From the Archives: The War of the Microbes

Some ideas are too good to stay in the dustbin. Here's an old piece of mine I think you'll like, and there'll be another every other week.

This piece was originally published on LinkedIn.

The coronavirus has, in the manner of Genghis Khan or Alexander the Great, temporarily conquered the known world of humans. Bacteria, another type of microbe like viruses, prevented the conquest of humans in H.G. Wells’ fictional The War of the Worlds although Wells never specified whether it was bacteria, viruses or other types of microbes likes fungi and parasites.

While the coronavirus has captured our imagination in its war against us, microbes have all along been fighting against us—but also helping us. We have trillions of microbes that live both on us and in us making up what is known as our “microbiome.” Most of them are good bugs, helping you to digest foods, make vitamins, heal wounds and fight against bad bacteria like Salmonella.

Starting with our slide down our mother’s birth canal, we continue picking up microbes from food, water, air, pets and, our concern du jour, other people and doorknobs. We end up with more microbial than human cells. In addition to being factors in controlling our moods, personality and temperament, they also appear to be playing a role in telling us what to eat.

Read the full piece on my Substack here.