energy in your hair

N

nomadologist

Guest
Other animals tend to have parasites. In fact it's pretty exceptional in nature not to be infested with all sorts of creepy-crawlies most of the time.

We have parasites as well. Tons of em. In your eyelashes, your hair, your intestines, everywhere. Mostly microscopic, though.
 

zhao

there are no accidents
We have parasites as well. Tons of em. In your eyelashes, your hair, your intestines, everywhere. Mostly microscopic, though.

i've heard that something like 1/5 of the population have intestinal worms their entire life and just don't know about it.
 
N

nomadologist

Guest
zhao said:
i've heard that something like 1/5 of the population have intestinal worms their entire life and just don't know about it.

Yup.

Actually we are mostly composed of non-human cells, according to these people.

http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2004/10/65252

Yup. All life is bacteria-based. Bacteria reproduces sexually. I've also heard people talk about how we're ultimately made of left over dust/energy from exploded stars or something like that...
 

noel emits

a wonderful wooden reason
Yup. All life is bacteria-based. Bacteria reproduces sexually.
You mean asexually. Seriously just try getting it on with some bacteria, they never give it up.
I've also heard people talk about how we're ultimately made of left over dust/energy from exploded stars or something like that...
Joni Mitchell? Mobi? Hoagy Carmichael? ;) It's what they say isn't it, that all the elements that make up our bodies were forged in burning stars.
 
N

nomadologist

Guest
You mean asexually. Seriously just try getting it on with some bacteria, they never give it up.

Joni Mitchell? Mobi? Hoagy Carmichael? ;) It's what they say isn't it, that all the elements that make up our bodies were forged in burning stars.

No I don't, I mean sexually. (this is true of many bacteria, especially the ones we have on us) Maybe you're joking I can't tell :)

The Bible concurs with Joni Mitchell and these people who make these claims as well.
 
N

nomadologist

Guest
That's a lot of little fuckers.

Also every atom in your body is replaced over a seven year period.

No, isn't it just your skeletal system that completely replaces itself every 7 years? I'd have to look it up but I think that's the fact...
 

swears

preppy-kei
That's a lot of little fuckers.

Also every atom in your body is replaced over a seven year period.

I heard about this. Does that mean that if the brain is replaced, you are a completely different person, who happens to have the same memories and personality?

yikes
 
N

nomadologist

Guest
Yeah, because all the potential re cell formation is determined by your DNA, which doesn't change...(well, sometimes DNA mutates, but...)
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
What's even cooler than the bacteria thing, I think, is the idea that some small percentage of the human genome is composed of endogenous retroviruses*, i.e. viruses that have become incorporated as part of our DNA.


*or rather, the DNA corresponding to the RNA of the retroviruses
 

swears

preppy-kei
Yeah, because all the potential re cell formation is determined by your DNA, which doesn't change...(well, sometimes DNA mutates, but...)

So for all intents and purposes, everyone dies every seven years and is replaced by a clone?

That can't be the same person if it's different cells, even if they are identical.

EDIT: I'm not explaining this very well. Let's say somebody makes a cell-by-cell copy of your brain, with the same memories, the same ideas, etc...

That person isn't you is it? You don't experience things the copy is experiencing.
 
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N

nomadologist

Guest
What's even cooler than the bacteria thing, I think, is the idea that some small percentage of the human genome is composed of endogenous retroviruses*, i.e. viruses that have become incorporated as part of our DNA.


*or rather, the DNA corresponding to the RNA of the retroviruses

This reminds me of something I just heard from a med student--that African-Americans (not Africans, but only African-Americans) tend to have high blood pressure because during the middle passage only those who could store high levels of sodium efficiently survived the harsh conditions on the slave ships. This is supposed to account for certain observed differences (in several studies) between other Americans and African-Americans re high blood pressure.

This is interesting to think about in terms of human evolution in general--so many of our negative traits are due to cataclysmic events where having a certain genetic mutation or makeup under harsh conditions meant that the next generation born of survivors then carried a trait that would be unnecessary during normal conditions. One huge example is the bubonic plague--some immune idiosyncracies of European-decended people may be due to this.

Think of how in the distant future our only surviving descendents might be those who genetically carry the inability to contract HIV/AIDS...
Of course this is not an entirely linear process. But. Still interesting to think about.
 
N

nomadologist

Guest
So for all intents and purposes, everyone dies every seven years and is replaced by a clone?

That can't be the same person if it's different cells, even if they are identical.

But a clone is genetically identical to its "parent", no?
 

swears

preppy-kei
I'm not explaining this very well. Let's say somebody makes a cell-by-cell copy of your brain, with the same memories, the same ideas, etc...

That person isn't you is it? You don't experience things the copy is experiencing.

Being replaced by a clone of yourself is still "dying".
 
N

nomadologist

Guest
This is a question for a philosophy of mind course that I've taken a few of already.

It's a good question. We're the simulacra of ourselves!
 

Gavin

booty bass intellectual
This reminds me of something I just heard from a med student--that African-Americans (not Africans, but only African-Americans) tend to have high blood pressure because during the middle passage only those who could store high levels of sodium efficiently survived the harsh conditions on the slave ships. This is supposed to account for certain observed differences (in several studies) between other Americans and African-Americans re high blood pressure.

Hmm, I always thought poorer diet + higher stress would account for a lot of the higher blood pressure.... don't know bastante ciencias to know if that would explain it all though.
 
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