“I Contain Multitudes” – on microbes and our microbiome; Hiring undocumented immigrants

Guests: Ed Yong, Javier Garcia Hernandez

For centuries humankind has been waging a war against microbes – the bacteria, viruses, archaea and fungus that live in and all around us.  But now scientists are beginning to understand that microbes play a critical and often beneficial role in our lives and the lives of all species on Earth. Science writer ED YONG has written a new book on this hidden world called I Contain Multitudes: the Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life.  He tells Radio Times producer Debbie Bilder about these remarkable creatures, animal-microbe partnerships and how our microbiomes effect our cells, immune system, mood, weight and much, much more.  Then, producer Elizabeth Fiedler talks with JAVIER GARCIA HERNANDEZ, one of the owners of Mexcon, a local construction company that hires undocumented immigrants. They discuss the discrimination some undocumented workers in Philadelphia face from their bosses and the competition and the challenges of starting a construction cooperative.