Parasites Makes Us Dumber or Sexier

odie_q writes "It has long been known that the Toxoplasma gondii parasite alters its host's behavior, but now it seems the way it alters it depends on the sex of the host. From the article: 'A common parasite can increase a women's attractiveness to the opposite sex but also make men more stupid, an Australian researcher says ... Infected men have lower IQs, achieve a lower level of education and have shorter attention spans. They are also more likely to break rules and take risks, be more independent, more anti-social, suspicious, jealous and morose, and are deemed less attractive to women. On the other hand, infected women tend to be more outgoing, friendly, more promiscuous, and are considered more attractive to men compared with non-infected controls.'"

Re:So long, Saddam you worthless shit

[Scoria]

Clearly, this is a textbook case of toxoplasmosis. You should keep your hands out of the litter box.

Finally!

[edwardpickman]

A scientific explaination of Jocks and blondes.

Ah HA!

[Terminal Saint]

So THAT's what happened to me. Suddenly everything makes sense, and it's all Smokey's fault.

Duh

[Timesprout]

Me hate stupid article. Me go fly off tall building now.

Pish Tosh

[Senjutsu]

The whole thing sounds like a load of cat crap to me.

Parasite?

[Stephan Seidt]

They are also more likely to break rules and take risks, be more independent, more anti-social, suspicious, jealous and morose, and are deemed less attractive to women.

Hum, if you add "addicted to an internet news site" it would perfectly match the Slashdot syndrome.

Nah, would it?

[Tablizer]

Do you think HR will buy my parasite excuse for what I did to that girl? I know where to get a phony doctor note [alibinetwork.com].

Goa'uld tag...

[sadler121]

Wheres the damn Goa'uld tag when you need it?

Re:Parasite?

[arun_s]

A common parasite can increase a women's attractiveness to the opposite sex but also make men more stupid

So that's what they're calling alcohol these days, is it?

George W. Bush

[Tablizer]

Seriously. He used to be quite articulate. I just saw a youtube snippet of him talking fast, articulate, and using big words in the mid 90's. It was like a different man. Something changed him into a stubburn bumbler. Some speculate drug abuse, but everyone around him says he swore off substance abuse decades ago.

Re: it belongs to frylock

[macadamia_harold]

Hey oog, make sure to give back the OoGhiJ MIQtxxXA super computer before hurling yourself off the tall building.

Beer == Parasite ???

[theshowmecanuck]

'A common parasite can increase a women's attractiveness to the opposite sex but also make men more stupid,...

I get the same parasite whenever I go to the pub.

Yeah sure

[iamdrscience]

I can deal with being stupider as long as I can play the holophoner.

But can we play the holophone?

[Zaphod2016]

• break rules and take risks...check
• independent...check
• anti-social...suck it
• suspicious...who wants to know?
• jealous...check...but not as jealous as you
• morose...check
• deemed less attractive to women...posting on /. on Fri night...check

So how come I can't play the holophone [futurama-madhouse.com.ar]?

Jesus, women are lucky

[Travoltus]

Is there any parasite that makes MEN more attractive?

As if we didn't have enough biological disadvantages in the mating game, this one is nature's way of applying the final curb stomp.

Where can I get it?

[kjart]

Based on the description, this parasite will turn that ugly girl next door into a hot, promiscuous girl who might stop pepper spraying me! Sign me up for two!

Re:Jesus, women are lucky

[TapeCutter]

"Is there any parasite that makes MEN more attractive?

Yes, but she will take all your stuff.

Re:Jesus, women are lucky

[Anonymous Coward]

Is there any parasite that makes MEN more attractive?

Yeah, it's called World of WarCraft. Simply tell attractive females about your level 70 Paladin with a flaming sword that does +100 Bonus Damage to Demons and your courageous exploits into the Undead lands, they will flock to you like bees to honey.

Written by a woman?

[Shadow-isoHunt]

"A common parasite can increase a women's attractiveness to the opposite sex but also make men more stupid"
What do you mean by more stupid?

Re:Where can I get it?

[eugene_roux]

You've already got it. That's why she's pepper-spraying you...

That doesn't bode well for me...

[ravenlock]

I've got two cats at home and I do .NET programming at work!

Marketing challenge

[OriginalArlen]

...infected women tend to be more outgoing, friendly, more promiscuous, and are considered more attractive to men

Perhaps it's just me, but my first thought after reading the summary was that the best and brightest the world of cosmetics marketing has to offer are probably working on the advertising campaign right now. "New, from L'Oreal: toxoplasmosis, the only parasite derived from cat shit that's /guaranteed/ to make you MORE ATTRACTIVE to the opposite sex. Because you're worth it!"...

Given the crap they already get women to shell out fifty quid for a couple of ounces, parasite-infected cat shit would be a relatively easy sell.

Re:Written by a woman?

[Dunbal]

There is even proof at wikipedia
Can't resist:

      Toxo makes girls sexy - Wikipedia confirms it!

      What does netcraft have to say, btw?

Re:Get rid of the parasite?

[Dunbal]

A parasite that might be able to change my behaviour.

      A lot of them do. For example, Enterobius vermicularis will have you scratching your butt all day and all night. I supect that this behaviour will render you definitely UNSEXY to most people, as well as rather smelly and angry :)

Great Pickup Line

[Joebert]

Damn you're sexy, you have parasites don't you ?

infected women tend to be more .. promiscuous

[bl8n8r]

I, for one, welcome our new Toxoplasmosis overlords.

Re:Where can I get it?

[residieu]

Best bet is to eat an egg salad sandwich from a vending machine in a filthy truckstop bathroom.

good news everyone?

[anhdres]

First thing I thought while reading the title was "hey great more Futurama news!"

I need to

[fireslack]

Get my wife a cat!

Re:Pish Tosh

[Anonymous Coward]

its a well known fact that the sexier the woman, the dumber the guys will act.

as for a woman being more promiscuous, that's bogus unless these parasites avoid married women as tenaciously as their husbands do.

outgoing crazy old cat ladys are sexier

[Anonymous Coward]

Nothing turns me on like a the insane cat lady with 400+ cats running all over her house, crapping on everything. The only way to clean the house after one of them is to burn or demolish the house. The idea is so hot oh my god.