Humans, the superorganism

Via Follow Me Here, this interesting scientific note: our bodies contain hundreds of species of bacteria and other microorganisms that we peacefully coexist with; in fact, on a cell-by-cell basis, they outnumber our actual human cells. Some British scientists are arguing that we need to start taking this situation into account when thinking about medical interventions. For one thing, some bacteria make us less susceptible to certain diseases, so killing them indiscriminately could be a problem; furthermore, their presence can affect how we digest medicines and how effective they are systemically.

The Imperial College research demonstrates what many -- from X Files stalwarts to UFO fanatics -- have long claimed: We are not alone. Specifically, the human genome does not carry enough information on its own to determine key elements of our own biology.

Should be an interesting avenue of future research! The superorganism!