Huh?

1. Imagine your body as a metacosm: a world comprised of worlds. A system comprised of systems. You are exquisitely arranged into a thoughtful cluster of organs, cells, molecules, atoms. You literally incorporate your environment into and across these metacosms simply by existing-- by breathing, eating, sleeping, and doing whatever you do. Everything is a drug. Time, space, molecules, and thoughts all are translated to the language of your body (via signaling molecules) and duly assimilated. This is you.

2. Imagine that there exists within you an army, ready to protect you against invaders. It remembers your enemies. It knows who you are and who you are not. It knows when to sacrifice its own in the event of treason or insanity. It is clever, adaptive, and has an entire arsenal of attacks up its sleeve. It runs through your veins, ready to mobilize at any second. This is your immune system.

3. Imagine that for every human cell which makes up this output, you contain ten microbial cells. That is to say, imagine you are a forest full of bacteria, yeasts, and fungi. Imagine how your army evolved to cooperate with these creatures. Imagine how your existence affects these populations. This is your microbiota.

Stop imagining.

You are not alone; you contain worlds.
This blog exists to determine what exactly that entails.