Why do we faint?

Discovery

BBC

Science, Technology

4.3 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 13 September 2016

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Swooning maidens and clever horses feature in today's Curious Cases, sent in by listeners to [email protected].

The Squeamish Swoon Science sleuths Hannah Fry and Adam Rutherford investigate the following question sent in by Philip Le Riche:

'Why do some people faint at the sight of blood, or a hypodermic needle, or even if they bash their funny bone? Does it serve any useful evolutionary purpose, or is just some kind of cerebral error condition?'

Adam is strapped onto a hospital tilt table in an attempt to make him blackout and Hannah receives an aromatic surprise.

Featuring consultant cardiologists Dr Nicholas Gall and Dr Adam Fitzpatrick and cardiac physiologist Shelley Dougherty.

The Counting Horse Our second case was sent in by retired primary school teacher Lesley Marr, who asks:

"Can horses count? I think they can. Any ideas about which animals can count and which can't?”

The team considers the case of Clever Hans, and hears from Dr Claudia Uller who has been conducting modern studies on equine counting.

Mathematician Prof Marcus Du Sautoy explains the basic concept of counting to Adam, and Hannah looks across the animal kingdom to find the cleverest mathematical creature.

If you have any questions you'd like the duo to investigate, please email [email protected]

Producer: Michelle Martin

Image: A Canadian guard faints, Credit: Carolo Allegri/AFP/Getty Images

Transcript

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0:00.0	Thank you for downloading from the BBC.
0:03.0	The details of our complete range of podcasts and our terms of use,
0:07.0	go to BBCworldservice.com slash podcasts.
0:10.0	Welcome to the curious case. broadcasts. Indeed I am Dr. Fry, that over there is Dr Adam Rutherford.
0:24.0	Hello. And if you have anything that's been puzzling you that we can use science to try and
0:28.8	explore and investigate, then please do send us your questions to curious cases at BBC.
0:33.7	co-dot UK.
0:34.7	Now we have two questions today first from our listener Philip leuriche.
0:38.4	Excellent name.
0:39.4	It certainly is and it concerns what happens when you pass out.
0:44.0	Yes and particularly why do some people pass out at the sight of blood?
0:49.0	Which I believe is something that you do Dr. Fry.
0:52.0	Indeed, I have to say I am extremely... is something that you do Dr. Frye.
0:52.6	Indeed, I have to say I am extremely screaming, which really counts against me in this curious
0:58.1	case's working environment because Dr. Adam Rutherford on the flip side as a biologist just revels in chopping up things, talking
1:09.5	about blood, it makes it on my life extremely difficult.
1:12.3	Taking things apart is a speciality of biology and it's something that I particularly enjoy,
1:17.4	which I guess is why I got to be the fainter in this programme.
1:20.5	Yes, I think there was only one person where for whom field work was
1:24.9	appropriate. But anyway on with the show.
1:29.4	Today's gaze is one which has perplexed medical science for centuries and yet affects
1:38.8	almost half of the population.
	...

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