We talk about “gut feelings” and “butterflies in the stomach” as if they’re just figures of speech, but there’s a genuine, physical conversation happening between your gut and your brain. This episode explores one of the most surprising frontiers in biology.

You’ll come away understanding how the gut and brain are wired together, the role of the vagus nerve, how the trillions of microbes in your gut may influence your mood, and why scientists urge healthy caution about a young and hyped field.

Talking Science is sponsored by Kinsoft. Visit www.kinsoft.com.au

Further reading: Harvard Health – “The gut-brain connection”; Nature Reviews – microbiome and behaviour; Emeran Mayer, The Mind-Gut Connection.