Comments on: The Puppet Master’s Medicine Chest

By: mental_floss Blog » Invasion of the Zombie Animals

mental_floss Blog » Invasion of the Zombie Animals — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:23:41 +0000

[...] parasitic worm Euhaplorchis californiensis infects three other species in a cycle, and alters the behavior of two of them. First, the eggs are [...]

By: Introducing The Quark, A Prize For Science Blogs | The Loom | Discover Magazine

Tue, 26 May 2009 14:56:34 +0000

[...] The Puppet Master’s Medicine Chest [...]

By: Sara LaRue

Sara LaRue — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:14:04 +0000

That’s scary…and kinda gross…but mostly scary

By: Drowssap

Drowssap — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 01:36:26 +0000

Although not politically correct this type of phenomenon always reminds me of Greg Cochran's "Gay Germ Theory". An Evolutionary Look at Human Homosexuality

By: Troy Stark

Troy Stark — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 19:58:28 +0000

If you are not aware of the parasites that control you, it is only because you are not aware!

By: mandydax

mandydax — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 02:25:13 +0000

This sounds analogous like Toxoplasma gondii’s life cycle. It infects rodents’ brains and makes them seek out cats instead of avoiding them. The mice get eaten, and T. gondii can go through its reproductive cycle in the gut of the feline, the spores getting taken out by the cat’s excretions.

It makes me wonder how much of being a “cat person” is infectious.

I just find these puppet-master parasites fascinating and horrific at the same time.

By: Scott Sigler

Scott Sigler — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:47:50 +0000

Parasite Rex was a huge, primary influence on my horror novel INFECTED. Carl Zimmer is the man.

By: Bob O'H

Bob O'H — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 06:59:38 +0000

but science fiction novelists are welcome to start their engines Henry Gee already has.

By: GAC

GAC — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 04:42:23 +0000

These kinds of parasites always remind me of the Goa’uld symbiotes in Stargate SG1. Granted, I think an intelligent parasite with the level of control the Goa’uld show is a bit far-fetched, but these critters make me wonder a bit.

By: Stew

Stew — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 03:49:34 +0000

There is indeed a difference–the infected fish are 10 to 30 times more likely to get grabbed by a fish than a parasite-free one.

I believe the second instance of “fish” should read “bird” given the context… ?

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:57:22 +0000

Hey Carl.

I don’t know if you are aware but young adult author Scott Westerfeld read your Parasite Rex and it heavily influenced his two books Peeps and The Last Days. I think you might enjoy them. http://scottwesterfeld.com/