# Polar Bear Balls are Shrinking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 25, 2006, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-balls-are-shrinking/370219 "2006-08-25T16:50:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FormerMarineGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/65b543/32.png) [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2006, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-balls-are-shrinking/370219/1 "2006-08-25T16:50:43Z")
In an article on [Foxnews.com](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,210444,00.html) , there is an article saying that polar bears balls are shrinking. Okay, I am not questioning whether are not this is true, and I really do not care (just glad mine are not shrinking). There are a lot of studies on a lot of things, a lot of them having no real significance. Maybe this one does (polar bear population, global warming, etc.), but my question is this: Who funds this stuff? Who decides what and how to fund which studies? ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2006, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-balls-are-shrinking/370219/2 "2006-08-25T16:59:51Z")
Now that’s got to be on the world’s most dangerous jobs list. “Johnson, go measure that polar bear’s balls!” ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2006, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-balls-are-shrinking/370219/3 "2006-08-25T17:44:38Z")
mmmm, polar bear balls. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2006, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-balls-are-shrinking/370219/4 "2006-08-25T17:55:46Z")
All right, now where’s that Eskimo woman I’m supposed to wrestle? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2006, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-balls-are-shrinking/370219/5 "2006-08-25T18:00:13Z")
The research in question was done by Christian Sonne, of the National Environmental Research Institute of Denmark. Undoubtedly it was funded by the Danish government. The basis of the research was preserved specimens of polar bear genitalia obtained from bears killed by subsistence hunters in Greenland, which is administered by Denmark. It was not a specific program to go out and measure polar bear genitals. This is most likely only a small part of the data obtained from study of the polar bear specimens, which probably included other organs besides genitalia. I am sure similar studies are carried out by US agencies such as Fish and Wildlife and perhaps the EPA on other species, and perhaps also include polar bears. Studies of the impact of pollutants on endangered wildlife or on game species, and particularly their reproduction, would seem to be part of the basic mission of such government agencies. Why would you find it surprising that such studies would be funded? ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2006, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-balls-are-shrinking/370219/6 "2006-08-25T21:09:36Z")
Maybe that’s because so few of them know how to dance. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2006, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-balls-are-shrinking/370219/7 "2006-08-25T22:08:44Z")
[QUOTE=FormerMarineGuy] In an article on [Foxnews.com](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,210444,00.html) , there is an article saying that polar bears balls are shrinking. Okay, I am not questioning whether are not this is true, and I really do not care (just glad mine are not shrinking). There are a lot of studies on a lot of things, a lot of them having no real significance. Maybe this one does (polar bear population, global warming, etc.), but my question is this: Who funds this stuff? Who decides what and how to fund which studies? [/QUOTE] [Coke? 😕](http://www.2collectcola.com/page/ACC/CTGY/PB) ---
**Author:** ![FormerMarineGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/65b543/32.png) [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2006, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-balls-are-shrinking/370219/8 "2006-08-25T22:15:18Z")
[QUOTE=ouryL] [Coke? 😕](http://www.2collectcola.com/page/ACC/CTGY/PB) [/QUOTE] Wow, I need to start stepping back and thinking outside the box. I would have saved the time spent starting this thread. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2006, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-balls-are-shrinking/370219/9 "2006-08-26T03:20:36Z")
If you jumped into arctic water I’m sure you would experiance some shrinkage too.