Meet The Arachnids Living On Your Face
12:22 minutes
This interview was recorded live at an event in San Francisco, California. We also talked about the future of AI and environmental justice.
Next time you look in the mirror, consider that tiny, wriggling mites have—yes, yours. In fact, you may have an evolving colony unique to your own skin! But don’t worry, they probably aren’t doing you any harm.
In this interview recorded live at the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco, Ira talks with entomologist Michelle Trautwein of the California Academy of Sciences about why face mites live in our skin, where we get them (spoiler: thank your parents!), and how mite lineages can help reconstruct patterns of human migration around the globe.
Plus: get up-close and personal with these tiny crawling companions in a video from KQED’s Deep Look series.
Further Reading
- Learn three things you might not know about these creatures.
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Segment Guests
Michelle Trautwein
Michelle Trautwein is the curator of Entomology at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, California.
Meet the Producers and Host
About Christopher Intagliata
@cintagliataChristopher Intagliata was Science Friday’s senior producer. He once served as a prop in an optical illusion and speaks passable Ira Flatowese.
About Ira Flatow
@iraflatowIra Flatow is the founder and host of Science Friday. His green thumb has revived many an office plant at death’s door.