Zombie ants controlled by fungus

[Woozie]

It doesn't say how it spreads to humans though. Unless I missed it.

Chinese food.

[Tyr]

Now, do the fungi stimulate motor responses in the ant, making it walk or bite, or does it simply plant the idea and make it want to walk away and bite a leaf?

Perhaps one day we can decode the genetics behind this and engineer our own airborne spore that influences people to do things or alter their personality like with the cats.

Would have great applications in war, to control without killing, or voluntarily committed psychiatric patients who want a personality change.

How American of an approach. "How can we use this for war?"

To your defense, you want to "control without killing."

[Lee]

Cool science thread slowly morphing into political thread due to the idiot above.

[Shenrien]

First zombie ants, then zombie cats, great soon we'll have actual zombies! I think its time to start loading up on ammunition while its still cheap.

[Effluo]

First zombie ants, then zombie cats, great soon we'll have actual zombies! I think its time to start loading up on ammunition while its still cheap.

Problem is finding it, and it's no longer cheap... All the crazy SOBs like me have been buying it up at every possible chance, cause hey, it's either gonna be zombies or something else

[Amarok]

Problem is finding it, and it's no longer cheap... All the crazy SOBs like me have been buying it up at every possible chance, cause hey, it's either gonna be zombies or something else

Location: Houston, TX

Shocking.

[Effluo]

Are we talking adjective or verb shocking? And if verb, were you going for transitive?

[archibaldcrane]

I think that's a gerund, no?

[Effluo]

could be, i'm just confused by the lack of sentence structure. Maybe an interjection?

[Zilong]

Problem is finding it, and it's no longer cheap... All the crazy SOBs like me have been buying it up at every possible chance, cause hey, it's either gonna be zombies or something else

Liberals are more fearsome than zombies man.

[Khamsin]

How American of an approach. "How can we use this for war?"

To your defense, you want to "control without killing."

Well, if you think about it, if we could just unleash a cloud of (nontoxic) spores to give enemy combatants the uncontrollable urge to drop their weapons and go hug a tree or something, we could diffuse situations rather harmlessly both abroad and at home (say, during SWAT team raids).

Or spore bomb enemy towns to give them the uncontrollable urge to rally for democracy, oust their current leader, set up an election and vote for the best candidate based on what they can do for the country. Additionally, political leaders could be spore bombed to give them the uncontrollable urge to play nice, be honest, and concede when they lose an election.

[Priran]

I see nothing wrong with the use of mind control spores

[Omniyoji]

To the person that wanted zombies:

Zombie Attack at Hierakonpolis

[Khamsin]

I see nothing wrong with the use of mind control spores

And you never would, if the spores were programmed right. Ideally, they'd also have the side effect of making the people they were used on not mind that they were spore bombed. And if anyone noticed a person that was missed, they'd notify the proper authorities or just pass on the spore themselves. You'd have to make it potent enough that even the staunchest opponent against the use of spores like this would become the staunchest proponent, or else there could be issues.

Also keep in mind that of this technology were to be developed, it'd only be used for enemy combatants, or to make something like the occupation of hostile territory go smoothly with everyone welcoming you with open arms. Otherwise, someone might resist us and then they'd get hurt.

And yes, I'm trolling. But the idea is tantalizing, isn't it?.

[Colenzo]

man, I love ants

[Nirokun!]

"The Big Gay Bomb" rises again!

[Overburn]

Incoming Dollhouse?

[Elvis]

Ok this is seriously the coolest thing I've read in a long time. Pure awesome.

This. Coolest thing since the huge spider ate the bird story in Australia or something

[Elvis]

And you never would, if the spores were programmed right. Ideally, they'd also have the side effect of making the people they were used on not mind that they were spore bombed. And if anyone noticed a person that was missed, they'd notify the proper authorities or just pass on the spore themselves. You'd have to make it potent enough that even the staunchest opponent against the use of spores like this would become the staunchest proponent, or else there could be issues.

Also keep in mind that of this technology were to be developed, it'd only be used for enemy combatants, or to make something like the occupation of hostile territory go smoothly with everyone welcoming you with open arms. Otherwise, someone might resist us and then they'd get hurt.

And yes, I'm trolling. But the idea is tantalizing, isn't it?.

This was the first thing that popped into my mind. How can we spread freedom more effectively? MIND CONTROL! This would make an awesome movie though.

It would be kind of like The Happening but without the unintentionally hilarious Mark Wahlberg.

[Rammses]

Cat parasite may affect cultural traits in human populations

Dangerrrr: cats could alter your personality - Times Online

This article states there is a parasite cats have that infects the brains of humans and alters their personality.

It has begun!

Edit:

It looks like this parasite is also used to suppress fear in rats, making them easier prey for cats. It also seems to alter human personalities over time.

Awesome, fetus-killing, brain-controlling parasites in up to 80% of the population. I feel like a richer man with this knowledge.

Dr Dominique Soldati, a researcher at Imperial College in London, is studying ways of blocking toxoplasma from getting into cells. “Once you are infected you cannot get rid of this parasite and the numbers of them slowly grow over the years,” she said.

Fuck yeah, just keeps getting better.

The parasite can cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and neurologic diseases and can affect the heart, liver, and eyes (chorioretinitis).

Good to know, good to know.

The toxoplasmosis parasite may also trigger the development of schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, Parkinson’s Disease, Tourette’s syndrome and attention deficit disorders. The University of Leeds’ Faculty of Biological Sciences has shown a statistical link between toxoplasmosis infections and incidences of schizophrenia. Research finds that a person with schizophrenia is more likely to have toxoplasmosis than the general population.[8] The parasite produces an enzyme called tyrosine hydroxylase which may contribute to the development of these psychological disorders by affecting the production of dopamine. These changes in the chemistry of the brain can significantly affect behaviour. Well documented is dopamine’s role in mood, sociability, attention, and motivation and sleep patterns. Schizophrenia has long been associated with dopamine, which is the target of all currently available schizophrenia drugs. Research is ongoing to confirm whether or not there is a causal link, which is proving difficult because there are many factors involved. Health risks of toxoplasmosis include occasional fatalities.[9]

Sweet.


Clicking this thread is probably the worst decision I've made in my life. What the fuck.

The cyst form of the parasite is extremely hardy, capable of surviving exposure to freezing down to −12 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit), moderate temperatures and chemical disinfectants such as bleach, and can survive in the environment for over a year. It is, however, susceptible to high temperatures—above 66 degrees Celsius (150 degrees Fahrenheit), and is thus killed by thorough cooking, and would be killed by 24 hours in a typical domestic freezer.[12]

Oh, there's some relief. I'm off to the cryogenic chambers. Hopefully waking up in an era where humans aren't outsmarted by parasites.