I’ve always found this interesting. Human beings (or any vertebrates I suppose) are really more of a colony than a single being. And it’s not just a technicality, it’s meaningful. Much of that colony interacts with your nervous system and affects your moods and behavior. You think you have total control of your mind, but you would think and act differently with a different balance of gut bacteria. Chew on that for a while…
There are more cells in your body that aren’t you, than are.
The count of bacterial cells in your gut, on your skin etc is higher than the number of your own cells.
A ratio of 3:1 to 1.3:1
I’ve always found this interesting. Human beings (or any vertebrates I suppose) are really more of a colony than a single being. And it’s not just a technicality, it’s meaningful. Much of that colony interacts with your nervous system and affects your moods and behavior. You think you have total control of your mind, but you would think and act differently with a different balance of gut bacteria. Chew on that for a while…
They aren’t me genetically, but I still need them to live. So really I still feel that it’s a part of me.
Like guide dogs!
I think one’s microbiome has more mass than one’s brain too. So… who is really doing the thinking?
My brain hasn’t that’s for sure
This is one of the scientific plot holes in The Fly. Or at least the 1980s version. The head-swap version has other problems.