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Parasite Correlated With World Cup Success
mahiskali writes "A parasite commonly found in cats, Toxoplasma gondii, has an unnerving relation to World Cup victories by country. (This parasite was discussed here twice in 2006.) Toxo can be found in almost every type of mammal, from rats to humans. The overall goal of the parasite is to end up in a feline stomach, which is the only place it can reproduce. In other mammals, humans for example, the parasite heads for the brain. It is estimated that nearly 1/3 of the human population has a latent Toxo infection, with individual countries having infection rates varying from 6% (Korea) to 92% (Ghana). Countries with greater incidence of this parasitic infection in their populations tend to win more World Cups than those without. The article, written by a Stanford University neuroscientist, goes on to try out various rationales for such a correlation, ranging from increased testosterone to increased dissent of authority — all symptoms of a Toxo infection. Now we just need to find a parasite that causes an inability to referee properly, and we'll have this whole World Cup business all sorted out."
Fortunately here in the States we don't have to worry about such dangerous things as world cup victories.
Mr. KDawson,
To correctly link to a text only version, use the MySlate feature found here, select your story, press view story, and link the new link. That way thousands of users will not have to press "cancel print".
thanks,
-Everyone
Link without the print:
http://www.slate.com/Apps/MySlate/action/read.aspx?action=read&ids=2259350&sortmethod=false
We should start a new Slashdot and return control to the geeks. It actually wouldn't be that hard to get some users to
Sorry for shooting for the obvious, but the old trope about correlation and causation seems exactly in order here.
Do any of these parasites modify your voice timbre and give you glowing eyes and create in you a desire to build healing sarcophagi?
Rhymes that keep their secrets will unfold behind the clouds.There upon the rainbow is the answer to a neverending story
We've just come back from Tommy's funeral and you are talking about a skag deal?
A bit OT, but I thought it was a fact worth mentioning:
The most common carrier of Toxoplasma gondii are cats. When a cat with Toxo injures a rat (but does not kill it) it usually passes the infection to the rat. The effect of the parasite on rats makes them slower and far easier for predators (like cats) to catch/kill them. Which, in turn, passes the parasite on to the cat. The cat then takes a swipe at a rat...and so on ad infinitum.
The parasite uses the natural predator/prey relationship to keep itself alive.
I judt got a nre Kinesis keybiartf so please excusr ant egregiou typos.
This meme isn't fashionable anymore. You were supposed to post an XKCD comic instead.
"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
The Netherlands is less developed? Germany is less developed?
Tale a look at the Semis group, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Uruguay.
This parasite is quite abundant in the more developed nations.
Chances of infection via cats are really minuscule; we do big deal of it because when it happens at the wrong time to a wrong person (pregnant woman; think of the children!) the results catch attention.
Overall, cats most likely should be thanked by great contribution to our civilization - for a few thousand years they guard our supplies.
BTW, up to a certain point (not exceeding certain period of smoking / quiting quickly enough - basically mid-20's) the rates of illnesses associated with smoking are practically identical for non)never)-smokers and (ex)smokers.
This isn't clear to me - are you saying we should, or shouldn't be worried about sharing a joint with a cat?