absurd and gross question

[Jon Wagner]

<disclaimer>
If you don't want to waste your time with a simple "I wonder" type 
question from a novice, just skip this now and save both of us the 
trouble of you complaining about it.
</disclaimer>

A few friends and I have been discussing the possibility of swallowing 
a string (inert fiber?..) and allowing the human digestion system to 
pull it all the way through.

We WOULD NOT try this. I repeat, we would NEVER try this.

We think it is an interesting question which I think human biology 
experts may be able to answer.

Here's our logic. People swallow pennies and they are pulled all the 
way through.  So tie a very skinny fiber to a pill sized object and 
let it go through the system. I've heard that fiber optic cables can 
be insterted from either end of the digestive system and fed half way 
through, so shouldn't it be possible to thread something much thinner 
all the way through?

I'd love to hear why or why not this would work. Besides the obvious 
answers of the fiber slicing up the intestine walls.

please post answers to this group rather than via email.
bye-
jon