Category: Microbiota

  • Do Microbes Make Us Social?

    Do Microbes Make Us Social?

    by

    Scott Anderson

    “Microbes may have influenced the evolution of the social brain and behavior as a means to propagate their own genetic material.” —John Cryan. Do our gut microbes make us party animals? It sounds preposterous, but nothing beats socializing when it comes to spreading microbes. And, perhaps, nothing beats microbes when it comes to making us…

  • What is the Diversity Diet?

    What is the Diversity Diet?

    by

    Scott Anderson

    Diversity is a hot topic these days. Certain TV pundits will tell you that diversity is a bad thing, but Mother Nature begs to disagree. Ecology always favors diversity. Diversity allows redundancy: when several creatures can perform the same task, losing one is not fatal to the ecosystem. Variety thus creates a more resilient network, with a great store…