well we joke about zombies

[lane912]

now, a group of fungus that control the brain of its host to do its bidding has been discovered by biologists. how long until someone gets the idea to "weaponize" this?


Photos: "Zombie" Ants Found With New Mind-Control Fungi



Zombie Fungus Rears Its Ugly Head
A stalk of the newfound fungus species Ophiocordyceps camponoti-balzani, grows out of a "zombie" ant's head in a Brazilian rain forest.

Originally thought to be a single species, called Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, the fungus is actually four distinct species—all of which can "mind control" ants—scientists announced Wednesday.

The fungus species can infect an ant, take over its brain, and then kill the insect once it moves to a location ideal for the fungi to grow and spread their spores.


All four known fungi species live in Brazil's Atlantic rain forest, which is rapidly changing due to climate change and deforestation, said study leader David Hughes, an entomologist at Penn State University.

Hughes and colleagues made the discovery after noticing a wide diversity of fungal growths emerging from ant victims, according to the March 2 study in the journal PLoS ONE.

"It is tempting to speculate that each species of fungus has its own ant species that it is best adapted to attack," Hughes said.

"This potentially means thousands of zombie fungi in tropical forests across the globe await discovery," he said. "We need to ramp up sampling—especially given the perilous state of the environment."

[targa911S]

Where was that stuff when I was married to my first wife?

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by targa911S

Where was that stuff when I was married to my first wife?

She could have used that stuff on YOU if it was around.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I like this. "The mind control fungus made me go out and buy that Ferrari and then pick up those blondes in it - it wasn't me!"

A better excuse than the old standby flying monkeys. Good stuff!

[RWebb]

The ants deserve this. It's payback for all that exploitative aphid slavery they've been doing.

[sammyg2]

All joking aside, seriously.
if anyone wants a more technical description of this phenomenon, here ya go:

[A930Rocket]

As long as it's a tree branch he has a death grip on, I'm OK....

[M.D. Holloway]

I'm not worried about the fungus zombies, I'm freak"d about the things my lil girl says "are like viruses but they are not - they are inside our heads and they make choices for us..." Thats freaky!

[lane912]

ok just for review...
fungus that can control female minds, tree branch death grip-

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by lane912

ok just for review...
fungus that can control female minds, tree branch death grip-

You got it.

[Jagshund]

Originally Posted by lane912

How long until someone gets the idea to "weaponize" this?

Ever heard of "Fungus Welfarus"? Capable of forcing an entire population to stay at home and watch such entertaining classics as "American Idol" and "General Hospital."

[Laneco]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

She could have used that stuff on YOU if it was around.

No need for fungus. Men and women each respectively are equipped from the factory with the bits and pieces that seem to mind control the other... There is no other explanation for some of the girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband choices that we so otherwise intelligent people make.

Man naughty bits = Mind Control for Women
Girl naughty bits = Mind Control for Men

angela

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by Laneco

Man naughty bits = Mind Control for Women
Girl naughty bits = Mind Control for Men

Since when has my wallet been referred to as "Man naughty bits?"

[sammyg2]

I've heard of the fungus amongus.

Since this thread is staying on track so well I thought I'd post something relevant:

GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:
1) No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats..
2) When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair.
3) If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person.
4) Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
5) You can't trust dogs to watch your food..
6) Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair..
7) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.
8) You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
9) Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
10) The best place to be when you're sad is Grandma's lap.



GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:
1) Raising teenagers is like nailing jelly to a tree.
2) Wrinkles don't hurt.
3) Families are like fudge...mostly sweet, with a few nuts
4) Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground...
5) Laughing is good exercise. It's like jogging on the inside.
6) Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy..

GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD

1) Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional...
2) Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.
3) When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you're down there.
4) You're getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.
5) It's frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions...
6) Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician
7) Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.

THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:

1) You believe in Santa Claus.
2) You don't believe in Santa Claus.
3) You are Santa Claus..
4) You look like Santa Claus.


SUCCESS:

At age 4 success is . . . . Not piddling in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . . Having friends.
At age 17 success is . . Having a driver's license.
At age 35 success is . . . ..having money.
At age 50 success is . . . Having money..
At age 70 success is . .. . Having a drivers license.
At age 75 success is . ... . Having friends.
At age 80 success is . . .. Not piddling in your pants.

[M.D. Holloway]

Great stuff Sam!

[john70t]

You think you control what you want to eat next?
You think you got "guts"?
You're wrong.

The human G.I.(gasterointestinal) tract is 30 feet long, and full of beneficial bacteria.

Without that bacteria our digestive process to extract nutrients from enveloped materials would fail, and we would die.

Keeping those bacteria alive is paramount to our survival.

One might conclude that those bacteria are more important than our own situational impulses.

There is a theory that those bacterium can communicate with its host, and its influence eating habits....

[RWebb]

Lynn Margolis thinks we are just here to make mitochondria happy.


well, ok, not exactly...

[john70t]

Mabye Lynn Margolis is a tape worm. I don't understand it all. Stranger things in nature exist in a sybiotic parasitical form.