They say that everyone gets their fix. There is always that
one thing that gives you a burst of satisfaction, of happiness. Everyone has
their thing, whether it be exercise, food, religion, alcohol, drugs, tinkering,
whatever. We all need that little burst of serotonin to stave off depression.
For some people, though, being outside, specifically in
nature, is the drug of choice. There is even a group on Facebook called
Gardenoholics Anonymous. This time of year, they mostly talk about pouring over
seed catalogs with longing. The rest of the year, they wax poetic about the
wonders of dirty hands and conquered weeds. We have all known the outdoor
enthusiasts, as well. The ones who couldn't imagine a weekend without camping
and go for a hike in the nearby wooded area almost daily. I have known lots of
both kinds and have noticed that overall, they tend to be a pretty happy lot.
But what if the key to happiness for both groups is the same? What if
they are getting their high from an all-natural source?
It turns out that they just might be doing just that.
Scientists have discovered a bacterium called Mycobacterium vaccae. M. vaccae
has been shown to trigger the release of serotonin in the brain when live
bacteria are inhaled. Scientists aren't quite sure why just yet, but the
results of studies have been undeniable. And the release of serotonin is
significant enough that it is referred to as antidepressant. Is it harmful? It
doesn't appear to be even a little harmful. It might actually be very
beneficial. Is it addictive? Well, probably. Just about anything that can
trigger the release of serotonin is potentially addictive. But that isn't
necessarily a bad thing. Exercise can be addictive.
So, you might ask, this sounds like some pretty good stuff.
Where might I get some? It turns out that M. vaccae is a bacteria that commonly
occurs in healthy, living soil just about everywhere in the world. It also
tends to aerosolize easily, becoming suspended in the air we breathe with
minimal disturbance of the soil. Cool stuff, right?
Now do me a favor, please. Scroll back up and look at the
top of the page. What is this blog called? Mad Bioneer, right? So you KNOW we
aren't going to leave well enough alone. Now that we know something new, how can
we use it? There is an air filter some brilliant soul (no, it wasn't me)
invented several years ago called the Andrea Air Purifier. It puts a plant
inside a clear plastic case, with vents at the top. Air is pulled down through
the vents, over the plant, down through the soil, over a water source, and then
through the fan that pulls it all through and back out into the room. Not only
does the plant help purify the air, but the soil helps as well, through both
filtration and microbial action in the soil.
What if we were to modify this wonderful piece of technology
just a little. First we find out what the M. vaccae uses as a food source in
the soil and make sure there is plenty of it. We get the soil good and alive.
But with just a few design and maintenance tweaks, the air wouldn't just filter
out the bad stuff. It could also be used to load the air inside a building with
all that wonderful M. vaccae goodness. You get the wonderful benefit of
breathable, healthy antidepressant filling your home.
But who is to say we need to stop at home? Want people to
come to your coffee shop? Get them addicted to the antidepressants you pump
into the air! The uses are endless. But the benefits, if something like this
were to be put into widespread use, would be to increase happiness on a broad
scale. How awesome would that be?
