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Gut Bacteria Exert Mind Control

sciencehabit writes "Hundreds of species of bacteria call the human gut their home. This gut 'microbiome' influences our physiology and health in ways that scientists are only beginning to understand. Now, a new study suggests that gut bacteria can even mess with the mind, altering brain chemistry and changing mood and behavior (abstract)."

221 comments

  1. my bacteria by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    got me frist post

  2. Already knew that... by SpasticWeasel · · Score: 3, Funny
    --
    No sooner do I get over one, then you put a better one right next to me. Bastards.
    1. Re:Already knew that... by Riceballsan · · Score: 1
    2. Re:Already knew that... by m50d · · Score: 2
      --
      I am trolling
  3. Well by The_mad_linguist · · Score: 1

    I, for one, welcome our microscopic overlords.

    1. Re:Well by hrvatska · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I think these are more like innerlords.

    2. Re:Well by flyneye · · Score: 1

      I for one keep the lil bastards a bit drunk.
      Worked for Fields. Good nuff.

      --
      *Repent!Quit Your Job!Slack Off!The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!
    3. Re:Well by Sulphur · · Score: 4, Funny

      I think these are more like innerlords.

      This too shall pass away.

      --

      Never let a computer or a cat know that you are in a hurry.

    4. Re:Well by mcneely.mike · · Score: 0

      Yeah, but he was running to the W.C. all the time. :-)

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      soylentnews.org Go there to enjoy the people!
    5. Re:Well by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Soon you will find yourself a long way from the hive, alone and defenseless under a leaf as your gut microbes seek a new nesting place. They have controlled you so far, lets see how they react to a police vehicle..

    6. Re:Well by w0mprat · · Score: 1

      We are walking spacesuits for our single celled ancestors. They won billions of years ago. Excuse me, they need feeding now.

      --
      After logging in slashdot still does not take you back to the page you were on. It's been that way for 20 years.
  4. Overlords oblig! by Acapulco · · Score: 0

    Obviously we all welcome our new bacterial overlords, no?

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    1. Re:Overlords oblig! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Obviously we all welcome our new bacterial overlords, no?

      No.

    2. Re:Overlords oblig! by angiasaa · · Score: 1

      Well, technically, they're not all that new. But yes, we're now obliged to recognize our gut dwelling overloards. :)

      --
      Geekism is your _only_ God!
    3. Re:Overlords oblig! by tibit · · Score: 2

      No, yes or no, no?

      --
      A successful API design takes a mixture of software design and pedagogy.
    4. Re:Overlords oblig! by Acapulco · · Score: 2

      No, no. No?

      --
      Slashdot. Unreadable news to annoy nerds. - wonkey_monkey
    5. Re:Overlords oblig! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Obviously! And equally obviously, we should never, ever get any new jokes. If it was funny a decade ago, it is STILL SO DAMN FUNNY WE SHOULD POST IT EVERY CHANCE WE GET!

    6. Re:Overlords oblig! by treeves · · Score: 2

      Yeah, yeah. Whatever.

      --
      ...the future crusty old bastards are already drinking the Kool-Aid.
  5. Are you pondering what I'm pondering? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    In this case, the side effects appeared to be beneficial. Mice whose diets were supplemented with L. rhamnosus for 6 weeks exhibited fewer signs of stress and anxiety in standard lab tests, Cryan and colleagues report online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

    ...

    "This was really exciting because it tells us the animals are more chilled out and don't mount the same stress response," Cryan says.

    Or maybe the mice just felt good after having taken a really satisfying dump.

    Brain: Are you pondering what I'm pondering?
    Pinky: Uh, I think so, Brain, but burlap chafes me so. NARF!

  6. Unnerving by Verdatum · · Score: 3, Funny

    I liked the bit where they cut the vagus nerve. Before I got to that point in TFA, I was thinking "Well sure, rats fed lactobacillus will have lower stress levels! Life isn't as stressful when you poop good!"

    1. Re:Unnerving by jklovanc · · Score: 1

      I think you were right in you initial assessment. If the vagus nerve is intact signals of well being could be transmitted to the brain and reduce stress. There is a difference between no signal and good signals.

    2. Re:Unnerving by Verdatum · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I considered that bit too. But I still say it's a decent start at trying to sort out causality.

    3. Re:Unnerving by causality · · Score: 2

      Yeah, I considered that bit too. But I still say it's a decent start at trying to sort out causality.

      Says you.

      --
      It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. - Einstein
    4. Re:Unnerving by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      If the vagus nerve is intact signals of well being could be transmitted to the brain and reduce stress.

      I don't know. I think cutting the vagus nerve could be kind of cool.

      I'm going to try it as soon as I'm done trepanning myself. Problem is, I keep breaking drill bits and then running out of coconut-flavored rum. So then I gotta wrap my head up and drive down to the hardware store and then the liquor store. Last time I went the guy who owns Crater Liquors on Milwaukee Avenue was pissed that I bled on his nice clean floor.

      Now I've just got to find my keys, but my vision's a little messed up at the moment so this might take a while.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    5. Re:Unnerving by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Life isn't as stressful when you poop good!

      Fukkin saved.

    6. Re:Unnerving by Will.Woodhull · · Score: 2

      Causality is a useless attempt at simplification in any reasonably healthy ecosystem. Including the internal ecosystem of any mammal that is not actually in the last stages of dying.

      This stuff is better handled by thinking of it as Skinner type black boxes. Give the gut a stimulus, look for a consistent response. You can do lot of good science at that level. But try to get any more mechanistic than that and there are too many possible alternative pathways and, at this point, by far too little established knowledge to make judgments about the likelihood of any given causal path.

      Remember, this post is being generated by a sentient being whose thoughts are influenced by the billions of microbes that are happily living in his gut.

      --
      Will
    7. Re:Unnerving by causality · · Score: 1

      It was a lame joke based on my username, not a serious attempt at disputation.

      --
      It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. - Einstein
    8. Re:Unnerving by Will.Woodhull · · Score: 2

      Oh.

      What's funny is that I didn't hear the "Woosh". Usually I hear the "Whoosh" just after I push the Submit button, so I get the full benefit of self-humiliation from the earliest possible moment.

      --
      Will
  7. Potential Zombie Virus by cyberchondriac · · Score: 1

    ..you know someone was gonna say it

    --

    Look back up at my post, now look back down, you're on the Internet. Now look back up. I'm a signature.
    1. Re:Potential Zombie Virus by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Gutssssssssssss...

  8. Impossible! by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 2

    The assumption that I posses a mysterious "free will" that is somehow divorced from cause and effect(except in that it causes me to act) is simply too convenient to abandon!

    1. Re:Impossible! by DigiShaman · · Score: 1

      Laws of physics not withstanding, I think it's a bit presumptuous to conclude our universe can be predicted with the right computing hardware in calculating every sub-atomic particle in motion down to the quantum level. We have no proof one way or another that the universe has a predictable non-random outcome. And even if it it did, how do "you" know what multi-verse you exist in should there be divergence at every universal fork (permutation)? Of course, that's another big assumption in of itself.

      --
      Life is not for the lazy.
    2. Re:Impossible! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Random is not free.

    3. Re:Impossible! by Hatta · · Score: 2

      Free will is just as incompatible with a random universe as it is with a deterministic universe. Random events are statistically deterministic. We know that quantum events are truly random, and not affected by hidden variables (such as "will"), due to Bell's theorem. Free will is simply incompatible with what we know about physics.

      --
      Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
    4. Re:Impossible! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >Random is not free.

      Are you talking about GNU/Random or Ayn Random?

    5. Re:Impossible! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Pretty sure Ayn Random will cost you...

    6. Re:Impossible! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Free will is simply incompatible with what we currently know about physics.

      Which, all things considered, is very, very little.

    7. Re:Impossible! by hawkfish · · Score: 2

      Free will is just as incompatible with a random universe as it is with a deterministic universe. Random events are statistically deterministic. We know that quantum events are truly random, and not affected by hidden variables (such as "will"), due to Bell's theorem. Free will is simply incompatible with what we know about physics.

      That's not what Bell's theorem says. It say that quantum physics must necessarily violate either the principle of locality or counterfactual definiteness. Free will could violate locality if it was the result of agents external to the universe. Conversely, free will could violate counterfactual definiteness if the universe was being made up as we go along. The latter seems not only compatible with free will, but a necessary consequence of it.

      --
      You will not drink with us, but you would taste our steel? - Walter Matthau, The Pirates
    8. Re:Impossible! by Will.Woodhull · · Score: 1

      Except that the Copenhagen interpretation dismisses the principle of locality as an inescapable observer bias that is not binding on the Universe (it is instead a limit to our capacity to perceive or understand the Universe). Without the principle of locality, Bell's theorem pretty much falls apart.

      The Sugar Beats summed up the whole quandary quite well, I think: "I can't believe I used to think that what I thought was happening was really going on." If you can get your head around that, then you are one step closer to understanding today's physics. That does not mean that physics goes away; it means only that the proper study of physics are the models of the Universe that we create in our heads, and not the Universe itself.

      --
      Will
    9. Re:Impossible! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Physics is just a modeling language. And it gets pretty good results. But really that is all we know about it...that it gets pretty good results.

      So we model the universe using deterministic concepts and then are surprised to discover that there is no room left for free will. What a surprise!

      Don't get me wrong, I think the results physics gets are great. I am not denying any of them. And I am not postulating any ghosts in the machine either. I am just pointing out that we only know what we have observed, and the non-existence of free will isn't something we have observed...and further our conclusions are only as good as our observations which are necessarily limited.

      Scientific rigor demands a measure of humility...we shouldn't be calling ourselves scientists if we are going to be drawing conclusions that vastly exceed the scope of the data.

      Free will is a topic for psychologists, moralists, spiritualists, and philosophers. Scientists have more important things to worry about.

    10. Re:Impossible! by williamhb · · Score: 1

      The assumption that I posses a mysterious "free will" that is somehow divorced from cause and effect(except in that it causes me to act) is simply too convenient to abandon!

      It's not an assumption. It is a continuous first-hand subjective observation. I was going to post a sarcastic reply, but then I decided I really shouldn't be so mean -- after all, by your argument it wasn't your decision to post that.

    11. Re:Impossible! by maxwell+demon · · Score: 1

      Free will is just as incompatible with a random universe as it is with a deterministic universe.

      Well, start by defining free will. Before you do that, you'll not be able to tell if it is compatible or incompatible with anything.

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
    12. Re:Impossible! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Free will is simply incompatible with what we currently know about physics.

      Which, all things considered, is very, very little.

      If by that you mean what you currently know about physics, that might be true.

      What humans know about physics is an awful lot. There are many unanswered questions, but our theories are good enough to predict things with an accuracy so high that the error bars don't show up in the curves between measurement and theoretical prediction.

    13. Re:Impossible! by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      free will is just an illusion, didn't you know that? luckily the human brain is so complex and and built from mechanisms cobbled together by a maniac so it's as good as free will. aliens would be amazed.

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
  9. chemicals by Haven · · Score: 4, Interesting

    There is far more serotonin present in your gut than in your skull.

    1. Re:chemicals by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is far more serotonin present in your gut than in your skull.

      And in this book, the author points out that the link between serotonin levels and well being has never been proven - the drug companies guessed that is how their drugs work.

    2. Re:chemicals by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Unless you are my shit-for-brains brother-in-law, Louie.

    3. Re:chemicals by zwarte+piet · · Score: 1

      Must be all those happy bugs enjoying life.

    4. Re:chemicals by schlachter · · Score: 1
      --
      My God can beat up your God. Just kidding...don't take offense. I know there's no God.
  10. I wasn't going to post anything by SmurfButcher+Bob · · Score: 3, Funny

    but I just had this gut feeling that something bad would happen if I didn't.

    --

    help me i've cloned myself and can't remember which one I am

    1. Re:I wasn't going to post anything by c0lo · · Score: 1

      but I just had this gut feeling that something bad would happen if I didn't.

      See what happens if you let your ass think for you?

      --
      Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
  11. Hence the phrase by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "You are full of crap!"

  12. Makes sense. by ajyasgar · · Score: 1

    Is this why I get angry when I haven't eaten?

    1. Re:Makes sense. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That sounds like something different...

    2. Re:Makes sense. by ThatsMyNick · · Score: 1

      No

    3. Re:Makes sense. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's likely more of a blood sugar issue.

    4. Re:Makes sense. by nospam007 · · Score: 1

      ...and why you're in a better mood if you poison the bastards with ethanol.

    5. Re:Makes sense. by Neil+Boekend · · Score: 1

      maybe the bacteria conditioned you to become angry if your blood sugar gets low.

      --
      Well, I might have a way, but it only works on a semi spherical planet in a vacuum.
  13. Set the precedent by Master+Moose · · Score: 1

    How long until someone tries the "It was the bacteria that made me do it, so I am not culpable" defence in court?

    In scarier thoughts, how long until it works?

    --
    . . .gone when the morning comes
    1. Re:Set the precedent by budgenator · · Score: 1

      Studies have been conducted that show the toxoplasmosis parasite may affect behavior and may present as or be a causative or contributory factor in various psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety and schizophrenia.[10][11][12] In 11 of 19 scientific studies, T. gondii antibody levels were found to be significantly higher in individuals affected by first-incidence schizophrenia than in unaffected persons. Individuals with schizophrenia are also more likely to report a clinical history of toxoplasmosis than those in the general population.[13] Recent work at the University of Leeds has found that the parasite produces an enzyme with tyrosine hydroxylase and phenylalanine hydroxylase activity. This enzyme may contribute to the behavioral changes observed in toxoplasmosis by altering the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in mood, sociability, attention, motivation and sleep patterns. Schizophrenia has long been linked to dopamine dysregulation.[14] Toxoplasmosis

      It works now, schizophrenia that is.

      --
      Apocalypse Cancelled, Sorry, No Ticket Refunds
    2. Re:Set the precedent by AP31R0N · · Score: 1

      Free will seems to be exaggerated. Largely by religious types who think we are bags of meat driven around by cherubs. The truth is that the meat is driving around the meat.

      Pump in the right combination of chemicals and an easy going guy can turn into an asshole, and vice versa. In the early 20s the part of the brain that does most of the thinking moves from the emotional area to the more logic area (that can forsee consequences). This explains why teens are so passionate and everything is either the greatest thing in the world ever, or the worst. We can look at brain scans and say... that guy is a sociopath.

      Which is not to say that we shouldn't lock away our most amusing citizens, we should. But we should also work toward understanding why people do things. With that knowledge we might be able to shape behavior toward the better. Maybe prevent people from becoming criminals in the first place.

      Our prisons are packed with AD(H)D. Maybe with early detection and treatment we could see fewer criminals.

      --
      Utilizing the synergization of benchmark e-solutions to pre-workaround action items!
  14. That explains... by Firemouth · · Score: 1

    ... how White Castle has stayed in business for 90+ years...

    1. Re:That explains... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, pot explains why it has stayed in business for 90+ years. (indirectly of course) ;)

    2. Re:That explains... by nomadic · · Score: 1

      Let's be fair, alcohol too.

  15. Gives new meaning to the term 'brain food' by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    nt

  16. So the spleen is the seat of emotions after all? by Jaryn · · Score: 2

    So the spleen is the seat of emotions after all?

    http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/anxietydepression/a/EmotionsTCM.htm

    Then forget the Zoloft, gimme my strawberry-banana yogursicle.

  17. Is it too late, there's 15 billion of them in me? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I started taking a probiotic supplement yesterday (that contains Lactobacillus), how long until I'm under control?

  18. So, when I eat French Fries... by MindPrison · · Score: 1

    ...I feel like an American!

    No wait...

    --
    What this world is coming to - is for you and me to decide.
    1. Re:So, when I eat French Fries... by lakeland · · Score: 1

      If it makes you feel better, you can call them frenched fries.

    2. Re:So, when I eat French Fries... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Also, calling them frenched fries prevents the Belgians being insulted.

    3. Re:So, when I eat French Fries... by MindPrison · · Score: 1

      Also, calling them frenched fries prevents the Belgians being insulted.

      LOL! Excellent comeback. :)

      --
      What this world is coming to - is for you and me to decide.
    4. Re:So, when I eat French Fries... by Neil+Boekend · · Score: 1

      Belgians have real fries, they don't need those far-to-thin french "fries".
      Hmm, Vlaamse frieten! Delicious! Especially with the sour mayo they have!

      --
      Well, I might have a way, but it only works on a semi spherical planet in a vacuum.
    5. Re:So, when I eat French Fries... by DryGrian · · Score: 1

      Flemish fries?

      --
      For optimal comment enjoyment, take red pill now.
  19. Was this unexpected? by Obfuscant · · Score: 2
    This was unexpected?

    There are millions of people every day dependent upon manufactured medications to maintain mental function, and millions more who are taking medication because someone else thinks they need mental function adjustement. Those medications are, for the most part, administered orally.

    What, does it surprise anyone that a bacterium producing a mind altering compound in the gut would have that compound absorbed and transported via the bloodstream, when we depend on exactly that transport method for manufactured drugs?

    1. Re:Was this unexpected? by Muros · · Score: 2

      I don't think it's particularly surprising either. However, I would be interested in seeing research into what common gut flora & fauna produce what effects, and how particular dietary elements influence population sizes of those specific organisms.

    2. Re:Was this unexpected? by si3n4 · · Score: 1

      not unexpected but unexplored I think. The impact of our digestive zoo seems more revealed each day - impacts on creating and suppressing disease , impact on the amount of nutrients we can get from the foods we eat , now perhaps contributions to our mental functioning. Maybe this got over hyped a little but I think the work is still interesting.

    3. Re:Was this unexpected? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The article seemed to state that the vagus nerve was part of the observed afect. So absorbed and transported via the bloodstream isn't relevant to the study.

      That's the most interesting part to me.

    4. Re:Was this unexpected? by Jmc23 · · Score: 1

      I'm pretty sure if you ask the prepared foods industry they would tell you. Ok, they probably won't tell you, but fat, sugar, salt, is where to start.

      --
      Don't complain about syntax, grammar, or spelling. There is no.hell like input on android.
    5. Re:Was this unexpected? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      a bacterium producing a mind altering compound in the gut would have that compound absorbed and transported via the bloodstream

      Since that isn't what the article is about at all (refer to the part where the vagus nerve is cut), you, sir, are a moron and so is the person who modded you up.

    6. Re:Was this unexpected? by jklovanc · · Score: 1

      This was unexpected?

      What, does it surprise anyone that a bacterium producing a mind altering compound in the gut would have that compound absorbed and transported via the bloodstream, when we depend on exactly that transport method for manufactured drugs?

      I think you may have missed the part about cutting the vagus nerve. With the nerve cut there was no mood enhancing effect. Therefore it is not a compound produced by the organism being transported to the brain.

    7. Re:Was this unexpected? by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      "t would have that compound absorbed and transported via the bloodstream"

      the experiment worked on mice.

      they didn't feed the mice with pills, the bacteria itself produced whatever caused the symptoms(or lack of them). as such it could explain how you can be in very low spirits when your stomach is not functioning, though there's some debate that it doesn't function properly when you're in low spirits too.

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
  20. everything goes somewhere by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    if one eats crap....

    as for mind pollution; if we weren't poisoning ourselves voluntarily, we could be forced to watch more mainstream media hypenosys.

    disarm (weapons, media, atmostfearinc etc...). tell the truth about everything. the only mathematically & spiritually correct options. see you there.

  21. Who Farted? by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

    For years we've been taking the blame for our farting. Now, with this research, we can blame mind control!

    And I'm not even kidding. These critters are indeed controlling our minds in flatulence. What more - or less - subtle means do they exercise?

    --

    --
    make install -not war

  22. Metaclorians...? by jpiratefish · · Score: 1

    Okay, so what do I eat to get my metaclorian count up?

    1. Re:Metaclorians...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Jedi, of course.

      Watch out, though - the little green ones are kinda stringy.

    2. Re:Metaclorians...? by rts008 · · Score: 1

      Wookies.
      I'd advise caution, though...

      --
      Down With Slashdot BETA!!! I've been around the corner and seen the oliphant; you can only abuse me from your perspecti
  23. This is nothing new by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    According to my acupuncturist, the Chinese have been using the gut-brain connection in the healing arts for about 5000 years. But what would they know compared to our few hundred years of research in Western medicine?

    1. Re:This is nothing new by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Indeed. Marvel in awe at their advanced political system.

    2. Re:This is nothing new by MaWeiTao · · Score: 2

      It's true that they've made some very insightful connections long ago. But so have the Europeans. It's just that it's the current fad to be into Chinese medicine. And from experience I've found a lot of it to be flat out wrong or at least misguided.

      I mean, if they had it all figured out China should have the longest life expectancy on earth, and they don't. Although, I'm not discounting Chinese doctors either, because much of what they do is indeed effective. But I wouldn't be surprised if more Americans got acupuncture than Chinese did. The fact is that when someone in Asia gets sick, they go to a regular doctor like us and get prescribed the same kinds of medicine we get.

      If anything, they medicate even more heavily than American doctors do. Get a cold here and the doctor tells you to take tylenol. In Asia you get a cold and they'll give you several different pills; aggressive fever reducers, sleeping pills, a couple of others for various symptoms and antibiotics for good measure

    3. Re:This is nothing new by ChromeAeonium · · Score: 2

      But what would they know compared to our few hundred years of research in Western medicine?

      Not enough to know that there's no such thing as chi/ki/prana apparently. As for this mind-gut connection, enlighten me, does it say anything specific or relevant to anything related to gut flora? Or is it just that eating good food makes you feel better (which falls firmly into the no shit category), mixed with a heaping helping of nonsense about 'yin foods' and 'yang foods'? I'm not making that up; TCM practitioners actually believe that some foods have magical heating (yang) or cooling (yin) abilities, and that eating too much of the one or the other will screw you up. And before you say 'well yeah, cucumber is cool and pepper is hot' take note that the lychee (one of the best foods most westerners have never heard of, tastes kinda like a grape, but grows on a tree and has a hard red skin) is one of the yangiest foods (cherries and pineapples are also yang). Could there be a scientific basis behind it? Dunno, maybe a thousand years of anecdotes amounts to something. But given the complete lack of actual science to back those points, and the plethora of just plain stupid things TCM guys also believe in (ever seen the dried lizard/worm/wood/who-knows-what-else infusions they make?), I sure as hell don't buy it until someone gives me more than the Chinese equivalent of the four humors (which, I have no doubt, if some magical foreigners had invented, these morons would be buying that too, but since it's European then it is just dumb).

    4. Re:This is nothing new by Muros · · Score: 1

      Your acupuncturist? I shudder to think what some Chinese guy 5000 years ago was trying to achieve when he discovered sticking needles into a particular part of someones gut had possible unforeseen therapeutic value. Western society had it's own brand of voodoo medicine with a tradition stretching back as far as the Chinese one. I'll stick to the bits that started out a few hundred years ago with things like keeping wounds washed. Forgive me if I don't trust tossing a coin into a sacred well in the middle of an oak and blackthorn grove, then waiting for a pin in a bottle of water from the well to rust, to cure me of my woes.

    5. Re:This is nothing new by Belial6 · · Score: 1

      I suspect that it the same for the Chinese as it is for everyone else. For example certain groups found that the people who at pigs tended to get sick and die. So they made to conclusions. One is that their is a magical being that didn't want you to eat pigs, and the other is that you can avoid certain illness by not eating pigs.

      It is pretty common for humans to notice a trend that they don't understand, and explain their lack of understanding away as magic. We see that even in the highest reaches of science. Just look something as simple as the law of thermodynamics. It pretty much relies on a base explanation of "Magic Happened". That doesn't mean that there isn't a lot of good information. It just means that we need to be aware of when the person giving the explanation has stopped using science, and has started had waving.

    6. Re:This is nothing new by Jmc23 · · Score: 1
      So you're saying there's no such things as electrical flows in the human body? Do you have absolutely no idea how nerve conduction, muscular contractions, lymph and blood flow work? Are you unaware that there are devices invented by western science that detects accupressure points?

      The interesting part of accupressure is that westerners need tech to detect these things while asian cultures were able to do it with their hands. That's the real thing to take away, that most westerners are so out of touch with their bodies that they need doctors to tell them what's happening with it.

      --
      Don't complain about syntax, grammar, or spelling. There is no.hell like input on android.
    7. Re:This is nothing new by Jmc23 · · Score: 1
      You are making the wrong assumption that they randomly came up with the idea.

      It's understandable coming from someone and a culture that are so out of touch with their bodies that they can't feel accupressure points with their hands.

      --
      Don't complain about syntax, grammar, or spelling. There is no.hell like input on android.
    8. Re:This is nothing new by WillKemp · · Score: 2

      Indeed. Marvel in awe at their [China's] advanced political system.

      Does it really make much difference? In Australia, we get a choice of two parties who are virtually identical. We can vote, but it won't make any difference to anything much. It's the same in the UK and, as far as i can tell, the same in the US.

      As far as differences between countries go, Australia and the UK don't have capital punishment, China and the US do. Australia and the UK have good social security and universally available health systems, China and the US don't. The Chinese government censors the internet a lot, Australia and the UK censor it a bit, and in the US they use litigation to censor it. The US has the highest incarceration rate in the world at 743 per 100,000, UK: 150, Australia 133, China: 120.

      And China's doing considerably better economically than either of the UK or the US!

    9. Re:This is nothing new by WillKemp · · Score: 1

      [......] and antibiotics to fuck your digestive system

      FTFY

    10. Re:This is nothing new by Muros · · Score: 1

      I'm sorry but that is simply rubbish. They had to randomly come up with the idea. Sticking needles into someone is not in any way an intuitively obvious way to make someone healthier. I don't believe that it does make someone healthier. But we'll leave that aside. As for being from a culture that can't feel points in my hands defined by a weird Chinese magical practice... well, I'm not Chinese. Sorry. If you want I could try hard to cobble together a semi-coherent pile of rubbish regarding Celtic mysticism, which had an emphasis on the magical power of poetry, particularly focused on the less obvious ways in which to use cadence, the beauty of alliteration, assonance and onomatopoeia over simple rhymes, the subtle use of half meanings and double entendres. It would be understandable from someone and a culture that uses a tonal language not to understand such a use of linguistics, but then again I would agree it is horseshit. Even if the horses are thoroughbred.

    11. Re:This is nothing new by Jmc23 · · Score: 1

      Maybe you should jave read my other post. There is western tech that western doctors cancan use to detect accupressure points. They exist and are detectable by science. You really think they randomly discovered all those points? that science can detect? Metal having an effect on electrical impulses? Do you know anything about science?

      --
      Don't complain about syntax, grammar, or spelling. There is no.hell like input on android.
    12. Re:This is nothing new by fireylord · · Score: 1

      One is that their is a magical being that didn't want you to eat pigs

      You mean their imaginary sky fairy?

    13. Re:This is nothing new by Belial6 · · Score: 1

      Yes. Yes I do.

  24. No Futurama love yet? by sconeu · · Score: 1

    OK, it's worms instead of bacteria, but still....

    --
    General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
    1. Re:No Futurama love yet? by Riceballsan · · Score: 1

      umm... you were beaten by like the 2nd post. titled "already knew that"

    2. Re:No Futurama love yet? by sconeu · · Score: 1

      Oops. Did a search for "futurama" and didn't see anything.

      That's very different. Never mind.

      --
      General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
  25. Bacterial language deciphered by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Bacteria's first words.

    "Eat Cheeseburgers, Eat Cheeseburgers, Eat Cheeseburgers, Eat Cheeseburgers, Eat Cheeseburgers"

  26. Another sensationalistic headline by jklovanc · · Score: 2

    When did /. become a tabloid? This has nothing to do with "mind control". Control implies intent and I am pretty sure that a bacteria in the digestive tract have no intent to "explore narrow walkways".

    The bacteria makes the stomach feel better and the vagus nerve transmits this feeling to the brain thereby reducing stress. There is a funny thing about stress. The response to stress is not linear it is exponential. If someone under no stress has a little stress added they can deal with it. A person under a lot of stress has the same amount add it can push them over the edge. A good example of this is losing keys. If you are about to leave the house to go for a walk and cant find you keys it is not a problem; most people just delay the walk until they find their keys. Now lose your keys when you are trying to get to the airport with 4 excited children. That small stressor can drive you insane. Same stressor, different initial stress level, different response. So the stomach feeling good lowers stress levels and allows the rodent to handle added stress better. Animals under stress avoid stress.

    Do bacteria in the digestive tract affect animals? Yes, by making them feel better and having less stress. Do bacteria in the digestive tract control the mind? No, that do not make animals do things they do not want to do.

    1. Re:Another sensationalistic headline by nedlohs · · Score: 1

      You have a very strange definition of "same".

      Not being able to find the keys isn't the stress inducer, they're just reasonably cheap replaceable objects. The stress in the first case is "damn it where are those keys". The stress in the second case is "damn it where are those keys", and "shit, we are going to miss the plane", and "I can't leave the house unlocked for the entire trip". Completely different things.

      Doesn't refute your exponential idea, but that example doesn't provide any evidence for it either.

    2. Re:Another sensationalistic headline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      These bacteria can produce substances that alter the recipient's mind state, for instance a panic attack or hunger. Genetically enhanced these bacterias can be very powerful as a weapon. Since nobody would expect such an attack vector, bacterial warfare is viable this way and remain undetected and ethically unchallenged, if these bacterias cannot survive for long. And if this goes wrong, you get people who have Gulf war syndrome ..

    3. Re:Another sensationalistic headline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Take some strong antibiotics and see if you can control when you shit or not. That's close enough to mind control for me.

    4. Re:Another sensationalistic headline by Livius · · Score: 2

      It's an issue of adaptation, not intent. Lots of parasites alter their hosts' behaviour, which is mind control by definition. The control may be crude but that's not the point.

    5. Re:Another sensationalistic headline by avandesande · · Score: 1

      Or to go a little further "I get grumpy at work if I miss lunch"

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    6. Re:Another sensationalistic headline by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      A couple digits before you got here, Sonny.

    7. Re:Another sensationalistic headline by Nyder · · Score: 1

      When did /. become a tabloid? This has nothing to do with "mind control". Control implies intent and I am pretty sure that a bacteria in the digestive tract have no intent to "explore narrow walkways".

      The bacteria makes the stomach feel better and the vagus nerve transmits this feeling to the brain thereby reducing stress. There is a funny thing about stress. The response to stress is not linear it is exponential. If someone under no stress has a little stress added they can deal with it. A person under a lot of stress has the same amount add it can push them over the edge. A good example of this is losing keys. If you are about to leave the house to go for a walk and cant find you keys it is not a problem; most people just delay the walk until they find their keys. Now lose your keys when you are trying to get to the airport with 4 excited children. That small stressor can drive you insane. Same stressor, different initial stress level, different response. So the stomach feeling good lowers stress levels and allows the rodent to handle added stress better. Animals under stress avoid stress.

      Do bacteria in the digestive tract affect animals? Yes, by making them feel better and having less stress. Do bacteria in the digestive tract control the mind? No, that do not make animals do things they do not want to do.

      Really? Your positive about this, huh?

      Let me tell you a little bit about stress and me. Stress doesn't start in my stomach. Stress starts in my brain. Ya, I know that is that is probably the weirdest thing you've ever heard, but, at least with me, it's true. And that stress, goes from my head, to my stomach. I know your thinking, what? that's bullshit, stress starts in your stomach because I said so. Well, sorry, but stress starts in the brain. Ya, i know, that really fucks up the post you were doing, since you are claiming stress starts in the stomach.

      And while we are at it, you do understand there are different degrees of "mind control". While you are cutting to the end result, where the you are trying to say the stomach is in complete control of the mind, only shows how stupid you are and how you can't even think logically. Had you bothered to read the article, you'd see that they are influencing chemicals and stuff, not actually taking over. (well, thought to influence, they are still trying to figure this shit out).

      But of course, your the expert and if you say it's hogwash, we should believe you, right? Even though you can't read the article and of course, are making it seem like it's saying more then it is.

      But right now, my stomach is saying this post is a waste of time, sort of like talking to a brick wall. And I agree.

      --
      Be seeing you...
    8. Re:Another sensationalistic headline by starless · · Score: 1

      Not being able to find the keys isn't the stress inducer, they're just reasonably cheap replaceable objects.

      Have you seen the price for replacement car keys these days? They can be hundreds of dollars...

    9. Re:Another sensationalistic headline by quax · · Score: 1

      When did /. become a tabloid?

      Let me take a stab at this: About maybe 8 years ago?

    10. Re:Another sensationalistic headline by nedlohs · · Score: 1

      I interpreted it as house keys, after all why would you be looking for your car keys to go for a walk?

    11. Re:Another sensationalistic headline by jklovanc · · Score: 1

      Are you saying that when your stomach is upset due to hunger, illness, etc that it does not cause stress? How about when you stub your toe? Does that not increase stress? How about when you get a massage? Does that not decrease stress? What I am trying to say is that positive and negative sensations from the rest of the body induce or relieve stress. There are nerve pathways in both direction between the brain and the digestive tract. Yes, stress causes stomach issue but stomach issues also cause stress. I do not claim all stress starts in the stomach just that some stress does.

      Second you might want to look up the definition of control. The relevant definition being "to exercise restraint or direction over; dominate; command." I do not see any direction, dominance or command that an organism in one's digestive tract exercises. Yes, they influence a mental state; they do not control.

      Nowhere have I said that the stomach is in "complete control of the mind". In fact I said the exact opposite that the stomach has no control over the mind. A much more accurate headline would have been "Gut Bacteria Influences Mood".

    12. Re:Another sensationalistic headline by Anubis+IV · · Score: 1

      Darn right! We're^H^H^H^H^HThe bacteria are not controlling anyone or acting with intent.

    13. Re:Another sensationalistic headline by jklovanc · · Score: 1

      Parasites alter mood which allows people to do things that want to do. That is not control. Are you saying that antidepressants are mind control drugs? Re you saying a pulled muscle exerts mind control? It defiantly alters behaviour in that one is less active. Look up Mind control and you will see that it is synonymous with brainwashing. The term "mind control" has a specific definition and the only reason it was used in the headline was to sensationalize the article.

    14. Re:Another sensationalistic headline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or to go a little further "I get grumpy at work if I miss lunch"

      Aha! So the lunch is mind controlling you! Stop the presses!

    15. Re:Another sensationalistic headline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not being able to find the keys isn't the stress inducer, they're just reasonably cheap replaceable objects.

      Keys aren't necessarily cheap. Replacing keys for modern cars can be rather expensive.

    16. Re:Another sensationalistic headline by heathen_01 · · Score: 1

      In the USA a walk is a colloquialism for going for a drive.

    17. Re:Another sensationalistic headline by geekoid · · Score: 1

      1997.

      " No, that do not make animals do things they do not want to do."
      Not true. in some cases it does. Tells rats to charge Cats, dictates where infected insects will go.Those are different bacteria, natch.

      Your opinion is about a decade behind the science.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    18. Re:Another sensationalistic headline by geekoid · · Score: 1

      Parasites alter mood which allows people to do things that want to do.

      Some bacteria give you craving to eat specific things it needs, it also can make you want to do something.

      manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator(s), often to the detriment of the person being manipulated
      For an example in mice, See: Toxoplasma gondii

      There is mounting evidence that Gut abcteria makes people eat more. Nothing conclusives, but it's pretty strong.

      I have seen a grown man cry while ordering food because he couldn't help himself. This is in all other ways an intellegent person. I have seen people lie about food intake. It's easy to dismiss as 'weak willed' but that's really 19th century thinking.

      It's a very interesting field, and it really opens the door on a number of outside influences into you decision making, as well as an impact on genetic expression.

      brainwashing is just one use of mind control, It's the most abusive, and media worthy definition.WIkipedia uses the term unethical, which doesn't really belong. You can brain wash someone to do 'good'.

      Trickling you into behavioral changes is a form of mind control.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  27. Neuropeptide Y or S or CCK by JonySuede · · Score: 2

    This bacteria must interfere with possibly a combination of the Neuropeptides Y, S and CCK pathways. The CCK-4 neuropeptide is pretty nasty, it cause instant panic attack reliably at 75ug.

    --
    Jehovah be praised, Oracle was not selected
  28. Innocent, by reason of Gut Bacteria by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How long until the Gut Bacteria Mind Control defense appears in a courtroom near you?

  29. On a completely unrelated note by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the Toxoplasma gondii in my gut would like to ask you to please lick the ass of the nearest cat.

    Thank you for your cooperation.

    1. Re:On a completely unrelated note by treeves · · Score: 2

      Funny you should mention those specifically. I remember hearing a story about Toxoplasma causing people to behave in higher-risk ways, like driving faster.
      As for how that relates to how it makes mice (that may be harboring Toxoplasma) attracted to the urine of cats that will want to eat said mice (to aid its spread), I cannot imagine.

      --
      ...the future crusty old bastards are already drinking the Kool-Aid.
  30. vastly outnumbered by our bacterial overlords by nido · · Score: 2

    There are more bacteria in our intestines than cells in the body, by some estimates. I was disappointed by this comment:

    The findings "open up very exciting speculation" about using probiotics to treat mood disorders in people, says Emeran Mayer, a gastroenterologist at the University of California, Los Angeles.

    The types of bacteria in one's intestines are highly dependent on the substrates available. A person who eats a vegetable-rich diet every day - especially grated carrots with salt and vinegar or jerusalem artichokes (rich source of the prebiotic carbohydrate inulin) - will have a totally different types of bacteria in their intestines than those who survive on Big Macs, Fries and carbonated beverages, with or without the probiotic supplement.

      It's sorta like... growing a garden. If your plants don't have nutrients, they won't grow very big... But add the right kind of fertilizer, and they'll really take off.

    --
    Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
    www.teslabox.com
    1. Re:vastly outnumbered by our bacterial overlords by thunderclap · · Score: 3, Funny

      So you are saying that Vegans are crazy because they don't eat meat and those microbes exert a greater influence because of it?

    2. Re:vastly outnumbered by our bacterial overlords by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Every vegan I've ever met wasn't quite 'right' in the head (IMHO)... I always assumed they were vegan because they were weird... but perhaps they are weird because they are vegans!

    3. Re:vastly outnumbered by our bacterial overlords by WillKemp · · Score: 2

      Yep, as the old saying goes, you are what you eat.

      But something else that has a major influence on your gut flora is antibiotics - which quacks hand out like lollies ("sweets"/"candies", for the linguistically challenged). So just changing your diet may not be enough, because the necessary bacteria may simply not be there any more.

      There have been reports (in New Scientist among other sources) of the success of what are euphemistically called "fecal transplants". Getting the right microbes into your gut - and in particular, getting them past the very unfriendly environment of your stomach - is challenging.

    4. Re:vastly outnumbered by our bacterial overlords by WillKemp · · Score: 1

      So you are saying that Vegans are crazy because they don't eat meat and those microbes exert a greater influence because of it?

      Which microbes?

      All the vegans i've ever known (and i've know a lot of them and i was one myself for 14 years) showed much less sign of food-related craziness than habitual junk food eaters do.

    5. Re:vastly outnumbered by our bacterial overlords by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What's a "linguistically"?

      (just kidding)

    6. Re:vastly outnumbered by our bacterial overlords by SecurityTheatre · · Score: 2

      What's a "food-related craziness" and how does one define the difference between other types of crazy?

      And it's odd you say that, many of the vegans I've known have been quite odd people. I always attributed the vegan choice to the oddities, rather than the other way around...

      I do know that vegans have to be insanely careful about what they eat to be healthy and I've known a few athletes who tried to go vegan and their body just couldn't handle it, responding like they were short on important nutrients, their energy, stamina and recovery speed were notably diminished.

      I'm going to say what I always say. Doing something "hardcore" is probably bad for you. Why not have a balanced diet? We are evolved as omnivores and it's challenging to try to hotwire that.

    7. Re:vastly outnumbered by our bacterial overlords by WillKemp · · Score: 1

      What's a "food-related craziness" and how does one define the difference between other types of crazy?

      Dunno really, maybe you should ask the gp what they meant by "crazy". I was using "food-related" to exclude other more obvious sources of craziness.

      And it's odd you say that, many of the vegans I've known have been quite odd people. I always attributed the vegan choice to the oddities, rather than the other way around...

      Everyone's odd to somebody - even you!

      I do know that vegans have to be insanely careful about what they eat to be healthy [......]

      You don't have to be insanely careful at all, you just have to know what you're doing and have your shit together. People who don't understand nutrition and can't keep it together don't last very long as vegans.

      [......] and I've known a few athletes who tried to go vegan and their body just couldn't handle it, responding like they were short on important nutrients, their energy, stamina and recovery speed were notably diminished.

      I'm going to say what I always say. Doing something "hardcore" is probably bad for you. Why not have a balanced diet? We are evolved as omnivores and it's challenging to try to hotwire that.

      Athletes have very different nutritional requirements from normal people. It may be possible to be a vegan athlete for a while, so long as you've got your diet properly together, but you might run out of certain nutrients sooner than someone who wasn't so active. I worked as a builder's labourer a fair bit while i was vegan and i didn't have any problems - in fact i seemed to have less problems with the hard work than some of the meat eaters i worked with. But if i didn't drink a litre of soya milk every day i would get tired more quickly.

      There are various health benefits that come from not eating dairy - never having snot-streaming colds, for example. I used to drink a lot of alcohol in those days and i'm fairly sure i did myself a lot less damage than i would have done if i'd been eating meat and dairy at the same time.

      And everyone's definition of a balanced diet is different - and culturally influenced. The advantage of being an omnivore is that you can be vegan if you want to.

    8. Re:vastly outnumbered by our bacterial overlords by mysidia · · Score: 2

      but perhaps they are weird because they are vegans!

      Are you sure the microbes weren't controlling their mind and causing them to be and become vegans?

      Which came first... the veganism or the bacteria that likes their host to be vegan?

    9. Re:vastly outnumbered by our bacterial overlords by gfxguy · · Score: 1

      I had a really difficult root canal after which the dentist prescribed really strong antibiotics because the roots were so curvy and deep he wasn't sure he could get it all. At the same time, he prescribed acidophilus... but it didn't help, and my digestive system got completely out of whack. I had to eventually take massive doses of all different kinds of probiotics to get "normal" again. Years later I started taking probiotics as part of my routine (yes, I'm old), and it's worked really well for me.

      As far as the article goes, it's been obvious as long as I can remember that what you eat affects your mood. I couldn't really tell you why - blood sugar spikes or something else, but it's always been the case. Even Homer Simpson mused about the effects of diet on mood when he was an ice cream truck driver. If I trust these findings, I think it's but one part in why your diet affects your mood.

      --
      Stupid sexy Flanders.
    10. Re:vastly outnumbered by our bacterial overlords by cangrejoinmortal · · Score: 1

      Carl Lewis is a vegan and was vegan when he was setting 100m world records.

    11. Re:vastly outnumbered by our bacterial overlords by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well if your mom was named "Stargazer" and feeds you exclusively on tree bark and tofu, you never really had a chance.

    12. Re:vastly outnumbered by our bacterial overlords by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You'd have to be utterly batpoop to voluntarily drink a litre of soy milk.

    13. Re:vastly outnumbered by our bacterial overlords by YeeHaW_Jelte · · Score: 1

      "I was disappointed by this comment:

      The findings "open up very exciting speculation" about using probiotics to treat mood disorders in people, says Emeran Mayer, a gastroenterologist at the University of California, Los Angeles."

      Me too. I'm surprised this is news to a gastroenterologist. I though it was well known that other, non-biotic, inhabitants influence the mind too. Very nasty if you have candadiasis, which is an out of control growth of this critter.

      --

      ---
      "The chances of a demonic possession spreading are remote -- relax."
    14. Re:vastly outnumbered by our bacterial overlords by YeeHaW_Jelte · · Score: 1

      Yeah or maybe vegans are the only ones to have sane bacteria and there is some germ pulling meat-eaters ropes to make them feed up on the ol' red meat.

      --

      ---
      "The chances of a demonic possession spreading are remote -- relax."
    15. Re:vastly outnumbered by our bacterial overlords by CHJacobsen · · Score: 1

      That's a pretty weird statement. By what standards do you determine whether someone is "right in the head"?

    16. Re:vastly outnumbered by our bacterial overlords by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There's a Yeast Buster kit (available from health food stores) that is useful for flushing out the bacteria. However, it's a six-week routine where you drink a mixture each morning that helps clear your intestinal wall, and before bed you need to take some acidophilus to help replenish the intestinal flora. You're also required to restrict your diet for a while, such as no starches (rice, potatoes), no sugars (candies, cooked carrots), and no red meats (contain yeast derivatives). The entire booklet from the kit is available here:

      http://www.inno-vite.com/brochures/YBtotheRescue-E.pdf

      If you want the key tidbits from the booklet, then refer to pages 13-18, 29-30, and 43-44.

      The first couple weeks are the most difficult because your body is flushing out waste material, but that lets up and you start feeling pretty good. It's useful to consider some recipes that will make your meals more interesting, otherwise you'll probably find the restricted foods bland compared to fast foods.

    17. Re:vastly outnumbered by our bacterial overlords by smelch · · Score: 1

      litre of soya milk

      Wow, I don't think there is a more offensive phrase to republicans than that.

      --
      If I can just reach out with my words and touch a butthole, just one, it will all be worth it.
    18. Re:vastly outnumbered by our bacterial overlords by nido · · Score: 1

      I though it was well known that other, non-biotic, inhabitants [wikipedia.org] influence the mind too. Very nasty if you have candadiasis, which is an out of control growth of this critter.

      ... Is that something you deal with? What are you doing about it? If you'd like to bounce things off me, please visit the contact page and drop me an email - I might have some ideas for you. :)

      --
      Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
      www.teslabox.com
    19. Re:vastly outnumbered by our bacterial overlords by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You would have more fun adding "organic", because some Republicans would be fine with it if it involves Monsanto's or some other big American corporation's profits earned overseas - agribusiness production, fertilizer, pesticide, GMOs, and so on - all good Republican donors.

  31. Interesting. by mevets · · Score: 2

    I've always thought of Big Macs as being quite similar to fertilizer. Do you think they have some benefit?

    1. Re:Interesting. by nido · · Score: 2

      depends on what kind of bacteria you want to feed. If you want to cultivate bacteria that produce "signs of stress and anxiety", big macs are exactly what you're looking for. :)

      --
      Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
      www.teslabox.com
    2. Re:Interesting. by budgenator · · Score: 0

      Artificial Fertilizers tend to distort the natural soil microbiology, and cause stunted root development so i guess the answer is yes; BigMacs tend to make you gassy and ADD. Don't get me wrong, I like a Big Mac every once in a while even considering it's not the healthiest meal, balance and moderation is the key.

      --
      Apocalypse Cancelled, Sorry, No Ticket Refunds
    3. Re:Interesting. by Belial6 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I know it's fun to make fun of the big bad corporation, but really. Gassy and ADD? If you are getting gassy from McDonald's food, it isn't because the food is bad. It is because your digestive system is broken. And ADD? That is just pulling things out of thin air.

    4. Re:Interesting. by DogDude · · Score: 1

      Why *wouldn't* McDonald's cause gas? There's virtually no natural food in fast food, and what there is is altered to such an extent that the human body doesn't know what to do with it. The human body has not evolved to eat whatever kind of "food" is in fast food, as it's only existed for one generation.

      --
      I don't respond to AC's.
    5. Re:Interesting. by Hartree · · Score: 1

      "Gassy and ADD?"

      But, it's the best rationalization for his already being gassy and ADD.

    6. Re:Interesting. by dakameleon · · Score: 1
      --
      Man who leaps off cliff jumps to conclusion.
    7. Re:Interesting. by ChromeAeonium · · Score: 2

      Artificial Fertilizers tend to distort the natural soil microbiology

      Not on the land they're not applied. Consider what the ability to produce more food on less land does for the overall environment. People act like artificial fertilizers are this big horrible thing, but they're actually a pretty decent trade-off.

      cause stunted root development

      Uh, yeah, plants grown in high nutrient environments grow less roots. Those in need of more nutrients grow longer roots to seek out more nutrition, those already with enough don't.

      balance and moderation is the key.

      The same holds true in inorganic and organic (and by that I mean the real definition of organic, not the new magical one) fertilizers.

    8. Re:Interesting. by Belial6 · · Score: 2

      You don't seem to understand what the word natural means.

    9. Re:Interesting. by Kreigaffe · · Score: 2

      No, the human body has evolved to eat whatever kind of food it can fit into its mouth.

      We're dogs. We're pigs. Your stomach upset is caused not because of genetics, but because your body is accustomed to a high-quality diet. It is no longer able to digest garbage.

      That is, unless you think you could find a day-old carcass laying around, cut it up, warm it over a fire and eat the half-cooked results without shitting out your lungs.

      Your belief that fast food contains no real food is a bit misguided, anyway. Do you believe EVERYTHING you read? Do you have power crystals laying around? Christ..

      --
      ... still waiting for this free-as-in-beer free beer I keep hearing about. :|
    10. Re:Interesting. by FiloEleven · · Score: 1

      Your belief that fast food contains no real food is a bit misguided, anyway. Do you believe EVERYTHING you read? Do you have power crystals laying around? Christ..

      If he had actually read about them, he would know that you NEVER, EVER leave power crystals just lying around! Someone could lose an island!

    11. Re:Interesting. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      all I know is cavemen ate a natural diet... but their lifespan was short.

      Modern McMan(tm) lives twice as long but lives half as much so that he can pay 1/3 of taxes that are spent.

      By the time my grandkids are grown, they will have to live 3 times as long and pay twice as much in tax to make it right!

      You are what you eat - thank god for the shelf life of twinkies!

    12. Re:Interesting. by maxwell+demon · · Score: 2

      There's virtually no natural food in fast food

      There's virtually no natural food in traditional food, either. Almost all meat is cooked, roasted, fried or otherwise treated. The same is true for a lot of plants. Most plants and animals we eat are not in their natural form anyway, but modified by centuries-long bioengineering (called breeding).

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
    13. Re:Interesting. by zwarte+piet · · Score: 1

      If a dog pees in your garden, nothing much happens. If he does it regularly you will find that nettles wil start to like your garden.

    14. Re:Interesting. by zwarte+piet · · Score: 1

      worded differently: If you have a healthy gutflora, maintained with good food, then the occasional big mac isn't going cause any trouble.

    15. Re:Interesting. by Afell001 · · Score: 1

      Cooking does somewhat reduce the "natural" nutrtive content of some food, but it also makes almost every other food more digestible. In some ways, cooking has allowed us to reduce the amount of gut we have to carry with us to digest food more fully. An cooked egg, for instance, delivers more readily digestible proteins than a raw egg. Cooking also reduces the chance of becoming infected with a food-born pathogen.

      There are many proponents of a "natural" raw diet who deplore the "unhealthy" addition of cooking, but the human body has adapted to cooked food over many generations now. Our digestive tracts tend to be much simpler than, say, cattle or goats, who have to break down a nutrition-poor diet in order to extract the greatest amount of energy. This is why cattle and goats spend most of their day browsing, and why we don't spend most of our day doing the same.

      Raw food has its place with certain foods, where appropriate. At the same time, I will still continue to cook food where appropriate too, since I personally don't like becoming a host to listeria, e. coli and who knows whatever food-born pathogen exists out there.

      As for pro-biotics...most ruminant species spend the first few months of their lives going around and eating their mother's dung. This is the most effective way the child has of capturing some of the bacterial culture that already exists in the parent's gut. Last I checked, this wasn't a human behavior, though I am sure there are other means of passing biotic cultures from one gut to the next (without the involvement of fecal material, I would hope).

    16. Re:Interesting. by kilfarsnar · · Score: 1

      This is why cattle and goats spend most of their day browsing, and why we don't spend most of our day doing the same.

      I don't know, I'm on Slashdot and other sites quite a bit. But since cows and goats don't have regular jobs, they might get more browsing in than I do.

      --
      "What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public." -Ray Zalinsky (Tommy Boy)
    17. Re:Interesting. by budgenator · · Score: 1

      The actual problem with stunted root development is that the dead roots from the previous seasons are near the soil surface and are only adding organic matter to a thin top soil that's more vulnerable to erosion. The Farmers in my area actually are doing a pretty good job soil wise, one season they grow corn and fertilize lightly with anhydrous ammonia, next season is winter wheat, which is already harvested the ground is limed and then subsoiled and left fallow for green manure, next beans, either navy or soy which builds up the nitrogen in the soil and then back to corn; a few are even trying no-till on limited acreage. Top soil depth is running over 9 inches on commercial fields.

      --
      Apocalypse Cancelled, Sorry, No Ticket Refunds
  32. Charles Dickens nailed it by FranTaylor · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "You don't believe in me," observed the Ghost.

    "I don't." said Scrooge.

    "What evidence would you have of my reality, beyond that of your senses?"

    "I don't know," said Scrooge.

    "Why do you doubt your senses?"

    "Because," said Scrooge, "a little thing affects them. A slight disorder of the stomach makes them cheats. You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato. There's more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!"

    1. Re:Charles Dickens nailed it by optymizer · · Score: 1

      How come you remember this dialog?

    2. Re:Charles Dickens nailed it by geekoid · · Score: 1

      You'll find out at midnight.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  33. Gut Feeling to Eat Fried Peanut Butter & Banna by curmudgeon99 · · Score: 1

    I don't know what it is--but I get this gut feeling that I should eat one of those Elvis favorites: Deep-Fat-Fried Peanut Butter & Bannana sandwiches. I know it's horrible for me but... I can't explain it... it's just a gut feeling I get.

  34. My Gut Reaction by ichthus · · Score: 3, Funny

    My gut tells me this story is complete nonsense. Yep, nothing to see here. Move along.

    --
    sig: sauer
    1. Re:My Gut Reaction by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      These are not the bacteria you are looking for.

      My gut tells me this story is complete nonsense. Yep, nothing to see here. Move along.

  35. Midi-chlorians by Jennifer3000 · · Score: 0

    It's spelled "midi-chlorians", dumbass. You don't have time for a .001 second Google search?

    1. Re:Midi-chlorians by instagib · · Score: 1

      Sure, but Google took 0.09 seconds to answer.

    2. Re:Midi-chlorians by maxwell+demon · · Score: 1

      But midi-chlorians are utterly outdated. I want mp3-chlorians!

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
    3. Re:Midi-chlorians by geekoid · · Score: 1

      I can't wait for the Blu-Ray version so I can see R2-PO and C3-D2 go about there wacky adventures with Malcolm Reynolds and Scotty as they destroy the Borg sphere while fighting off Zap Branigan

      And that said, yes rant against a guy because he miss spelled a one mentioned thing in a movie that came out 10 years ago.

      If you don't have time to be polite, you're not exactly the guy to be telling people what they may or may not ahve time for.

      Damn SW spelling Stormtroopers.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  36. Stephen Colbert's.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    claims that we should "think with the gut" are validated!

  37. Love potion by cormander · · Score: 1

    It seems now that we're that much closer to making a love potion.

  38. I thought this was way cooler by dead_user · · Score: 1

    http://news.discovery.com/animals/parasite-makes-cat-urine-sexy-to-rats-110822.html In this example, the microorganism makes the rat attracted to cat urine, so it's reproductive cycle can advance. Very cool. Very creepy.

  39. Asimov did it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hostess_(short_story)

    1. Re:Asimov did it by maxwell+demon · · Score: 0

      Or for those who prefer well-formed (and therefore unconditionally working) links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hostess_%28short_story%29

      Of course it doesn't help that Firefox displays ill-formed URLs in the URL bar ... nor does it help that Slashdot automatically changes a valid URL into an invalid one if you don't explicitly prevent it from recognizing it as URL.

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
    2. Re:Asimov did it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As long as the mapping is one-to-one, it shouldn't be a problem. I don't know if it really is though.

    3. Re:Asimov did it by maxwell+demon · · Score: 1

      As long as the mapping is one-to-one, it shouldn't be a problem.

      It is a problem for
      (a) any software not doing the mapping
      (b) any software identifying URLs in text (esp. to auto-link)

      In my case, it's usually QuietUrl sending me to the wrong page.

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  40. Duh! by Quantum_Infinity · · Score: 1

    I am grumpy when I am constipated.

  41. For some speculative applications... by Allen+Akin · · Score: 1

    Try reading Vitals by Greg Bear.

  42. Dude! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Dude! I saw that on Futurama like two years ago.

    Remember how Fry got all smart and shit?

  43. So there is a secret world government after all by Lazy+Jones · · Score: 1

    ... and it's a bunch of gut bacteria. Well, somehow it figures with all the shit that's been happening lately.

    --
    "I love my job, but I hate talking to people like you" (Freddie Mercury)
  44. Less stress, or less fear? by jeffeb3 · · Score: 1

    Both the examples of less stress involved the mice being less fearful. Wouldn't that make sense, in an evolution sense for the bacteria? Mice with less fear get eaten, by something that will then host the bacteria that reduce fear in their host, so that host will get eaten...

  45. Intestinal fortitude by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We are what we digest.

  46. That Jives with my Experience with Crohn's by plurgid · · Score: 2

    This was very much my experience with Crohn's disease.
    Well actually, it turned out not to be Crohn's, but a rare type of cancer called an gastronoma, but that's kind of an aside.

    What I found is that the mind-gut connection is a two way street.
    You know how your gut gets all twisted and you get the shits, nausea, etc when you are *really* stressed out?
    Well if that shit happens (no pun intended) on the regular ... your mind starts to react as if stress were the cause.

    I had almost no stress (other than the health stuff, which we didn't know was a big deal until the end -- just in time, actually). I just thought I had Crohn's disease, which I had medicine for and wasn't particularly stressed over, but my gut was twisting and wretching day in and day out, and I had this ill-defined sense of dread and anxiety. Couldn't tell you why, but I was definitely stressed about ... something ...

    In any case, I believe it. Your moods, are very much intimately intertwined with how your digestive tract. More than people usually realize I think.

    1. Re:That Jives with my Experience with Crohn's by syousef · · Score: 1

      Of course your gut and mind are connected.

      If your gut isn't working right all the time, you're feeling unwell and in pain all the time.

      If you're constantly gassy, uncomfortable and looking for somewhere socially acceptable to fart, it's not going to put you in a good mood.

      If you're always hungry even soon after a large meal, you're going to be irritable because you're hungry.

      If you have a disease that requires you to plan and monitor everything you eat, that causes stress. Especially if you're told that disease could kill or maime you or shorten your life.

      Unfortunately I have experience with all the above in the last 5 years. Use to be I could eat what I liked and didn't think much about it when people weren't reminding me I weigh too much.

      It's not just your gut either. It's any part of your body that breaks down and causes you pain or discomfort is going to have an effect on your mood. This should be obvious to anyone that's ever had a substantial injury of any kind.

      Positive thinking and mind over matter only go so far. Physical reality has a way of giving you a kick in the guts. Pun intended.

      --
      These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
  47. Obligatory Star Wars quote... by Vexler · · Score: 1

    "Great, Chewie, always thinking with your stomach!"

  48. Affects mood? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't make me hungry. ...
    You wouldn't like me when I'm hungry.

  49. Oh Crap, what if my consciousness is actually.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Oh Crap, what if my consciousness is actually the gut bacteria!!! Yikes we're all gut bacteria brain slaves!!

  50. Ahhh... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So you're NOT really an asshole..

    Just your gut bactiera are.

  51. And they want to KILL HITLER by Torodung · · Score: 1

    Did anyone see the latest Doctor Who? I mean, how timely is this?

  52. Correlation, causation, and all that fun by instagib · · Score: 1

    Someone mentioned it already, but that old saying "you are what you eat" might have some really deep truth in it. It also reminds of those Asian "body & mind are one" teachings many practitioners of modern scientific medicine like to laugh about.
    Anecdotal evidence as observed in people around me: lots of sweets > whiny, anxious; vegetarian > nervous, grumbly; lots of animal fats > aggressive, superficial; lots of fruit > funny, clown.

    1. Re:Correlation, causation, and all that fun by geekoid · · Score: 1

      All scientific observation says none of that is true.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    2. Re:Correlation, causation, and all that fun by nu1x · · Score: 1

      > Anecdotal evidence as observed in people around me: lots of sweets > whiny, anxious; vegetarian > nervous, grumbly; lots of animal fats > aggressive, superficial; lots of fruit > funny, clown.

      Above is pretty much the definition of bullshit (with exceptions).

      As we are on anecdotal evidence, so it goes, this is mine then:

      As I live in Lithuania nowadays (no vegetarians here, I am the only one :) (no, seriously, the lithuanian diet consists of pork and bacon. I am not kidding), and so I as a vegetarian am a pretty introverted person, so nothing to grumble about; also, as nervous as a wooden plank. People who eat lots of sweets -- very warm character, high libido, very friendly. Lots of fats - same as you said, so must be some truth to it. There are no habitual fruit eaters I know, but those that eat fruits at the time are indeed inclined to joking.

      Also, people who eat lots of turned milk products and yoghurts are really kick ass. Usually the same people who are into sweets bigtime :D

      Anecdotes.

      --
      I have nothing to lose but my bindings.
  53. Its obvious by PPH · · Score: 1

    Gut bacteria created homo sapiens to carry it between the refrigerator, the sofa in front of the TV and the toilet.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  54. Gut Feeling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Now I know where that "Gut Feeling" comes from.

  55. Re:Is it too late, there's 15 billion of them in m by mysidia · · Score: 1

    I started taking a probiotic supplement yesterday (that contains Lactobacillus), how long until I'm under control?

    You already are... you were under their control right before you got the probiotic supplement (which they caused you to get and take) <EG>

    See... while it's true bacteria at the console (gut) can effect mind control, there is a SSH equivalent as well (remote mind control)

  56. Indirectly, Maybe by edibobb · · Score: 1

    I get grouchy when I'm hungry.

  57. I go with my gut feeling about this by Katchu · · Score: 1

    dyspepsia makes me frown, diarrhea makes me run. low blood sugar gets me down, full stomach, well, I'm done.

    --
    Keep Doing Good.
  58. I read a sci-fi about this not long ago by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But I can't remember what it was called. Pretty good book though!

  59. Gross misunderstanding by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just look something as simple as the law of thermodynamics. It pretty much relies on a base explanation of "Magic Happened".

    First, which law of thermodynamics?

    Second, your lack of understanding doesn't mean that it's based on "magic happened".

    If you're talking about the 2nd law, then it's a reasonably obvious (in hindsight) conclusion based on the fact that there are way, way, way more unordered states to be in than there are highly ordered states. Think of a system consisting of a two compartments isolated by a wall with a hole in it. Image the distribution of a gas in such a system. How many ways are there for the distribution of gas to be 0%:100% rather than roughly 50%:50%? Assuming that molecules move randomly, which state do you think the system will tend to, on average? (We're assuming the system is closed, i.e. that is that no energy is being introduced nor removed from the system.)

    (Btw, it's also a statistical law, which means that, yes, it there can be local 'violations' of it.)

    1. Re:Gross misunderstanding by Belial6 · · Score: 1

      It isn't MY lack of understand that makes it rely on magic. I am fully aware that in most cases it works. It is that when you dig far enough down, the people studying it tend to start relying on hand waving instead of just saying "We don't know that yet". It is very clear that entropy can be overcome. If it couldn't, we wouldn't exist. Claiming that it can't happen because we don't understand it, yet our very conversation about it shows that it has is just hand wavy appeals to magic.

  60. feh by fireylord · · Score: 0

    And this post got you the fuckwit of the month prize! well done!

  61. BS alert! by fireylord · · Score: 1

    Which microbes?

    All the vegans i've ever known (and i've know a lot of them and i was one myself for 14 years) showed much less sign of food-related craziness than habitual junk food eaters do.

    cite some actual sources for this line of what sounds suspiciously like zealotry please?

    1. Re:BS alert! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      cite some actual sources for this line of what sounds suspiciously like zealotry please?

      Are you stupid? Do you honestly believe he has a link FOR HIS LIFE? He clearly put forward anecdotal opinion. It was clear he was not asserting it as fact. You're response? Demand a source? HE IS THE FUCKING SOURCE! IDIOT!

      You are one dumb, stupid, idiot. Holy shit! Your stupidity is exactly what destroyed slashdot. You have to literally be borderline retarded in real life. And the only reason I say, "borderline", is because you still seem able to actually create a post.

      Holy shit, you are really fucking stupid! Buy hey, at least you're not alone. Sadly, the majority of the people who post of slashdot these days proudly stand shoulder to shoulder with your level of massive stupidity.

      Holy shit you are stupid.

    2. Re:BS alert! by WillKemp · · Score: 1

      Thank you for that, AC! You expressed it much better than i could, much more vitriolically than i ever would. And you made me laugh.

  62. Tell it to the ga'ould by hesaigo999ca · · Score: 1

    Don't tell the Ga'ould they are bacteria, they might not like it, and send their troops after you!

  63. Nothing new by gweihir · · Score: 1

    For example the amount of sugar that goes into the blood is dependent on how much gets digested by bacteria. Sugar is obviously mood-altering (look at small children to see rather obvious effects).

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    1. Re:Nothing new by geekoid · · Score: 1

      " (look at small children to see rather obvious effects)."

      pleases top spreading that myth. Sugar doesn't effect kids that way, its an observation bias.

      Here is the abstract of one of the several studies:

      http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/274/20/1617.abstract

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  64. Democracy in action by minstrelmike · · Score: 1

    Of the one hundred billion cells in the "human body," more than 90% of them are bacteria.
    Of all the DNA encoded in the human body, 99.1% of it non-human.
    Of course, there is no way all that bacterial stuff can override the human cells because ummmm, uh, human cells 'think different.' ;-)

  65. Maybe it's why we exist. by geekoid · · Score: 1

    I could almost believe humans evolved for the purpose of transporting bacteria around~

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  66. Did you even RTFA? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't think so. Because it clearly states that it affects anxiety/depression states. And it is not related to whether the animal is hungry or not. So you cannot say it has elevated anxiety/stress because of starvation. The presence of this microflora alters the mood.

  67. hah ac troll by fireylord · · Score: 1

    Anecdotal 'evidence' of the effects of diet on how other people seemed from 'his life' is not evidence at all.

    I know, I know, do not feed the trolls, even the more retarded ones.

  68. You fail to see the implications by nu1x · · Score: 1

    That is that the SPIRIT of ye olden days is the BACTERIA, the invisible passenger of the human body.

    The afterlife would be your spirit (consciousness of BACTERIA) transitioning from one host to another (so it means we gain spirit when lactobacili are transferred to us by mother's milk, by implication).

    Amazing isn't it ? Also, I don't know what amount of biosphere they make up by mass, but I guess we multi-cellulars are not very impactful all in all. :D

    --
    I have nothing to lose but my bindings.
  69. Consequences schmonsequences? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The difference with losing the keys in both scenarios is the gravity of the consequences.

    "same stressor, different context"

    Comparing the two scenarios is like comparing someone giving you your keys to someone crucifying you with your keys.
    In both scenarios the keys are in your hands. One is much more painful.

    __
    (AC 'cause too lazy to login)