搞笑諾貝爾醫學獎：坐過山車可排出腎結石

2018年9月，搞笑諾貝爾獎在哈佛大學桑德斯劇場舉行頒獎儀式，此次共頒發了10項大獎。

搞笑諾貝爾獎創立于1991年，由《不可思議研究年報》（Annals of Improbable Research）主辦，至今走過近30個年頭。

獎項設立的初衷，是為了表彰那些讓人忍俊不禁又令人深思的研究。除了對應諾貝爾獎的生物、化學、醫學、物理、和平、經濟和文學等固定獎項之外，還包含公共衛生、考古等其他隨機獎項。獲獎者自費到場，領取廉價的手工獎杯和普通A4紙打印的獲獎證書。

我們來看看其中一個醫學類大獎。

醫學獎：坐過山車可排出腎結石

An American researcher suggested that kidney1 stone patients should ride roller coasters regularly because it is a useful way to remove kidney stones. This research has won the Ig Nobel Prize for Medicine this year.

美國研究者建議，腎結石患者應定期乘坐過山車，因為這樣可以有效清除人體內的腎結石。這項研究獲得了2018年搞笑諾貝爾醫學獎。

The inspiration2 behind the research began several years ago. One of Professor David Wartingers patients at Michigan State Universitys College of Medicine returned from a holiday trip to Walt Disney World. The patient said that one of his kidney stones was removed after a ride on the Big Thunder Mountain attraction. The patient wondered whether it was caused by the ride or just a coincidence3， so he went on the ride several more times and each time a stone was removed.

該研究靈感始于數年前。當時大衛·沃汀格教授在密歇根州立大學醫學院就診，有位病人剛從迪士尼世界度假歸來。這位病人說，在乘坐“大雷山”過山車后，他的一顆腎結石排出了體外。他很好奇這是由于坐過山車導致的，還是巧合，就又坐了幾次過山車，結果每次都能排出一顆腎結石。

Inspired by the story， Professor Wartinger built a silicone4 model， and put artificial5 kidney stones in it. The patient took it with him on more rides. He discovered that Big Thunder Mountain was really helpful— more so than Space Mountain or Rock and Roll Roller Coaster which has longer drops. Professor Wartinger concluded that it was because Big Thunder Mountain has more up， down， and side to side movements that can “shake” the stone out of the rider.

受此啟發，沃汀格教授為這位病人建立了硅膠模型，其中放置了幾顆人造腎結石。這位病人之后又坐了多次過山車，每次都帶上這個模型。他發現，乘坐“大雷山”過山車的確可以排出腎結石，雖然“飛越太空山”過山車和“搖滾”過山車都比“大雷山”過山車更驚險，而且下躍路程更長，但效果不及“大雷山”過山車。沃汀格教授得出結論稱，這是因為“大雷山”過山車的上升、下躍以及左右翻轉次數更多，讓乘坐者來回“搖晃”。……