[saoh]

1. Early-life exposure to diverse, nonpathogenic microbes is linked to lower risk of allergies and asthma: "farm effect" (Amish vs. Hutterite study showing microbe-rich house dust associates with protection). 2. What matters is exposure to the right environmental and commensal microbes, not skipping handwashing or basic hygiene. Microbial diversity is good; pathogen exposure is not.

[wraptile]

I don't think you need to be a doctor to come to a conclusion that a system exposed to more learning data is more knowledgable.

This issue to me seems to be entirely a study of psychology not biology.

[eru]

> I don't think you need to be a doctor to come to a conclusion that a system exposed to more learning data is more knowledgable.

Be careful! You still need to explain why early exposure to lots of bacteria is good, but exposure to lots of heavy metals is (presumably) bad.

[userbinator]

Hormesis is also a thing.

[eru]

Maybe. But whether it applies to heavy metals or not is an empirical question, not something we can decide from the comfort of our armchairs by coming to conclusions like "a system exposed to more learning data is more knowledgable.[sic]"

[Maxion]

Diet is inherrently linked to autoimmune diseases and allergies, as well.

You won't get the important species colonizing your gut if you don't feed them the food they need.