Mary Roach: 10 things you didn't know about orgasm | TED

Observations of In-Utero Masturbation

The speaker introduces a paper titled "Observations of In-Utero Masturbation" and describes it as the most diverting paper ever published in The Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine.

Masturbation Movements

• The speaker shows an image from the paper that depicts a hand hovering over a penis, with the hand grasping the penis in a fashion resembling masturbation movements.

• Orgasm is a reflex of the autonomic nervous system, which deals with things we don't consciously control like digestion, heart rate, and sexual arousal.

• A surprisingly broad range of input can trigger orgasm reflexes such as genital stimulation, stroking eyebrows, sensitive areas above spinal cord injuries, knee orgasms and even brushing teeth.

Thinking to Orgasm

• The speaker interviewed a woman who could think herself to orgasm as part of a study at Rutgers University.

• The headquarters for orgasm along the spinal nerve is something called the sacral nerve root. If you stimulate this precise spot with an electrode, you will trigger an orgasm.

Triggering Reflexes in Dead People

• You can trigger spinal reflexes in dead people if they are beating-heart cadavers being kept alive on respirators for organ transplantation.

• There is something called the Lazarus reflex where if you trigger the right spot on these brain-dead people, they will move unnervingly.

• Stephanie Mann confirms that if oxygenated sacral nerves exist in dead people then triggering an orgasm would be possible but not enjoyable for them.

Ethical Considerations

• An orgasm would be possible in a dead person, but it raises ethical considerations.

• The speaker suggests that the researcher at the University of Alabama should do an experiment on cadavers to trigger orgasm reflexes, but she says that human subjects review board approval is necessary.

The Ups and Downs of Sex

In this section, the speaker talks about how Theodoor van De Velde was able to differentiate between the semen of a young man and that of mature men. He also shares a case report where sexual intercourse was used as a potential treatment for intractable hiccups.

Semen Connoisseur

• Theodoor van De Velde claimed he could differentiate between the semen of young men and mature men.

• According to him, the semen of young men had a fresh, exhilarating smell while that of mature men smelled like flowers or was extremely pungent.

Sexual Intercourse as Treatment for Hiccups

• A man in Israel had persistent hiccups that wouldn't go away despite trying various remedies.

• After having sex with his wife, his hiccups disappeared.

• His doctor published a case report titled "Sexual Intercourse as a Potential Treatment for Intractable Hiccups."

Orgasms and Fertility

This section discusses how gynecologists believed that orgasms helped women conceive by sucking up semen through contractions. It also explores how doctors advised men to pleasure their wives for conception purposes.

The Upsuck Theory

• Gynecologists believed that when women have an orgasm, it helps suck up semen through contractions and deliver it quickly to the egg.

• This theory was called the "upsuck" theory.

Pleasuring Wives for Conception Purposes

• Doctors advised men on the importance of pleasuring their wives for conception purposes.

• Marriage-manual author Theodoor van De Velde even had a line in his book suggesting vulva titillation prior to intercourse as a way to help with conception.

Masters and Johnson's Research

This section talks about Masters and Johnson's research on the upsuck theory. They brought women into the lab and outfitted them with cervical caps containing artificial semen to see if there was any evidence of upsuck.

Upsuck Skeptics

• Masters and Johnson were skeptical of the upsuck theory.

• They brought women into the lab and outfitted them with cervical caps containing artificial semen to see if there was any evidence of upsuck.

Artificial Semen Recipe

• There are different recipes for making artificial semen, including using flour and water or cornstarch and water.

• One recipe even yielded "one ejaculate."

Masturbation and Fertility

This section explores how frequent masturbation may help men produce fresh sperm, which is more effective at fertilizing an egg.

Fresh Sperm Theory

• British sexologist Roy Levin speculated that men evolved to be frequent masturbators because it helps produce fresh sperm that is more effective at fertilizing an egg.

Animal Kingdom Upsuck

In this section, the speaker talks about how there is considerable evidence for upsuck in the animal kingdom, particularly in pigs.

Pig Production Stimulation Plan

• The Danish National Committee for Pig Production found that sexually stimulating sows while artificially inseminating them increased farrowing rates by six percent.

• They developed a five-point stimulation plan for sows that includes posters and a DVD.

Pig Clitoris and Female Macaques

In this section, the speaker talks about pig farming in Denmark and how they stimulate the clitoris of pigs. She also discusses the facial expressions of animals during sex.

Stimulating Pig Clitoris

• Farmers in Denmark use a sow vibrator to vibrate the sperm feeder tube to stimulate the clitoris of sows.

• It was a big hurdle for farmers to touch underneath the vulva, so they thought it best not to mention the clitoris right away.

• The clitoris is inside the vagina, making it more arousing than it looks.

Facial Expressions During Sex

• Animals don't register pain or pleasure on their faces in the same way that humans do.

• Pigs are more like dogs; they use the upper half of their face, and their ears are very expressive.

• The stump-tailed macaque has an ejaculation face that has been observed in female macaques but only when mounting another female.

Alfred Kinsey's Research on Ejaculation Distance

In this section, the speaker talks about Alfred Kinsey's research on semen distance during ejaculation.

Semen Distance During Ejaculation

• Alfred Kinsey calculated the average distance traveled by ejaculated semen because he heard that force was a factor in fertility.

• He found that three-quarters of men had semen that just slopped out without being spurted or thrown under great force.

• The record holder landed just shy of eight feet.