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[Trapezohedron]

Then again, happy thread is also general discussion in some regards. But yeah, it isn't a happy thing, and now I'm kinda scared of cat poop.

[Solifuge]

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/03/how-your-cat-is-making-you-crazy/8873/?single_page=true

Happy that this is being discovered, but what the FUCK?

Also, "extraordinary shenanigans" is a wonderful phrase.

Wow, that article... that looks like some reasonably plausible science linking cat-born parasites to the manipulation of emotions in mammals. I knew about some of its effects on the behavior of rats and mice, but... wow.

I'm really interested in how the rise in the prevalence of Schizophrenia coincides with the first time cats were kept as pets in London and Paris. Also, with the incredibly high infection-rate among the French, and the parasite's ability to diminish fear and make people more likely to rebel against authority, I wonder what role the parasite might have played in their history. This is exceedingly interesting!

Also, you guys shouldn't be shocked; we like to think ourselves separate and above the natural world, as though the laws that affect animals don't affect us. Illness and infectious organisms have been manipulating animal behavior since forever, in a hundred horribly profound ways. I don't have any reason to be surprised that these same organisms are very likely to be involved in similar effects on humans.

As a lifelong cat owner, who exhibits every one of the symptoms the study links to it's behavioral changes in Males, I kinda want to get my brain checked for Toxoplasmosis now!

[Max White]

Then again, happy thread is also general discussion in some regards. But yeah, it isn't a happy thing, and now I'm kinda scared of cat poop.

Depends on how Janet is feeling on the day.
As long as we managed to bury the general talk in a few pages of optimistic ventures, nones the wiser.

[Solifuge]

Hey, look on the plus side... if you're Male, the parasite may make you more attractive, fearless, and observant!

Well, at least if you're a Male Rat.

[Bauglir]

As a male former cat owner (who owned a kitten who started being partially outdoors after about a year), who loves undercooked meat and is not optimally thorough about rinsing produce...

Oh jeez.

[ECrownofFire]

Who doesn't like "under"-cooked meat anyway?

Rarer means more tender anyway.

Also, rare meat is actually fully cooked.

[Siquo]

No... it's not. I like my beef just a bit sizzled on the sides. I want to make wormfriends in my tummy. Never alone...

[Frumple]

Who doesn't like "under"-cooked meat anyway?

Rarer means more tender anyway.

Also, rare meat is actually fully cooked.

Me. I don't like undercooked meat. Beyond the dislike of blood in my food, I absolutely love to chew. It's more fun when the food fights back a bit. Jerky is my favorite type of prepared meat

Anyway~ I've still had steak that was burnt on the outside and near-black on the inside that could be cut with a spoon and only a little pressure. A little bit of char doesn't mean it's not tender, ohoho.

[Reudh]

You might want to have a look at the japanese practice of 'odorigui' if you like food that fights back.

[Euld]

After I return from Prague, Flegr informs me that he’s just had a paper accepted for publication that, he claims, “proves fatal feline attraction in humans.” By that he means that infected men like the smell of cat pee—or at least they rank its scent much more favorably than uninfected men do.

O_O  Holy (*&^*&*.  I like the smell of cat pee.  Seriously.  When I was a kid, I liked to hang out out a friends house whose basement always smelled like cat pee.  I thought cat pee didn't bother me because I had fond memories of visiting that friend.  Now I could have a horrible brain controlling parasite o_o  And I'm a terrible driver.  Uh... where does a person get tested for this sort of thing...?   

[Kadzar]

Humans strictly speaking are large mammals. Whales are just larger.

I would consider humans to be medium sized, while whales are anywhere between large to colossal.

As for picking up mind controlling parasites from cats, The article said they only shed them for the first three weeks of a cat's life, and they only have it if they're outdoor cats. So it really shouldn't be a thing to be concerned about.

As for under-cooked meat, I don't personally enjoy it because it feels like I'm french-kissing a cow.

[Rose]

Spoiler: I have a feeling Vector might like this. (click to show/hide)

I can't tell if purple shirt is a guy or girl.

Unrelated:

I feel a kinship with bottom right.

[rarborman]

Parasites controling personality and making mammals like cats?

I read the article and was left with two questions; "How many of the infected are forumites, internet trolls, or furries?", "How can I get test?"

[Max White]

Spoiler: I have a feeling Vector might like this. (click to show/hide)

I can't tell if purple shirt is a guy or girl.

Unrelated:

I feel a kinship with bottom right.

BAHAHAHAHAHA awesome.

[Johuotar]

Hmm that cat thing rears it head again? I'm sure I have all possible cat parasites as I've lived with cats my whole life and as kid I even ate their catfood. I'll need to check it's possbile effects to see if they fit, that article was TLDR.