Trusting your gut is allowing millions of bacteria to collectively make a crucial decision for you.

Right, what you're calling my claim is an observation--the first step in science. Please, do describe for me the significant and noticeable ways that your conscious experience changes when you take antibiotics because I really don't think that's a controversial issue. These changes need to be so significant that you would consider the gut as critical as the brain for creating the experience of consciousness, because that's the claim we're talking about. What I said is the null hypothesis--that the hypothesis offered isn't what's going on.

If someone says something is happening and doesn't provide evidence, I don't have to defend that it's not happening; that's the default position. So far I'm the only one in this thread who's presented evidence of a gut-mind link and it doesn't support that the link is very significant. You seem very convicted that I ought to prove the null, which is why I'm trying to show you that's not how science works. Though you seem more interested in personally insulting me and my "whacky logic" than in communicating.

The link I provided supports the sentence that was actually attached to it. It doesn't have anything to do with "backing up my claim," it's a response to your comment. You said

Good thing the human microbiome is more extensive than just what antibiotics target.

which I take to imply that you think the complexity of the community means an antibiotic won't have a significant enough affect to produce those "noticeable effects" on consciousness. The link I gave describes why the "extensive microbiome" is not necessarily a defense against an antibiotic creating large disruptions in the gut system. So it may not be a "good thing" as you say--it may be irrelevant.

Your “vague” observations aren’t helping you. You made a bad claim, couldn’t back it up, and I was attempting to lightheartedly mock you for it. Just drop it and have a good Saturday night.

Well your ad-hominem dickishness and difficulty following the conversation aren't helping you much either. But sure, I'll take your arrogant insult-deflect-bail as a good way to get out of this.

/r/Showerthoughts Thread Parent