As a Nuclear Astrophysicist, years studying non-linear physics and quantum mechanics made me question how we think about the microbiome.
As humans, we like to think of systems being linear, meaning we can predict what will happen if we make a change.
For example, think of playing pool. You know that if you hit the ball at a certain speed and angle, it will travel in a straight line until it hits something.
You aren’t left wondering whether the ball will go in a different direction, it will always travel in a straight line. Therefore, this is a linear system.
To sum up, linear systems are where “x causes y” and as a result, they are predictable.
But the problem is, most systems around us aren’t linear and it is very hard to predict what will happen!
Understanding non-linear physics is crucial because it explains how powerful an impact even small changes to our microbiome can have on our overall health.
Next week, I will explain more of what a linear system is!
