Cat Parasites Conquer the World

FromStuff To Blow Your Mind

Start listening View podcast show

Cat Parasites Conquer the World

FromStuff To Blow Your Mind

ratings:

Length:

42 minutes

Released:

Apr 5, 2012

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

The most successful organisms hide in the shadows. The parasite Toxoplasma gondii is just such a puppet master, and its marionettes include rodents, cats and human beings. In this episode, Julie and Robert uncover Toxo's neural-hijacking scheme. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Released:

Apr 5, 2012

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Deep in the back of your mind, you’ve always had the feeling that there’s something strange about reality. There is. Join Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick as they examine neurological quandaries, cosmic mysteries, evolutionary marvels and our transhuman future.

Skip carousel

How Fighting Asteroids Works: Asteroid impacts are inevitable. As they hurtle toward Earth, experts race against the clock to build an effective asteroid deterrent. Will they succeed in time? Learn more about asteroid fighters -- and their plans to save the world -- in this episode. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
18 min listen
Book Sniffers and You: You can learn a lot from a book's smell. For example, the books of heavy smokers tend to smell of smoke. When you smell a book, you're encountering more than 200 individual components combining to produce an olfactory fingerprint. Tune in to learn more. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
12 min listen
Has science explained life after death?: Humans have believed in the soul for millennia, and the evolution of science hasn't stopped the search for ghosts and the soul. In fact, modern scientists still search for proof of life after death. Tune in to learn more about the latest research. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
33 min listen
How well do you know the T. Rex?: The Tyrannosaurus rex is one of history's most well-known, feared and misunderstood dinosaurs. Children often learn that this dinosaur was a ferocious predator ... but this might not be the whole story. Listen in and learn more in this podcast. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
16 min listen
Are we better off in the dark?: Most city dwellers are familiar with contaminated water and smoggy air -- but have you heard of light pollution? Listen in as Allison and Robert explore the effects of light pollution -- and whether humans are better off in the dark. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
18 min listen
Running with Parasites: Are you a fan of running outside without shoes? Many people enjoy walking barefoot, especially in warmer weather. Yet there's a dark side to the joy of a shoe-free life: parasites. Listen in and learn more about parasites in this episode. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
16 min listen
Weighing the Human Soul: In the early 1900s, Duncan Macdougall set out to prove the existence of the soul. By placing consumption patients on a scale as they died, he tried to find a difference between the weight of a person before and after death. Learn more in this podcast. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
14 min listen
Evolution in Action: Charles Darwin's revolutionary study of evolution isn't even two hundred years old yet. In terms of evolutionary processes, this is a miniscule amount of time. Yet is is possible to observe evolution within our lifetimes? Tune in and find out. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
18 min listen
Eat Popcorn. Eat Popcorn. Eat Popcorn.: Subliminal messaging dates back to 1957, when James Vicary slipped images of popcorn and soda into films at a New Jersey theater. It spooks some consumers, but does it actually work? Tune in to learn more about the science behind subliminal messaging. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
33 min listen
Evolutionary Hangover: Evolutionary Hangover: Vestigial traits are common in animals across the globe, but why? In this episode, Julie and Robert take a look at the genetic leftovers that lost their usefulness during evolution. Tune in to learn more about evolution, atavism and by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
33 min listen
Why Your Brain Likes Conspiracy: The human brain strives to organize and classify sensory information. But what happens when new information conflicts with pre-existing data? Tune in as Julie and guest host Ben explore the fascinating phenomenon known as cognitive dissonance. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
33 min listen
Underground Robotic Highways: As cars become increasingly sophisticated, more and more experts are contemplating the possibility of self-driving vehicles on automated highways. But how close are we to actually achieving this futuristic dream? The answer might surprise you. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
29 min listen
Regenerate This!: According to Richard J. Goss, "If there were no regeneration, there could be no life. If everything regenerated, then there could be no death." But how does this process work? Join Robert and Allison as they explore the science behind regeneration. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
15 min listen
Toilets in Space: Every astronaut knows that life in space requires numerous adjustments -- after all, things just aren't the same without gravity. So how exactly does a toilet work in space? Learn more about the science behind space's supertoilets in this podcast. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
22 min listen
Junkies of the Animal Kingdom: Human beings aren't the only organisms with a predilection for mind-altering substances. In fact, the natural world is filled with bingers and boozers. Listen in and learn more about junkie animals. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
42 min listen
In Search of Offshore Oil: In an economy driven by fossil fuels, oil exploration is big business -- but how do scientists actually find oil? In this podcast, Allison and Robert break down the techniques and technologies used to find offshore oil. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
23 min listen
Dinner in Space!: Let's say you're an astronaut: Each day you wake up, conduct research and make adjustments to your orbit. Eventually you grab some chow -- but what kind of food do you eat, and why? Join Robert and Allison as they explore the science behind space food. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
16 min listen
The Kardashev Scale: When Nicolai Kardashev began searching the universe for intelligent life, he built an energy-based scale to measure the progress of any given civilization. Tune in to discover how this scale works -- and why humanity's place on the scale may surprise you. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
21 min listen
Noise Pollution: Pipe Down, People!: Like any other form of pollution, loud noises can seriously affect your health over time -- and that's just the beginning. As Robert and Allison break down the science behind noise, they also explain how noise pollution affects the natural world. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
29 min listen
Mining the Moon: Since helium-3 can be used to power the fusion reactors of the future, it may be one of the world's most important fuel sources. It's rare on Earth, but experts believe the moon may have an abundant supply. Tune in and learn more about moon mining. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
13 min listen
Do I live next to a Grow House?: When drug dealers want to grow marijuana without getting caught, they often set up a "grow house." These buildings look like any other building, and they often fool bystanders. Tune in and learn how to tell if your neighbors are running a grow house. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
18 min listen
Drilling for Offshore Oil: Last week, Robert and Allison broke down the science behind oil exploration. In the second segment of this series, the hosts explore the process of drilling for oil once a potential well is found. Tune in to learn more about drilling for oil. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
23 min listen
Man Vs. Flu: Influenza is a virus that causes the flu, and it shares a long, lethal history with the human race. In this episode, Robert and Allison explore what's made the flu such a successful disease, and what you can do to avoid an infection. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
29 min listen
(Kick)Astrobiology: Astrobiology is a lot more than sitting around wondering what aliens look like -- instead, this discipline draws on multiple fields to study the basic building blocks of life in space or on other worlds. Join Robert and Julie as they explore astrobiology. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
19 min listen
Change Your Mind the Hard Way: When an iron rod shot through Phineas Gage's head, it destroyed the majority of his left frontal lobe. He survived, but his personality and behavior changed -- why? Tune in as Robert and Julie explore the relationship between the brain and the mind. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
38 min listen
Neuromyths: What You Think You Know About Your Brain: We all know the myth that we use only 10% of our brains, but how we know it's a myth in the first place? In this episode, Robert and Julie interview neurosurgeon Dr. T. Glenn Pait and learn how neuroscience is changing the way we think about our brains. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
24 min listen
Probing Questions About Alien Abduction: Why are so many people convinced that they were abducted by aliens? In this episode, Julie and Robert explore the history of alleged abductions, along with the scientific explanations for the experiences of the witnesses. Tune in to learn more. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
36 min listen
The Great Space Elevator: It's no secret that space shuttles need a vast amount of fuel to escape the pull of gravity -- but are space elevators a better alternative? In this episode, Robert and Allison explore the merits of literally building an elevator from Earth into space. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
24 min listen
In the Lair of the Rat King: In medieval Germany it was a dire omen of plague-ridden doom. Today, it remains more of a grotesque cultural reference. Join Robert and Julie as they enter the lair of the rat king, and prepare to be shocked by the reality of microbial rat kings. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
28 min listen
Woolly Mammoths For Sale: You haven't misread the title; rest assured that woolly mammoths are still extinct. However, there are several scientists trying revive mammoths -- and they might just succeed. Tune in to learn more about mammoth cloning. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
29 min listen

More Episodes from Stuff To Blow Your Mind

Skip carousel

From the Vault: Thar She Blows, Part 1 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
40 min listen
Weirdhouse Cinema: Highlander II, Part 1 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
73 min listen
The Very Dust, Part 5 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
38 min listen
Animalia Stupendium: The Common Kingfisher by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
7 min listen
The Very Dust, Part 4: Mythology in Dust by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
40 min listen
Listener Mail: The Ripe Program by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
26 min listen
From the Vault: Before You Could Remember, Part 3 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
52 min listen
Weirdhouse Cinema: On the Silver Globe by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
90 min listen
The Very Dust, Part 3 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
47 min listen
The Monstrefact: The Flight of Dragons by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
4 min listen
The Very Dust, Part 2 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
41 min listen
Listener Mail: Ephemerol by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
34 min listen
From the Vault: Before You Could Remember, Part 2 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
45 min listen
Weirdhouse Cinema: Dragonslayer by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
88 min listen
The Very Dust, Part 1 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
42 min listen
Smart Talks with IBM: The Power of Collaboration: How IBM Teams Up with Microsoft by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
13 min listen
In the Name of Osiris by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
46 min listen
Listener Mail: Vale's Lonely Walk by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
28 min listen
From the Vault: Before You Could Remember, Part 1 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
49 min listen
Weirdhouse Cinema: Wolf Devil Woman by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
82 min listen
The Cult of Osiris, Part 2 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
46 min listen
The Monstrefact: Marvel’s Man-Thing by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
6 min listen
The Cult of Osiris, Part 1 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
40 min listen
Listener Mail: Realm of Refraction by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
27 min listen
$Listener Mail: Realm of Refraction$
From the Vault: The Minimal Group Paradigm by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
42 min listen
Weirdhouse Cinema: Dr. Phibes Rises Again by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
81 min listen
Authenticity, Part 3 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
64 min listen
Smart Talks with IBM: AI in Healthcare: How Generative AI Is Expanding Fertility Treatment by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
35 min listen
Asgardians: Odin, with George O'Connor by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
50 min listen
Listener Mail: Trip the Light by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
27 min listen

Related podcast episodes

Skip carousel

How has toxoplasma turned the world into zombies?: Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection that favors cats, but it can also be found in humans. Discover the disturbing details of how toxoplasma gondii finds a host -- and how it affects human beings -- in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by Stuff You Should Know
21 min listen
The Minotaur, Part 1 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
66 min listen
The Minotaur, Part 3 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
61 min listen
From the Vault: The Minotaur, Part 1 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
67 min listen
From the Vault: The Minotaur, Part 3 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
61 min listen
The Mind Control Cat Parasite by Tumble Science Podcast for Kids
23 min listen
Autotomy: Nature's Dismemberment Plan: Autotomy: Nature's Dismemberment Plan: When threatened, some species of lizards simply jettison their own twitching tails form their bodies. It's grisly but effective. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Julie explore the science of au by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
34 min listen
The Mind of the Kraken: What strange thoughts fill the brains of cephalopods? Do they ponder mysteries in their lightless lairs? Join Julie and Robert as they dive into the fascinating world of cephalopod intelligence, from the crafty octopus to the social cuttlefish and more. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
42 min listen
Extreme Survivors of the Animal World: Extreme Survivors of the Animal World: Think you've got what it takes to hack it in an unforgiving world? You may have the brains, human, but creatures such as the Saharan silver ant, the Pompeii worm and the tardigrade have the brawn. Learn all about the by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
28 min listen
New Discoveries about the Life Cycle of Toxoplasma Gondii—Laura Knoll, PhD—Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison: Professor Laura Knoll is a parasitologist who joins the podcast today to discuss some of her research on a type of parasite called toxoplasma gondii. She explains the following: Where toxoplasma gondii is found and why the sexual stage of... by Finding Genius Podcast
41 min listen
What has the world's deadliest venom?: Venom isn't unique to snakes -- animals like scorpions, spiders, jellyfish and even platypuses can all use venom. Join Chuck and Josh as they explore the world's most venomous creatures (and break down the difference between poison and venom). by Stuff You Should Know
30 min listen
Mary Roach's Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law: Mary Roach wants to let us in on a secret: The greatest number of repeat criminal offenders are outside, by Commonwealth Club of California Podcast
67 min listen
Could we still discover unknown large animals?: Experts believe that millions of undiscovered species exist in the modern day -- but most are tiny microbes and insects. What if there are much larger undiscovered creatures out there? What would they look like? Where would they be? And, if they exist, wi by Stuff They Don't Want You To Know
51 min listen
The Tale of How Ants Conquered the Earth with Corrie Moreau: The Tale of How Ants Conquered the Earth with Corrie Moreau by Tumble Science Podcast for Kids
15 min listen
The Very Dust, Part 3 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
47 min listen
The Very Dust, Part 2 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
41 min listen
The Very Dust, Part 1 by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
42 min listen
Episode 3: The Strange Story Behind the Beanie Babies Bubble: Episode 3: The Strange Story Behind the Beanie Babies Bubble by Odd Lots
23 min listen
The Wild World of Bats: Is the bat the most successful mammal on the planet? Quite possibly! In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and Robert explore the insect-munching, fruit-drinking, blood-lapping world of these amazing winged sound warriors. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
47 min listen
20 - UFO's and Alien Abductions: On this episode of the Paranormal Portal Podcast, Don and I get into the topic of UFO's and Alien Abductions. While it is generally accepted that Alien/Extraterrestrial beings are incredibly advanced by a measuer of hundreds, thousands or even millions o by Paranormal Portal
62 min listen
Mazes: Enter the Minoan maze and wander its endless halls. Feel your heart race. Feel your limbs quiver as the minotaur's roar echoes through the walls. Join Robert and Julie as they explore the world of mazes and how they affect the brains of humans and rats. by Stuff To Blow Your Mind
39 min listen
Tentacle Technology: Animals like squid, octopuses and jellyfish use strange, fascinating limbs to interact with the world. How can we take inspiration from the natural designs of these arms and tentacles to create robots, synthetic materials and even medicine? by Fw:Thinking
32 min listen
Humor in Apes: Any sentient, soulful being paying attention to the way humans are treating other humans has been feeling these hard times. But sometimes, amidst all this darkness, humor can offer a little bit of hope. Today we're back with a friend of the... by Stories of Impact
23 min listen
Did we just invent telepathy?: A groundbreaking new study claims to have found a way for a fully paralyzed person to communicate entirely via thought. But the scientists behind it have a checkered past. by Today, Explained
27 min listen
The science of the paranormal: Why we see ghosts, UFOs and visions of our past lives by Instant Genius
33 min listen
Ep 125 Blastomycosis: How fungus became amongus by This Podcast Will Kill You
84 min listen
S3.04 Race to the Bottom: Arguing with racists, hunting ghosts in the genome, and building a Lego model of DNA by Genetics Unzipped
29 min listen
How could aliens contact us?: Could alien life forms really contact human beings? How would they do it? Is it possible that other humans could intercept the message -- and keep it secret? Listen in to learn more. by Stuff They Don't Want You To Know
40 min listen
David Icke and the Rise of the Lizard People by Stuff They Don't Want You To Know
79 min listen
024 - Exploring the Poop-ome, from the microbiome to metagenomics: In this episode we’re getting our hands dirty by delving into the microbiome - the trillions of bacteria that live inside our guts. by Genetics Unzipped
34 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

Cat Parasites Conquer the World

Cat Parasites Conquer the World

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Stuff To Blow Your Mind

Related podcast episodes