5 ms·

My undergraduate work was in microbiology. While I'm now a programmer, I've always been in awe of the microbial world and how it interfaces with humans. I've

My undergraduate work was in microbiology. While I'm now a programmer, I've always been in awe of the microbial world and how it interfaces with humans. I've developed a theory over the years that many (if not all) misunderstood disorders could be caused by yet discovered virus and or bacteria. So many people develop bazaar conditions seemingly out of nowhere, that science simply doesn't have an answer for yet. For example - polymyositis/dermatomyositis. Theories abound, but so far none of them point concretely toward infection. I believe (but can't prove) that diseases like this could be caused by infections. It's a scary proposition that a random bug bite might be enough to alter the course of your life. But I would rather we start discussing this as a very real possibility and not a hypochondriac's way of thinking.

Areading314 7y ago
I too share a fascination with biology. I think another common occurrence is unique or undiscovered genetic variants causing subtle dysfunction in ways that haven't been diagnosed across the population.
- boudin 7y ago
  Epigenetic is quite interesing too, especially the inherited part that could mean that the way some of the genes are expresses could be influenced by the experience of ancestors for example. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigenetics https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigenetics
boudin 7y ago
I do agree, assuming that sicknesses that we don't understand always comes from people's mind is assuming that we have a full understanding of human, which is obviously false. This is also very disrespectful of what people are living through and feeling to tell them that they are making it all up without, at least, any proof...
refurb 7y ago
That's the exciting thing about biology - despite the amazing advances that have happened in the past few decades, we've barely begun to understand human biology and disease processes. I think back to the discovery of helicobacter pylori as the disease causing organism for a majority of ulcers. Before that it was always blamed on diet and stress (which probably play some factor). Amazing that a simple antibiotic regimen could cure many people of ulcers was a complete paradigm shift.
- exabyte 7y ago
  at the same time how do we reconcile that a majority of the world harbors h. pylori and doesn't suffer from ulcers? From what I understand, there will always be "good" and "bad" bacteria inside us, the important part is the balance between the two. If antibiotics do knock out an h.pylori "infection" that is causing ulcers that's great, but what about the other bacteria that the antibiotics might be affecting? Will that offset the scales in another undesirable way?
MarkMMullin 7y ago
Exactly why I became a programmer - biology is a lot of messy, unpredictable processes we have way too little data on. My favorite MD's are the ones who smile at the phrase 'There's a reason we call it "practicing" medicine' - and now, hell I can't even figure out the side effects in modern technical stacks :-(
Balgair 7y ago
PBS's Journey to the Microcosmos on Youtube may be up your alley. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBbnbBWJtwsf0jLGUwX5Q3g/videos https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBbnbBWJtwsf0jLGUwX5Q3g/vid...

Areading314 7y ago

I too share a fascination with biology. I think another common occurrence is unique or undiscovered genetic variants causing subtle dysfunction in ways that haven't been diagnosed across the population.

boudin 7y ago
Epigenetic is quite interesing too, especially the inherited part that could mean that the way some of the genes are expresses could be influenced by the experience of ancestors for example. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigenetics https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigenetics

boudin 7y ago

I do agree, assuming that sicknesses that we don't understand always comes from people's mind is assuming that we have a full understanding of human, which is obviously false. This is also very disrespectful of what people are living through and feeling to tell them that they are making it all up without, at least, any proof...

refurb 7y ago

That's the exciting thing about biology - despite the amazing advances that have happened in the past few decades, we've barely begun to understand human biology and disease processes. I think back to the discovery of helicobacter pylori as the disease causing organism for a majority of ulcers. Before that it was always blamed on diet and stress (which probably play some factor). Amazing that a simple antibiotic regimen could cure many people of ulcers was a complete paradigm shift.

exabyte 7y ago
at the same time how do we reconcile that a majority of the world harbors h. pylori and doesn't suffer from ulcers? From what I understand, there will always be "good" and "bad" bacteria inside us, the important part is the balance between the two. If antibiotics do knock out an h.pylori "infection" that is causing ulcers that's great, but what about the other bacteria that the antibiotics might be affecting? Will that offset the scales in another undesirable way?

MarkMMullin 7y ago

Exactly why I became a programmer - biology is a lot of messy, unpredictable processes we have way too little data on. My favorite MD's are the ones who smile at the phrase 'There's a reason we call it "practicing" medicine' - and now, hell I can't even figure out the side effects in modern technical stacks :-(

Balgair 7y ago

PBS's Journey to the Microcosmos on Youtube may be up your alley. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBbnbBWJtwsf0jLGUwX5Q3g/videos https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBbnbBWJtwsf0jLGUwX5Q3g/vid...