Tune in to our radio show on your local public radio station, or sign up for the podcast and listen at your leisure. Here’s what it’s about:
Thousands of years ago (and more), human beings co-existed with a wide range of other species that lived around us and even on our skin and in our bodies. They helped shape our biology, and their effects can still be seen in our health. The appendix, for example, long thought to be a useless vestige with no function, appears to serve as a reservoir for beneficial bacteria that help keep the immune system tuned up. According to the hygiene hypothesis, the absence of parasitic worms from today’s humans may predispose some people to allergies or autoimmune conditions such as Crohn’s disease.
Genome sequencing has revealed the presence of a whole lot more bacteria on our skin, in our bodies and around our homes than we ever dreamed possible. How does this crowd affect our health?
Guest: Rob Dunn, PhD, is assoicate professor of biology at North Carolina State University. He has written for National Geographic, Natural History, Scientific American, BBC Wildlife, and Seed magazine. His most recent book is The Wild Life of our Bodies.
To participate in his study the website is http://www.yourwildlife.org/
You can learn more at http://www.robrdunn.com/
The podcast of this program will be available the Monday after the broadcast date. The show can be streamed online from this site and podcasts can be downloaded for free for six weeks after the date of broadcast. After that time has passed, digital downloads are available for $2.99. CDs may be purchased at any time after broadcast for $9.99.
