[extropy-chat] IMMUNE: Nose picking is good for you...

[Robert J. Bradbury]

On Mon, 29 Mar 2004, Johnius wrote:

> >He pointed out that children happily pick their noses, yet by the time
> >they have become adults they have stopped under pressure from a society
> >that has branded it disgusting and anti social.

There may be a reason for this.  Nasal cavities are a quite popular
reservior for the bacteria streptococcus.  I believe I've even cultured
some of my own in the microbiology lab.  There may be a very active
principle -- "the bacteria you can live with may not be the bacteria I
can live with" at work here.  So the aspect of bacteria to hands
to other hands to who knows where may be involved here.  So "disgust"
may be a defense mechanism that could have been put into humans
(by genetics or education) for a very long time (and for good reason).

Bottom line -- nothing wrong with picking your nose -- but *always*
wash your hands after the fact.  You are dealing with a simple probability
of disease transmission issue (which if more people were aware of might
make the world a much healthier place).

Robert