases the risk of acquiring the common cold. As I understand it, seasonal variations in upper respiratory rates are more associated with huddling indoors in the extreme cold/heat, more reliance on central air systems with weather extremes, drier air from such seasons and systems dessicating nasal mucosa and leading to increased viral infection risk, etc.
AFAIK, outer otitis externa ear infections aren't a major risk factor for other upper respiratory tract infections.
Its likely only correlated in some extent rather than a direct cause, but its a a belief held the world over from many unrelated cultures. In those cases, I'm willing to believe in old wisdom rather than assume all humans for thousands of years were just retarded.
Until science gets a direct answer of course instead of theories that are just as easily not the case a lot of the time.
Regardless, that's irrelevant to the point. I'm willing to guess their extreme ease of ear infection/inflammation from the wetness does a number on weakening/distracting their immune system to fight it and that in turn lets other otherwise weak or dormant infections come through.
But even if its not true, they certainly believe it heavily. And that's why its such a common trope for them, enough so that its reached the Vatican.
Christmas shopping. Lots of crowds, lots of colds.