# Can people (or other animals) ever be backwards?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-or-other-animals-ever-be-backwards/622016>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 15, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-or-other-animals-ever-be-backwards/622016 "2012-05-15T20:17:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-or-other-animals-ever-be-backwards/622016/21 "2012-05-16T16:16:07Z")

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> [@Smeghead](#):
>
> It should be pointed out, however, that in cases of identical twins, where one is reversed, the reversed twin has an over 83% chance of becoming evil. Early signs are premature baldness and/or development of a goatee.

And strangely, the goatee always grows in pointy.

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**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-or-other-animals-ever-be-backwards/622016/22 "2012-05-16T16:44:36Z")

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I dimly recall reading of a medical exam question. Patient presents with symptoms of appendicitis but on the wrong side. Doctor is supposed to guess patient may have \*situs inversus \* !

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**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-or-other-animals-ever-be-backwards/622016/23 "2012-05-16T18:19:35Z")

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> [@septimus](#):
>
> I dimly recall reading of a medical exam question. Patient presents with symptoms of appendicitis but on the wrong side. Doctor is supposed to guess patient may have \*situs inversus \* !

Exam question, OK.  
But in real life, I’d expect that a doctor would do more than ‘guess’.  
A simple scan, maybe even an xray would show this. Heck, even just taking their stethoscope and listening for the heartbeat would show this in a few seconds.

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**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-or-other-animals-ever-be-backwards/622016/24 "2012-05-16T18:57:38Z")

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> [@septimus](#):
>
> I dimly recall reading of a medical exam question. Patient presents with symptoms of appendicitis but on the wrong side. Doctor is supposed to guess patient may have \*situs inversus \* !

The only problem with that is that people with _situs solitus_ (the normal arrangement) can also present with appendicitis in the “wrong” place, even on the rightside of the abdomen as well as the midline or some other nearby locations. It’s not common, but it can and has happened.

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