The History and Power of Poop | Scott Hickle | TEDxBoston

Key Concepts

• Waste as a Health Indicator: The central theme is that human waste (poop and urine) contains valuable information about an individual's health.
• Historical Precedent: Ancient civilizations and historical figures recognized the diagnostic value of stool.
• Modern Disconnect: Modern plumbing and societal modesty have led to a neglect of waste observation for health monitoring.
• Prevalence of Chronic Conditions: The video highlights several common and serious chronic conditions affecting the gut and urinary tract.
• Early Detection and Prevention: The importance of early detection, particularly for colorectal cancer, is emphasized.
• AI-Powered Toilet Cameras: The speaker's work involves developing technology to leverage waste data for health insights.

Historical Significance of Waste Observation

The video begins by drawing a parallel between King Henry VIII and Kim Jong-un, both of whom exhibited an unusual obsession with their waste. King Henry VIII had a "groom of the stool," a royal court member whose role was to liaise with the royal doctor regarding the king's health based on his bowel movements. This position was highly valued due to its access to the monarch. Kim Jong-un reportedly travels with a private toilet to prevent information about his health from being leaked. This highlights a historical understanding that "your waste has wisdom."

The practice of examining waste for health insights dates back to ancient times:

• 1500 BC: Egyptians examined stool to detect infections and digestive issues.
• Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic Medicine (India): Both systems heavily emphasize stool observation for identifying bodily imbalances.
• 460 BC: Hippocrates, the "father of Western medicine," documented how variations in stool color, consistency, and smell could indicate internal bleeding or digestive dysfunction, famously stating, "All disease begins in the gut."
• 19th and 20th Centuries: Stool appearance was a matter of public health, with an estimated 300 million deaths from dysentery, cholera, and related diarrheal diseases.

The Modern Disconnect from Waste Observation

Despite its historical importance, waste observation has declined in modern society due to two primary factors:

1. Advent of Modern Plumbing: While solving sanitation issues and preventing plagues, modern plumbing pushed waste "out of sight, out of mind," removing it from daily awareness.
2. Victorian Era Modesty: Reshaped Western culture, particularly concerning "private parts," leading to a societal reluctance to discuss bodily functions.

This disconnect has resulted in people "dying of embarrassment," as stated by Dr. Kurran Rajin, and a lack of proactive health monitoring related to gut and urinary tract issues.

Chronic Conditions Manifesting in the Gut and Urinary Tract

The video details several prevalent chronic conditions where waste observation could offer crucial insights:

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS):
  • Affects 38 million Americans (1 in 11 men, 1 in 7 women).
  • Characterized by abdominal pain, bloating, and unpredictable bowel habit disruptions.
  • Individuals often feel "trapped" and frustrated by a lack of useful insight.
• Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) - Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis:
  • Affects 3 million Americans.
  • America has the highest global incidence.
  • These are autoimmune disorders causing severe gastrointestinal tract inflammation.
  • Symptoms include bloody stools, extreme fatigue, and frequent bathroom trips (sometimes 30+ per day).
  • A personal anecdote illustrates the severity: a friend with IBD could count the tiles on her bathroom floor due to the amount of time spent there during a flare.
• Kidney Stones:
  • 1 in 9 Americans will pass a kidney stone.
  • 3 million will pass one in the next 12 months.
  • The pain is considered one of the most severe, comparable to childbirth or being shot.
• Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH):
  • By age 70, 4 in 5 American men experience an enlarged prostate.
  • This non-cancerous condition squeezes the urethra, making urination difficult.
  • Leads to nighttime awakenings and can necessitate surgical intervention or catheterization.
• Chronic Dehydration:
  • The sense of thirst declines with age, increasing the risk of chronic dehydration.
  • Data: A Mayo Clinic study found chronic dehydration may increase fall risk in adults over 65 by 13%.
  • Accidental falls are the leading cause of accidental death in adults over 65.
• Colorectal Cancer:
  • America's second deadliest cancer (behind lung cancer).
  • Roughly 1 in 25 Americans will develop it.
  • Concerning Trend: Individuals born after 1990 have twice the chance of developing colon cancer and four times the chance of developing rectal cancer compared to those born in 1950.
  • Preventability: Colon cancer is preventable if caught early. Dr. Peter Attia states, "Nobody should ever die from colon cancer."
  • Progression: Every colon cancer starts as a polyp, typically taking 7-10 years to become cancerous, allowing ample time for detection.
  • Survival Rates:
    • Stage 1: Survival rates above 90%.
    • Stage 2: 5-year survival rate drops to 72%.
    • Stage 4: Only 16% of patients are alive 5 years after diagnosis.
  • Current Situation: Last year, 153,000 Americans were diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and a third died from it, exceeding deaths from all US car accidents combined. The issue is catching it "too late."

The Future: AI-Powered Waste Monitoring

The speaker, Scott Hickle, an engineer and entrepreneur, is developing AI-powered toilet cameras to "shed light on the gold mine of wisdom in our waste." His work aims to:

• Monitor the body's "most honest, intimate signals."
• Turn daily routines into actionable health insights.
• Identify trends in gut and urinary health.
• Catch complications when they are easiest to address.
• Potentially prevent deaths from conditions like colon cancer.

The core message is a call to re-engage with our waste observation for improved long-term health, leveraging technology to overcome modern societal barriers.