Episode 5

"Gut Feeling"
Synopsis

 

The appendix is the quintessential example of a vestigial organ in the human body: how did it evolve and, more importantly, “devolve”?

What is the evolutionary purpose of the digestive tract and why some scientists think it is the beginning of complex life as we know it?

Does the digestive system fulfill any other function besides food and water intake?

The episode features prominent scientists that, in recent years, have uncovered new evidence that the microbes in our gut affect our health in many previously unknown ways: like directly affecting our weight, eating behavior and even our tendency to develop diseases like Parkinson’s.

The digestive system is a single tube from the mouth to the anus, a convoluted series of compartments with different functions, which are carried out right... most of the time.

The process of food digestion is slow and very inefficient, with many calories going to fuel the process itself. Is there a more efficient way to break down food into its components?

How would we design the gut if we could apply the principles of  modern science?

We can envision future technology that might be able to produce and deliver energy directly into our tissues, rendering our digestive system obsolete.But maybe long before that, we might be able to modify our own genes to create a super-efficient gut, that maximizes energy production, curbing world-wide hunger and food waste.

In light of the discoveries of modern biology, we could ask if it is true that “we are what we eat”?