Brain-Controlling Parasites

Josh_Kablack · Post by **Josh_Kablack** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 6:44 am

Maybe you heard about the Ampulex compressa Wasp a few years back.

But apparently Hymenoepimecis argyraphaga pulls a similar trick with Orb Weaver spiders

But some

Glyptapanteles wasps top that.

But wasps have nothing on the Sacculina barnacle

Makes me wonder about just how much influence T Gondii's Has on humans

{All links, OK, but some pretty squicky}

Maxus · Post by **Maxus** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 7:17 am

I've always preferred Toxoplasma (I think it's called) when I need to gross someone out.

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 8:22 am

Ants mind controlled and murdered by fungus.

-Username17

JonSetanta · Post by **JonSetanta** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 8:47 am

T. Gondii?

Way ahead of you.
I've been fretting about this shit for years now, since the behavior changes just might be indirectly preventing helpful research on these kinds of organisms; if the changes do inflict paranoia, what's to stop a shift away from the risky explorations of science and back to the safe, warm, cozy haven of religious and fanatic "faith"?

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/DyeHar ... 095&page=1

Indeed, if viruses can shape the very genetic binding of our forms, why wouldn't parasites do the same with personality.

Also don't forget http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolbachia

Draco_Argentum · Post by **Draco_Argentum** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:17 am

Frank's link reminds me of Necroscope.

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:56 am

Necroscope was pretty cool.

That, on the other hand... I already shower very thoroughly out of paranoia of picking up some fungus that will later sprout into orks or something. Now I might start using napalm instead of body lotion.

I hate fungus. And wasps. We seriously need to fry this planet.

JonSetanta · Post by **JonSetanta** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 10:29 am

Koumei wrote: That, on the other hand... I already shower very thoroughly out of paranoia of picking up some fungus that will later sprout into orks or something. Now I might start using napalm instead of body lotion.

I hate fungus. And wasps. We seriously need to fry this planet.

Agreed. Let's start over this time with a fresh human genome and no viruses adding repetitive insertions.
Our genome is seriously as buggy as unpatched Windows code running Windows Firewall. I'd compare it to Vista but that might be going too far.

My girlfriend seems to have taken a liking to a joke I made once about her family's pug.
The little shit sheds like some kind of spore-spewing fungal orb; although I have no proof on hand, I swear the stuff has ruined at least 2 Dells and an Xbox 360.
... so I made a 40k joke about the (excessive, nose-infesting) hair being 'pug spores' and under the right conditions of moisture and darkness new 'puglings' can grow.
Fucker looks like a goblin anyway so it's not too far fetched. Practically WAAAGHs for food.

Crissa · Post by **Crissa** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 10:01 pm

That's why I seriously go overboard on filters and fans and sealants, sigma. My PC has foam between the drives to block dust.

-Crissa

JonSetanta · Post by **JonSetanta** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:05 am

Or you could just de-spore... I mean, de-pug your house.

That reminds me though that it's been years since I've cleaned out the inside of my comp.

Here's another solution for parasites:

http://io9.com/5103823/