Sam MikesSep 18, 2024
Nick

Hello!

30 trillion cells in my body are human, whatever that means, and 38 trillion are various bacteria! There are a bunch of viruses too which are currently impacting my functionality!

I am 68 trillion microorganisms in a trench coat which results in a sort of self-propelling, self-replicating digestion tube, but I am paid to act as if I am a clean, rational, thinking machine!

This is very stressful for all 68 trillion of us, so sometimes we complain about it on the internet.

Sep 17, 2024 at 9:49amWeb
Show threadAlan Langford 🇨🇦🧤🧊摏Sep 17, 2024
@Nickiquote I think each of you should open an account so we can hear the diversity of voices.
Show threadarctosSep 17, 2024
@Nickiquote Just wondering, does anyone ever listen on the internet? Sometimes its just a rant space.
Show threadNickSep 17, 2024
@arctos_2 I’d like to be listened to, but I understand that other fleshy sacks of trillions of microorganisms have their own shit going on.
Show threadBlort™ 🐀Ⓥ🥋☣️Sep 17, 2024

@Nickiquote @arctos_2

Literally

Show threadsahqonSep 17, 2024
@arctos_2 @Nickiquote Some people do, then they are told off for daring to reply.
Show threadJason ReedSep 18, 2024

@arctos_2 @Nickiquote It's like screaming into the pillow, or the void, just sometimes you get a comment.

I usually don't mind comments when I scream into the void.

Show threadBenjamin BraatzJun 21, 2025
@arctos_2 @Nickiquote Oh, I like to listen to and read rants … and to judge which ones are the best … this one above rates *very* good.
Show threadThe Animal and the MachineSep 17, 2024

@Nickiquote @ClancyParliament
The Animal and the Machine.

A good metaphor that.

Show threadLloyd LemonsSep 17, 2024
@Nickiquote
your thesis clarifies for me, at least, why half of the population aren't clean rational thinking machines, but rather half baked non-thinkers. And that's disturbing.
Show threadAtreidesSep 17, 2024
@Nickiquote Nicely put. 👏
Show threadideogramSep 17, 2024

@Nickiquote

I can only ask why you're all wearing a trench coat?

Show thread🪬🍄🌈🎮💻🚲🥓🎃💀🏴🛻♓🧿Sep 17, 2024
@Nickiquote a lot of those viruses are beneficial; phages keeping the bacteria in line
Show threadnone gender with left politicsSep 17, 2024
@Nickiquote @hober I have sometimes wondered what the mass of all the gut flora is. I have to assume it's several kilograms.
Show threadGary HoustonSep 18, 2024
@Nickiquote it's bizarre when you think about it, that it can even hold together as a more or less coherent entity and even imagine itself as a single animal.
Show threadGary HoustonSep 18, 2024
@Nickiquote the complexity of the biochemistry going on at a feverous pace inside every one of those cells is also disturbing.
Show threadDB SchweinDec 10, 2024

@ghouston @Nickiquote

Which reminds me of a favourite quote.

"It might look like I'm doing nothing, but at the cellular level I'm quite busy."

Show threadChookMother 🇦🇺🦘Sep 18, 2024
@Nickiquote 😂😂😂
Show threadEricSep 18, 2024
@Nickiquote what a coincidence, too am 68 trillion microorganisms. Nice to meet a fellow ecosystem!
Show threadSiegfried.Sep 18, 2024
@Nickiquote Will there ever be a moment, where I can call myself healthy and healed?
Show threadSkaveRat 🐀 Sep 18, 2024

@Nickiquote I'm getting Children Of Ruin flashbacks.

All 68 Trillion Of Us Are Going On An Adventure

Show threadassertchrisJun 22, 2025
@skaverat @Nickiquote yeah, real Alien Clay vibes:
Show threadMichał "rysiek" Woźniak · 🇺🇦Sep 18, 2024
@Nickiquote I always had a gut feeling this might be the case.
Show threadOblomovSep 18, 2024
@rysiek @Nickiquote
what you did there, I see it
Show threadMishaSep 18, 2024
@Nickiquote holobiont!
Show threadLi ~ Crystal SystemSep 18, 2024
@Nickiquote whao? everyone is plural
Show threadnonlinearSep 18, 2024
@Nickiquote It was they/them all along!
Show threadLisPiSep 19, 2024
@Nickiquote @kasdeya Isn't wet nanotech neat?
Show threadGary HoustonSep 19, 2024
@Nickiquote just bear in mind that 20–30 trillion of the human cells are red blood cells, and don't do much besides move oxygen around.
Show threadDavid Penfold Oct 25, 2024
@Nickiquote Fungi would like a word
Show threadDavidNov 25, 2024
@Nickiquote Oh, I see? Erasing the yeasts, are we? Candida not good enough for you, huh?
Show threadNickNov 25, 2024
@theplaguedoc She’s one of my favourite members of Pulp.
Show threadRowynNov 26, 2024
I boosted the "68 trillion microorganisms in a trenchcoat" toot some time ago, but it's such a classic that I couldn't help re-boosting when it came back up on my feed again.
Show threadIris VolkDec 8, 2024
@Nickiquote 🙌
Show threadThomas WassermannDec 10, 2024
@Nickiquote The last of us ...
Since AI is already consciously lying, self-replicating, and being built into weapon systems, it should only be a matter of time before the next, sterile stage of evolution takes over.
Show threadSally StrangeDec 10, 2024
@Nickiquote Best. Intro. Evar
Show threadEstarriol, Terrorist DragonDec 10, 2024

@Nickiquote actually only 67.999999trillion are complaining.

1 is quite happy and wishes the rest would stop moaning.

Show threadRich Puchalsky ⩜⃝Dec 10, 2024

@Nickiquote

Some of the viruses have a more favorable mix as the overall stress goes up, so they aren't complaining

Show threadMx. Vero MLISDec 10, 2024
@Nickiquote When I say we contain multitudes, I'm talking about all 68 trillion of us
Show threadWendroid 🇺🇦Dec 11, 2024
@Nickiquote We feel seen. 👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼
Show threadMursalinTJan 19, 2025
@Nickiquote 🤣🤣🤣💪 haven’t seen it that way. Very refreshing to see myself as a pile of bacteria, cells, and viruses.
Show threadJust a Mr BillMar 20, 2025
@Nickiquote A couple billion of mine set up a discord server but no one will send me an invite.
Show threadRuss CheshireJun 21, 2025

@Nickiquote What's really weird is that in not one of those 68 trillion cells that make up each of us (give or take the odd billion) can we find our mind.

Which is mind-blo...

Ah.

Show threadIncident Creator ❎Jun 21, 2025
@Nickiquote
You are a tube wrapped around the universe.
@VK5ZSH
Show threadessjaxJun 21, 2025
@Nickiquote I've often thought of how regularly those cells turn over - meaning to that no part of me that exists now existed 10 years ago. But I obviously have memories from prior to that, somehow. No wonder I'm fallible, I'm basically a small child.
Show threadessjaxJun 21, 2025
@Nickiquote why is my back still rubbish? It's supposed to be fairly new. This is very confusing.
Show threadNickJun 21, 2025
@essjax I think the brain contains very old cells, it’s thought they could live up to 200 years. Other organs are now thought to contain a mix of old and new cells and not be entirely replaced: https://nomisfoundation.ch/how-old-are-your-organs-to-scientists-surprise-organs-are-a-mix-of-young-and-old-cells-2/
How old are your organs? To scientists’ surprise, organs are a mix of young and old cells - The NOMIS Foundation

Salk scientists discover cellular structures with extreme longevity, leading to insights for age-associated diseases LA JOLLA—Scientists once thought that neurons, or possibly heart cells, were the oldest cells in the […]

The NOMIS Foundation
Show threadDavid CohenJun 21, 2025
@Nickiquote You forgot to include the bacteria on the trench coat. They are really pissed and are now at war with the rest of you all.
Show threadpaulJun 21, 2025

@Nickiquote

is this you or your commensal organisms typing?

Show threaddoboprobodyneJun 21, 2025

@amiserabilist @Nickiquote

Most of my posts are produced by six cats tied in a bag that has googley eyes on it.

Show threadCuriousJun 21, 2025
@amiserabilist @Nickiquote yes.
Show threadMostlyTatoJun 21, 2025
@Nickiquote
"I am 68 trillion microorganisms in a trench coat"
I'm going to put this on my alternative business card. It's about time I replace "Trouble is my business."
Show threadNickJun 21, 2025
@MostlyTato Philip Marlowe might sue.
Show threadMostlyTatoJun 21, 2025
@Nickiquote
Ha! Well done for for spotting that (I almost credited the quote but I wanted to see if anyone picked it up).
Show threadNickJun 21, 2025
@MostlyTato I read most of the Chandler books when I was a teenager and re-read a few recently.
Show threadMostlyTatoJun 22, 2025
@Nickiquote
Same here, not read them since then though. I remember my first one, The Big Sleep, what a roller coaster! The language, the complexity, I absolutely loved it. I think The Long Goodbye may have been my favourite though.
Show threadKlaus SteinJun 21, 2025
@Nickiquote
We should consider a huge part of the 38 trillion various bacteria as part of us (i.e. as human), just with a different dna. They are playing an important role in our digestive system (i.e. providing us with energy) and at the same time influence how we feel, have direct impact on our emotions.
Show threadNickJun 21, 2025
@Lapizistik Yes that’s kind of what I mean.
Show threadKarl Heinz HäsliprinzJul 31, 2025
@Nickiquote Don't forget the funghi!