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Mind Control Parasites in Half of All Humans

Posted by Zonk on from the it's-in-me-mind! dept.

iiii writes "According to a Yahoo News story, half of the world's human population is infected with Toxoplasma, a parasite shown to alter the brain function of rats, inducing them into behavior that benefits the parasite but is suicidal for the rat. So what affect does it have on humans? Article comes complete with Heinlein 'Puppet Masters' reference. I call dibs on using Toxoplasma as a name for my rock band."

6 of 625 comments (clear)

  1. And the other half? by satcomdaddy1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Insert Political/religious/OS statement here.

    Really should be more insightful than funny, but that's not for me to decide.

  2. Finally makes sense by Belseth · · Score: 3, Insightful
    a parasite shown to alter the brain function of rats, inducing them into behavior that benefits the parasite but is suicidal for the rat.

    Look on the brightside. At least we know now what's driving the current administration.

  3. Re:Wowa, by 1u3hr · · Score: 5, Insightful
    It seems to be strong evidence that parasites can control the behavior of a host in fairly complex ways

    "Influence" rather than "control". TFA originates in a site that looks for SF in the news, sometimes they look rather too hard. But consider how you act when you have a cold -- sneezing, for instance, creating a nice aerosol spray to spread the virus. Many skin infections casue itchiness, making you scratch and distribute flakes, containing spores; etc. (If this is Intelligent Design, I'd like to ask who is the Chosen Race -- us or the parasites?)

  4. Re:This could not be news by BarryNorton · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Does this explain why religion is on the decline?
    That, and storing our grain better...
  5. Read the Article -- this is very profound by sgent · · Score: 3, Insightful
    There is now at least more than a casual link between Toxoplasm and Schizophrenia.

    Stop to think about that for a second.

    This has profound implications far beyond the childish and disappointing messages listed above.

    Haldol and an antimicrobial have the same effect on Toxoplasm infected human tissue. Even the implcations in this are staggering -- regardless of whether this pans out or not. Million's of people worldwide could be saved a tortous life, higher suicide rates, due to a pathogenic cause (and cure) of a mental illness. Don't dismiss that mother's with this are more likely to have kids that develop schizophrenia.

    An australian recently won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovering that a bacteria was responsible for the majority of stomach ulcers. What used to be a life long and potential dangerous disease is now cured with weeklong course of antibiotics.

    This facinating discovery deserves more respect than it has gotten on slashdot.

  6. Prevalence in the UK by Nick+Driver · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Ive read that these parasited are more common in the UK or perhaps we only know of more cases there becuase people are looking harder.

    It couldn't simply be because Britain is more full of crazy old cat women than anywhere else, could it?