Parasite Correlated With World Cup Success 366
mahiskali writes "A parasite commonly found in cats, Toxoplasma gondii, has an unnerving relation to World Cup victories by country. (This parasite was discussed here twice in 2006.) Toxo can be found in almost every type of mammal, from rats to humans. The overall goal of the parasite is to end up in a feline stomach, which is the only place it can reproduce. In other mammals, humans for example, the parasite heads for the brain. It is estimated that nearly 1/3 of the human population has a latent Toxo infection, with individual countries having infection rates varying from 6% (Korea) to 92% (Ghana). Countries with greater incidence of this parasitic infection in their populations tend to win more World Cups than those without. The article, written by a Stanford University neuroscientist, goes on to try out various rationales for such a correlation, ranging from increased testosterone to increased dissent of authority — all symptoms of a Toxo infection. Now we just need to find a parasite that causes an inability to referee properly, and we'll have this whole World Cup business all sorted out."
Good News is... (Score:5, Funny)
Brain parasite... (Score:5, Funny)
Do any of these parasites modify your voice timbre and give you glowing eyes and create in you a desire to build healing sarcophagi?
Re:Brain parasite... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:K-dawg, here is a feature for you! (Score:0, Funny)
Too Late! KDawson has the worms eating at his brain....
Re:Good News is... (Score:5, Funny)
Now THAT makes sense! That's why we have the world series of baseball with only 2 countries playing!
Re:Correlation is not causation (Score:4, Funny)
Re:K-dawg, here is a feature for you! (Score:3, Funny)
We need a "+1 Mean" moderation option.
Re:cough (Score:4, Funny)
This meme isn't fashionable anymore. You were supposed to post an XKCD comic instead.
Re:Brain parasite... (Score:2, Funny)
No, but I have given pleasure to the world because I have such a beautiful ass.
Re:Good News is... (Score:0, Funny)
Except the point is that the much-ballyhooed-by-TEH-WORLD(tm) "World Cup" is just as inaccurate as the evil, evil, evil, rude, evil, evil, backwards, evil, not-at-all-like-Europe, evil, evil, hated, evil, evil, GAAAARGH WHY DO THEY NOT JUST DIE LIKE I HATE THEM TO, evil, evil, and just not nice United States's "World Series" (which is from the evil United States, meaning it is evil).
Sounds a bit like the World Series is a bit more diverse than the World Cup, from your definition...
Re:Correlation is not causation (Score:3, Funny)
"Schade Deutschland, alles ist vorbei!"
Jeez man, do you kiss your mother with that mouth?
Re:Poor Tommy... (Score:3, Funny)
Nice reference. I haven't felt that good since Archie Gemmel scored against Holland in 1978.
Re:Correlation is not causation (Score:3, Funny)
Yeah ... this kind of 'shorten your shotgun barrel til you hit something' research bugs me.
This is so easily tested, too. Pick a loser country with a relatively small population, and start infecting their water supplies with toxo. Watch them start to win year after year. Case proved.
Re:K-dawg, here is a feature for you! (Score:5, Funny)
Damn you Dawson!
I had the 48" pen plotter selected as my default printer.
I'll be sending you a wall poster of the article with my bill.
Re:K-dawg, here is a feature for you! (Score:5, Funny)
I had the 3D printer set up to make a solid gold PS3 controller. Now I have a solid gold Slate article. Oh yes, the bill will be forthcoming.
Re:Interesting fact (Score:1, Funny)
Careful what you wish for. All that rat wanted was a little pussy...
Re:Good News is... (Score:5, Funny)
...That's why we have the world series of baseball with only 2 countries playing!
You know, I've always been surprised by how often a woman from Earth wins the Miss Universe contest. You think it's rigged?
Just a... excuse (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Besides, statistics are wrong (Score:4, Funny)
Chances of infection via cats are really minuscule; we do big deal of it because when it happens at the wrong time to a wrong person (pregnant woman; think of the children!) the results catch attention.
Overall, cats most likely should be thanked by great contribution to our civilization - for a few thousand years they guard our supplies.
BTW, up to a certain point (not exceeding certain period of smoking / quiting quickly enough - basically mid-20's) the rates of illnesses associated with smoking are practically identical for non)never)-smokers and (ex)smokers.
This isn't clear to me - are you saying we should, or shouldn't be worried about sharing a joint with a cat?
Re:K-dawg, here is a feature for you! (Score:3, Funny)
Even more improbable but funnier.
Let me see if I can top it.
Damn you to hell Dawson!
I was about to download the CAD files to our production robots and clicked on your link.
Please accept the delivery of your 10,000 Ford Slate "automobiles". Please see the finance manager to arrange payment.
Re:Good News is... (Score:5, Funny)
Every World Cup tournament is preceded by World Cup qualifying matches in which every country meeting FIFA criteria (which is pretty much every country) participates. That's why it's called the World Cup.
You obviously know to much about soccer to be American.
Re:Good News is... (Score:5, Funny)
Antarctica got robbed!
Re:Turkey (Score:3, Funny)
How about raw cats?
Re:Correlation is not causation (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Good News is... (Score:3, Funny)
Oh, why would you think any part of the universe other than this unfashionable backwater planet has such an impractical invention as "a woman"?
Re:K-dawg, here is a feature for you! (Score:5, Funny)
I am a neuroscientist working on a direct connection from internet to brain. I am now slate.com as are 300 of my test subjects. We will report future articles directly to Slashdot with the power of our minds. You may pay via direct debit or with any major credit card.
Re:Good News is... (Score:2, Funny)