SCIENTIST REFUTES CLAIMS THAT IT WOULD BE 'BETTER' IF OUR SKIN WAS MADE OF SPONGELIKE MATERIAL

COMMENTARY BY CARBOLIC SMOKE BALL SCIENCE EDITOR, DR. NOAH SWAYNE, SCIENTIST - It is disheartening to hear otherwise learned and sensible people bemoan the fact that our skin is not made of sponge or sponge-like material. Some have advocated skin-to-sponge transplants.

While wishing our bodies were covered with sponge instead of skin might be the "cool," "trendy" thing, it would pose untold dangers. I say this from a SCIENTIFIC perspective as a SCIENTIST.

In a heavy rain, our bodies would absorb so much water that our weight would NEARLY DOUBLE. We would collapse to the floor in a wet puddle due to this added weight. It would be very difficult for us to walk to the tobacco shop or jump on the trampoline. We would need to get a (dried out!) friend to SQUEEZE the water out of us (a painful process--I can attest!) just so we could stand up and walk around the room! Getting a shower every morning would be a nightmare.

So, the next time someone says that it would be "BETTER" if our bodies were covered with sponge or sponge-like material instead of skin, just point out these simple SCIENTIFIC facts!