As we humans fret over how recklessly we dominate nature, I hear the sound of microbes chuckling. What calls this to mind this week is their deadly infiltration into our food supply (see Talking Points). But even when microorganisms don’t make headlines, they quietly steer our fates. Colonies of bacteria can be found in our intestines and on our mucus membranes, our skin, and virtually every inch of our bodies, which is why the National Institutes of Health is funding a major research initiative to map “the human microbiome”—the DNA sequences of our invisible passengers. Our bodies contain 10 times more microbes than human cells, and we’re just beginning to grasp what a massive influence they could have on our health. As one biologist friend of mine puts it, “We’re essentially a microbial ecosystem.”
The same could be said of the earth itself. Scientists now say that even raindrops form around microbes, and some bacteria appear to have evolved specifically to promote precipitation. Viewed from this perspective, the water cycle on which so much life depends may be primarily a means for bacteria to get from one plant to another. I was recently reminded of the might of microorganisms when I got food poisoning from a sausage-borne pathogen on a slice of pizza; after I stopped vomiting, I could only agree with the microbes’ stern judgment that I should be eating better. On the other hand, health-conscious vegetarians are now becoming deathly ill because of beasties hidden in organic bean sprouts. Either way, it seems, we can’t win. Or as Louis Pasteur, who knew his germs, said, “It is the microbes that will have the last word.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
5 blustery cartoons about the Stormy Daniels testimonyCartoons Artists take on gag orders, lurid details, and more
-
The Idea of You review: 'impossible escapism' starring Anne HathawayThe Week Recommends Steamy romcom about a 40-year-old who falls for a boy band singer
-
Crossword: May 11, 2024The Week's daily crossword
-
Editor's letterfeature
-
Editor's letter: Are college athletes employees?
feature The National Labor Relations Board's decision deeming scholarship players “employees” of Northwestern University has many worrying that college sports itself will soon be history.
-
Editor's letter
feature
-
Editor's letter: When a bot takes your job
feature Now that computers can write news stories, drive cars, and play chess, we’re all in trouble.
-
Editor's letter: Electronic cocoons
feature Smartphones have their upside, but city streets are now full of people walking with their heads down.
-
Editor's letter: The real cause of income inequality
feature When management and stockholders pocket all the profits, the middle class falls further behind.
-
Editor's letter: The real reason you’re so forgetful
feature When you consider how much junk we’ve stored in our brains, it’s no surprise we can’t remember our PINs.
-
Editor's letter: Ostentatious politicians
feature The McDonnells’ indictment for corruption speaks volumes about the company elected officials now keep.