All posts tagged: Penis

Ancient Roman bone penis discovered in forgotten museum box

Ancient Roman bone penis discovered in forgotten museum box

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Archaeologists in the Netherlands recently discovered a sizable conversation starter tucked away in a forgotten storage box. Amid a long overdue archive cataloguing project at Valkhof Museum in Nijmegen southeast of Amsterdam, researchers identified a roughly 7.8-inch-long penis carved from bone dating back 1,800–2,000 years to ancient Rome. Romans typically weren’t too scandalized by nudity in artwork, including depictions of male genitalia. What’s more, they often saw penises as symbolically protective. Phallus sculptures frequently decorated homes, usually above entrances to guard against the “Evil Eye.” In some instances, they even adorned jewelry. This is the first known example of its kind carved from bone. Credit: Provincie Gelderland Despite this, the recent discovery in the historic Dutch city may be the first of its kind. While archaeologists know of phalluses crafted from stone and wood, the archived item is the only documented example carved from bone. While unclear what kind of bone the sculpture is made from, it almost certainly …

Surprising male G-spot found in most detailed study of the penis yet

Surprising male G-spot found in most detailed study of the penis yet

Published by skeptic

Anatomy textbooks may need to be rewritten: the penis’s main erogenous zone isn’t where we thought it was SOPA Images Limited/Alamy The most detailed neuroanatomical study of the penis to date has found that its primary erogenous zone is the frenular delta, an area that has long been left out of anatomy textbooks and surgical training. The triangular-shaped zone is located on the ventral side, or underside, of the penis, where the head meets the shaft, and may be damaged by circumcision. “Although this may seem self-evident to anyone attuned to the sensations of their penis during sexual activity, our work scientifically validates the existence of a ventral penile anatomical region that serves as a centre of sexual sensation,” write the authors of the study, led by Alfonso Cepeda-Emiliani at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Based on this scientific validation, the frenular delta should be considered the “male G-spot” of the penis, says Eric Chung at the University of Queensland in Australia and president-elect of the International Society for Sexual Medicine, who …

Does Injecting Your Penis With Hyaluronic Acid Actually Make It Bigger?

Does Injecting Your Penis With Hyaluronic Acid Actually Make It Bigger?

Published by Jenni Sidey

So far, the most headline-making Olympic news has nothing to do with gold medals. But rather, what some male Olympians are willing to do for them. Enter: Penisgate. Mere days after the Olympics began, word spread about male ski jumpers allegedly injecting their penises with hyaluronic acid to fly further. The claim (which so far is just a rumor and is being investigated by the World Anti-Doping (WADA) agency) is that ski jumpers used the aforementioned penis filler before getting fitted for their ski suits, causing a temporary increase in penis size and giving them a slightly baggier suit. The bagginess (allegedly) acts as a sail in just the right place, leading to a slightly longer jump. It should be noted that hyaluronic acid isn’t one of the substances banned by WADA, but if it’s giving competitors an edge, that may change. Seem far-fetched? There’s actually been scientific research on this. A 2025 scientific study published in Frontiers found that a two-centimeter change in a ski suit can give an extra 5.8 meters in jump …

Penis size may matter more to men than women

Penis size may matter more to men than women

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Human history is full of juvenile jokes, odd stereotypes, and outright harmful misinformation about the size of a man’s penis. But the long and short of the real science behind size suggests that men themselves are more likely than women to get riled up about the subject. According to a study published today in the journal PLOS Biology, men routinely feel more physically and sexually threatened by well-endowed rivals—regardless of how women feel about the subjects. For years, evolutionary biologists have remained confused by one peculiar aspect of human anatomy. In relation to overall body size, the human penis is usually larger than those belonging to most other primates. The reasons why have remained unclear, although there are plenty of theories related to attracting mates, warding off opponents, and even improving reproductive success. Examples of the computer-generated, male figures used in the study. Credit: Aich U, et al., 2025, PLOS Biology, CC-BY 4.0 To better understand the psychological influences …

Human penis size is an evolutionary outlier, and scientists are finding new clues as to why

Human penis size is an evolutionary outlier, and scientists are finding new clues as to why

Published by José Betancourt

A new study published in PLOS Biology indicates that the size of a human penis influences how men are assessed by others, impacting both their perceived attractiveness to females and their perceived fighting ability among other males. The findings suggest that the unusually large size of the human penis, compared to other primates, likely evolved through a combination of female mate choice and male-male competition. This research offers the first experimental data showing that men use penis size as a visual signal to estimate the threat level of a potential rival. The human penis is considered an evolutionary outlier because it is significantly longer and thicker than that of other great apes, relative to body size. Humans also lack a penis bone, or baculum, meaning the organ relies entirely on blood flow to maintain rigidity. Biologists have debated the origins of these unique traits for decades. Some previous theories focused on post-copulatory factors. These hypotheses suggested that the size and shape of the penis might help remove the sperm of rival males or increase the …

Trump supporters and insecure men more likely to value a large penis, according to new research

Trump supporters and insecure men more likely to value a large penis, according to new research

Published by José Betancourt

New research published in the journal Psychology of Men & Masculinities provides evidence that men who feel insecure about their masculinity are more likely to place a high value on having a large penis. The findings suggest that for some men, the penis serves as a symbol of status and dominance, and the desire for a larger one is partly driven by feelings of humiliation regarding failures to meet social expectations of manhood. Men’s concerns regarding penis size are often treated as a source of amusement in popular culture. Despite the comedic treatment, these preoccupations can have serious negative consequences for men’s mental health, sexual satisfaction, and romantic relationships. Previous observations by historians and scientists have suggested that the human penis functions as an organ of display intended to signal status to other men. The authors of the current study sought to empirically test the psychological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. “For many years, I had noticed that men seemed to have an interest in penis size and to admire large penises. I found it curious …

Longevity Science’s Penis Fixation Has an Extensive, Strange History

Longevity Science’s Penis Fixation Has an Extensive, Strange History

Published by Sam Flores

If you have dipped a toe into the very strange waters of longevity culture, you may have noticed a theme: There’s an awful lot of dick. Tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson—he of the “don’t die” motto—is particularly obsessed with the ways his penis might help him live forever. The data Johnson collects on his johnson includes ejaculate volume (just over a half teaspoon, apparently double the norm), sperm count and motility, and nighttime erection quality, which he then compares with his teenage son. His regimen to keep his penis in tip-top shape includes shockwave therapy and Botox injections. He’s not alone. Dave Asprey, the self-proclaimed father of the biohacking movement and the founder of Bulletproof Coffee, plans to live to 180. He treats his penis to injections of stem cells and acoustic wave therapy. For the latter, he helpfully suggests a DIY version: “Grab the cock and slap it against your leg on the left 67 times,” he said on his podcast, The Human Upgrade. “And then on the right….And you lightly slap the balls…The shock …