In the first half, Prof. Rob Dunn discussed how even the cleanest homes are host to nearly 200,000 species living with us, from the meal moths in our cupboards and camel crickets in our basements to the lactobacillus lounging on our kitchen counters. Our bodies are actually covered with thousands of species, and all adults have microscopic mites on their faces-- "they walk around your head at night and have sex on your nose," he mused. House mice date back to the time of Mesopotamia, and with their ability to squeeze through tiny holes, "in some ways," he said, "they're more expert at living in our houses than we are."
While many wonder about the purpose of some of the tiny creatures in our ecosystem, Dunn noted that in some instances, they may offer as yet untapped benefits. This is the case with the camel cricket, which has gut bacteria that can break down industrial waste and turn it into energy, he cited. Dogs can bring in healthy bacteria for people that live in homes in urban environments, while the toxoplasmosis parasite can be spread by cat feces and is believed to potentially alter human behavior and be a predictor for the onset of schizophrenia, he reported. Dunn also spoke about bed bugs, black mold (which can be brought into a house in a dormant state through drywall), cockroaches, and ants.
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In the latter half, Egyptian born author Ahmed Osman shared his controversial theories about ancient Egypt and the history of Judaism and Christianity, which may be radically different than what is described in religious texts. In his historical and biblical investigation into King David of Israel, he concluded that David was actually Pharaoh Tuthmosis III of the 18th Dynasty and Solomon (David's son) was Pharaoh Amenhotep, the successor of Tuthmosis. In additon, he believes that David lived in a different timeline than what has been previously thought, some five centuries earlier, in the 15th century BC.
He further explained that Isaac was David's father rather than his son, and that the biblical narrative about Abraham was altered to obscure Isaac's Egyptian identity. In Osman's reinterpretation of ancient history, he has also found evidence that Moses was an Egyptian-- the Pharaoh Akhenaten, who reduced the pantheon of gods into a single being, but was eventually forced to leave the throne, and then retreated to Sinai with Egyptian and Israelite supporters.
During the last half-hour, George replayed part of the 'Skeptic's Cage' debate between Stanton Friedman and Michael Shermer from 2007.
News segment guests: John M. Curtis, Howard Bloom, Mish Shedlock