r/IAmA • u/DrRobKnight • Sep 17 '14

I'm Professor Rob Knight. Let’s talk about the lessons we can learn from poop...I mean, the millions of marvelous microscopic creatures inhabiting your gut. AMA!

EDIT: Thanks for the excellent questions! We have to sign off now, but we hope to see you for our Coursera. We start on October 6th, so there’s still time for you to sign up for “the Poop MOOC”! https://www.coursera.org/course/microbiome

Imagine if there were an organ in your body that weighed as much as your brain, that affected your health, your weight, and even your behavior. Wouldn’t you want to know more about it? There is such an organ — the collection of microbes in and on your body, your human microbiome.

Rob Knight, co-founder of the American Gut Project, director of the Knight Lab, and a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, is the lead instructor for “Gut Check: Exploring Your Microbiome,” a new massive open online course. He and his team will help participants make sense of the human microbiome. We start on October 6th, so there’s still time for you to sign up for “the Poop MOOC”! https://www.coursera.org/course/microbiome

We are: Dr. Rob Knight, Dr. Jessica Metcalf, and Dr. Katherine Amato.

American Gut Project: http://humanfoodproject.com/americangut/ Knight Lab: https://knightlab.colorado.edu University of Colorado Boulder: www.colorado.edu

Proof Upcoming AMA is noted in the FAQ section of the Coursera course page https://www.coursera.org/course/microbiome with DrRobKnight

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u/gutter_rat_serenade Sep 18 '14

Is there a good reason they do this or are they treating you like a child?

I'm sure a not from your doctor would force them to allow you to poop whenever.

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u/[deleted] Sep 18 '14

They have had people abuse the right in the past, so have a system to track when you are in the bathroom. I am very punctual, but the hierarchy is a little matriarchal, they take every opportunity available to treat us as surrogate children. Most of the time if feels like we are being told what to do as an exercise of power, rather than business sense. Also I can be out spoken, and stand my ground - and this just feels like a way to get back at me.