Hiccups

Hiccups are triggered by electric signals
generated in the brain stem. Amphibian brain stems emit similar
signals, which control the regular motion of their gills. Our brain
stems, inherited from amphibian ancestors, still spurt out odd signals
producing hiccups that are, according to Shubin, essentially the same
phenomenon as gill breathing.

This is atavism, or evolutionary throwback activity, at work. Luckily, you do eventually stop trying to breathe through your gills when it dawns on your brain that you are actually a modern human, not a prehistoric fish.

So perhaps the next time you are hit with a serious bout of the hiccups, instead of drinking a shot of vinegar, concentrate on your humanity. Just read some Descartes, or Harold Bloom's Shakespeare opus, The Invention of the Human, and you'll be breathing like a person in no time.

http://bio.info.rmati.ca/fr/node/920

Originally posted by Thequ1ck
This is atavism, or evolutionary throwback activity, at work. Luckily, you do eventually stop trying to breathe through your gills when it dawns on your brain that you are actually a modern human, not a prehistoric fish.

So perhaps the next time you are hit with a serious bout of the hiccups, instead of drinking a shot of vinegar, concentrate on your hum ...[text shortened]... hakespeare opus, The Invention of the Human, and you'll be breathing like a person in no time.

Many of our functions can be described as 'evolutionary throwbacks' yet they are still useful and functional to us. One could say our arms are 'evolutionary throwbacks' of fins.
Hiccups serve a purpose in humans (and other animals) and this really has nothing whatsoever to do with gills or our brain thinking we have gills.

Drink water upside down. Hardly ever fails

Originally posted by Thequ1ck
Hiccups are triggered by electric signals
generated in the brain stem. Amphibian brain stems emit similar
signals, which control the regular motion of their gills. Our brain
stems, inherited from amphibian ancestors, still spurt out odd signals
producing hiccups that are, according to Shubin, essentially the same
phenomenon as gill breathing.

This i ...[text shortened]... man, and you'll be breathing like a person in no time.

http://bio.info.rmati.ca/fr/node/920

Anything that requires some time, since time is usually the main factor in losing the hiccups. You could just as well stare at the stars for an hour or look at bugs in a microscope or go roller skating. They would all pretty much have the same result.

tablespoon of sugar

Originally posted by sonhouse
Anything that requires some time, since time is usually the main factor in losing the hiccups. You could just as well stare at the stars for an hour or look at bugs in a microscope or go roller skating. They would all pretty much have the same result.

But don't feed the fish.

Halloween hiccups

http://www.homestarrunner.com/ween04.html