The Broken Stool
Curious Cases
BBC
4.8 • 4.1K Ratings
🗓️ 10 March 2017
⏱️ 18 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
"Science tells us that our body houses microbial organisms. Then how much our weight is really our weight? If I am overweight, is it because of my own body cells or excess microflora?" asks Ajay Mathur from Mumbai in India.
Adam bravely sends off a sample to the 'Map My Gut' project at St Thomas' Hospital to have his microbes mapped. Prof Tim Spector reveals the shocking results - a diet of fried breakfasts and fizzy drinks has left his guts in disarray. But help is at hand to makeover his bacterial lodgers.
Science writer Ed Yong, author of 'I Contain Multitudes', reveals how much our microbes weigh. We're just beginning to discover the vast array of vital functions they perform, from controlling our weight, immune system and perhaps even influencing our mood and behaviour.
Send your Curious Cases for consideration to: curiouscases@bbc.co.uk
Presenters: Hannah Fry, Adam Rutherford Producer: Michelle Martin.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I'd just like to tell you about a podcast that I've been doing with my friend Brian Cox. |
| 0:04.8 | I'm Robinins. Welcome to The Infinite Monkey Cage. |
| 0:07.2 | What we're doing in this new series, Sharks, fungi, bees versus wasps. |
| 0:11.8 | We're going to explain how bees explode, why wasps don't explode, |
| 0:15.0 | before we then climb into a Supervolcano metaphorically. |
| 0:18.2 | So, if you'd like to hear about the magnificence and strangeness of the universe |
| 0:22.4 | and all the wonders that lie within, listen to The Infinite Monkey Cage. |
| 0:25.2 | And you can listen to the whole series before anyone else |
| 0:27.8 | when you listen on BBC Sound. |
| 0:30.2 | Welcome back. It's Series 5 of Curious Gaces. |
| 0:34.2 | Nobody thought we'd make it this far. |
| 0:37.2 | Hannah's holding up her hand with five fingers on it to show the number 5. |
| 0:41.2 | Oh, it's helping you five me, but okay. |
| 0:42.2 | There's a big table in the way. |
| 0:44.2 | Yes, Series 5. We've got another set of five more brilliant curious cases sent in by you. |
| 0:50.2 | Yes, indeed. You sent them to Curious Gaces at BBC.co.uk |
| 0:54.6 | And don't forget, if you have more scientific mysteries that you would like us to investigate, |
| 0:58.8 | that email address is always open. |
| 1:01.2 | What? Open. |
| 1:02.2 | That's not my email's work. |
| 1:04.0 | You think he likes it? He's a lot of letterbox. |
| 1:06.0 | I think if I'd doors were always open, whatever. Let's move on. |
... |
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