What Is a Human Being?

[UPDATE: Nestle Corporation has announced the results of a study which demonstrates potential for treating obesity and Type II diabetes by modulating gut flora. (Mind you, tons more research is needed, and it might not pan out). Here's a link: http://www.flex-news-food.com/pages/16367/Nestle/nestle-researchers-discover-...}

For more information, Wired recently posted a fascinating article:

http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2007/04/bacteriahacking

I've been aware of this subject for some years and have followed it with interest. But this article does a great job of pulling together a very solid picture for the layman. Don't miss this article.

In the video, I emphasized bacteria. But bacteria aren't the only symbiotes living with us. To learn more about symbiotes in humans, Google "human symbiotes" or "human symbiants" (they're synonyms, but a particular article may only use one of the terms).

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• health
• nutrition
• supplements
• probiotic
• bacteria
• symbiote
• human

[AnaLimaLuiza]

Buy Nestle yogurt is the moral of the story. I'm amazed by the biological paradigm that is adopted by this man whose voice seem to be so philosophical.

Biology alone don't explain human beings and will never do.

[Urgelt]

Nonsense. I'm not shilling for a product; and I'm not arguing that *all* we are is biological.

But one way to answer the question I posed is to furnish a biological answer; and many people don't grasp the colonial nature of their biology. We each are not singular, but many.

Humans can (and should) be defined in many ways. This is only one - but it happens to be one which is often overlooked by humans themselves, and thus worthy of interest.

[AnaLimaLuiza]

@Urgelt human beings can be explained by biology. No. It is not overlooked! It's everywhere!

Well, I became aware of your work because of The Cremation of Sam MacGee" and didn't know you are at the health business.

Quite a polemic issue.



[Urgelt]

I share your concern about drugs. They come onto the market and are used on patients without adequate testing for safety or efficacy. The FDA seems to be mostly in the drug companies' pockets; even if alarms are raised by staffers, they're generally ignored by political appointees who run the place. Conflicts of interest on their advisory panels are rampant.

Most drugs on the market today will eventually be withdrawn as ineffective or unsafe, I think. It's just a matter of time.

[Urgelt]

Much work remains to be done by science to explain human physiology. Much is not understood at all.

Once it is understood, assuming that is even possible? It still won't suffice to explain humans. We are biological, but we also invent ourselves. So long as there are humans, they will never escape the need to explain themselves in terms of culture and ideas.

Yet we *are* biological; and we shouldn't overlook it, even with only partial understanding.

[meshyis]

If the body has its own immune system to fight pathogens and its own digestive/sewer systems to breakdown sustenance and excrete waste why do we need so much non-lethal bacteria to survive?!

[Urgelt]

Symbiotic bacteria provide at least two important functions which support our health. One, they crowd out pathogens - without our symbiotes a niche is opened up for more dangerous bacteria. Two, their presence helps to tune our immune systems. In the absence of bacteria, our immune systems misfire, often targeting our own tissues.

But we don't know everything bacterial symbiotes are doing. We know they're able to affect human cell behaviors, but research in this area isn't very advanced.

[jordanmacintosh702]

Like this if you want Urgelt to record and post a video of what he thinks happens to humans after they die.

[TheVerinen2]

Be my grandad

[BevilTex]

Read me a bedtime story with that voice... some light classical music in the background and some pencil drawings :)

[9lk00583]

Your magnificent beard just makes me want to watch all of your videos.

[haniputani]

This guy seduces a lot of women!

[catman1cheese]

Im sorry, but i disagree wit hthe yogurt. lmao

[catman1cheese]

You have a relaxing voice, you melt my brain with your voice, truly great!

I like relaxing to your voice

[cjmcallister89]

bravo, great great video.

[Hammypower]

you have such a beautifull voice, and an intelligent mind! sorry for my bad english, i am from Holland (in europe)

keep it up, i really like your videos.

Greetings Hammy

[matthewgroen]

I can listen to this man all day, for real

[hybeerian]

Kool video, great subject,and yore right, yore answer is one that MOST human beings would NOT think of !! It also adds credence to things I have told people since I was a wee lil' lad. That is: Eat it anyway,a little bit of dirt won't hurt you! and What does NOT kill us, makes us stronger!! Enjoyed yore video! Live Long and Prosper!!!