6 ms·
Toxoplasma infection permanently shifts balance in cat-and-mouse game
- jkbyc 13y agoToxoplasma seems to affect human behaviour too: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2526142/?tool http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2526142/?tool (incidentally, I was part of this research as one of the subjects)
- bencollier49 13y agoDid they tell you afterwards if you were one of the toxo-zombies??
- jkbyc 13y agoyes, they told everyone after the last test
- kawera 13y agoRelated: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/print/2012/03/how-your-cat-is-making-you-crazy/308873/ http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/print/2012/03/how-your-c... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3573694 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3573694
- ada1981 13y agoThis. -- “The idea that this parasite knows more about our brains than we do, and has the ability to exert desired change in complicated rodent behavior, is absolutely fascinating,” Ingram said. “Toxoplasma has done a phenomenal job of figuring out mammalian brains in order to enhance its transmission through a complicated life cycle.” -- There is no conscious awareness here, if that isn't obvious. It's cool this thing evolved to exploit behavior in this way, but it had no say in the matter.
- zdean 13y agoI was really surprised to read that at the end of the article as well.
- bencollier49 13y agoPerhaps a title change is in order. We know the mice became unafraid of cats, just not that the change was permanent.
- adultSwim 13y agoThere is a Radiolab that discusses Toxoplasmosis: http://www.radiolab.org/story/91689-parasites/ http://www.radiolab.org/story/91689-parasites/