Comments on: Your guide to zombie parasite journalism http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2012/06/05/your-guide-to-zombie-parasite-journalism/ Mon, 04 Feb 2013 17:13:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Steven http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2012/06/05/your-guide-to-zombie-parasite-journalism/#comment-17967 Steven Mon, 22 Oct 2012 20:30:08 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=5949#comment-17967 You make excellent points for current strains of each. Currently none of those cause "zombie" like symptoms in humans yes, but I hope you aren't claiming it impossible otherwise you might eat your words. Do governments not research and weaponize bacteria and viruses? Do they not turn viruses like the simple cold into deadly untreatable viruses? Do viruses adapt to anti-biotics and become super bugs? Many of these bacterias, viruses, and parasites have adapted over the years. Rabies just like you brought up is really not a far leap from a "zombie" like scenario, but as you said it dies with the humans. Are you suggesting there is no chance that a government couldn't weaponize Rabies to create the same effect it has in dogs? Could rabies not adapt itself to survive and continue in human hosts acting the same way it does in animals? Because there isn't a strain causing it in humans now doesn't mean it won't exist or change to be similar. When I refer to a zombie I'm not talking about shambling dead. All that needs to be active is the brain-stem for core functions such as walking (more or less), eating, and yea moaning. Without a working cortex you can live, but you cease to exist as YOU. Is it not possible that out of all the undiscovered viruses, bacteria, or parasites OR out of all the current versions that could change or be weaponized that we could have one that shuts down our cortex and keeps the brain stem in tact causing zombie like symptoms? Also just as you stated in your article, what would be the purpose of a parasite taking over a human host to eat humans rather than spread. Who's to say that they will want to gnaw on us like food? It would be just as bad of a situation if they just wanted to bite human hosts to spread it whether they wanted to eat us or not. Regardless of whether they wanted to eat us or just spread it, it has the same end result... you become one of them. So your flimsy point about their being no incentive for the parasite could possibly be valid on them eating us, but doesn't change the fact that maybe their goal is just to spread to another host through 1 bite. You make excellent points for current strains of each. Currently none of those cause “zombie” like symptoms in humans yes, but I hope you aren’t claiming it impossible otherwise you might eat your words. Do governments not research and weaponize bacteria and viruses? Do they not turn viruses like the simple cold into deadly untreatable viruses? Do viruses adapt to anti-biotics and become super bugs? Many of these bacterias, viruses, and parasites have adapted over the years. Rabies just like you brought up is really not a far leap from a “zombie” like scenario, but as you said it dies with the humans. Are you suggesting there is no chance that a government couldn’t weaponize Rabies to create the same effect it has in dogs? Could rabies not adapt itself to survive and continue in human hosts acting the same way it does in animals? Because there isn’t a strain causing it in humans now doesn’t mean it won’t exist or change to be similar.

When I refer to a zombie I’m not talking about shambling dead. All that needs to be active is the brain-stem for core functions such as walking (more or less), eating, and yea moaning. Without a working cortex you can live, but you cease to exist as YOU. Is it not possible that out of all the undiscovered viruses, bacteria, or parasites OR out of all the current versions that could change or be weaponized that we could have one that shuts down our cortex and keeps the brain stem in tact causing zombie like symptoms?

Also just as you stated in your article, what would be the purpose of a parasite taking over a human host to eat humans rather than spread. Who’s to say that they will want to gnaw on us like food? It would be just as bad of a situation if they just wanted to bite human hosts to spread it whether they wanted to eat us or not. Regardless of whether they wanted to eat us or just spread it, it has the same end result… you become one of them. So your flimsy point about their being no incentive for the parasite could possibly be valid on them eating us, but doesn’t change the fact that maybe their goal is just to spread to another host through 1 bite.

]]> By: Deanna http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2012/06/05/your-guide-to-zombie-parasite-journalism/#comment-17966 Deanna Wed, 04 Jul 2012 15:26:01 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=5949#comment-17966 I found this at CDC http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/avian-flu-humans.htm/ they wrote this in 1998. Tests say it causes Hyponoia and Neurological changes. I found this at CDC http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/avian-flu-humans.htm/ they wrote this in 1998. Tests say it causes Hyponoia and Neurological changes.

]]> By: Mermaids, Zombies, UFOs: The U.S. Government Denies Everything | Con Games http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2012/06/05/your-guide-to-zombie-parasite-journalism/#comment-17965 Mermaids, Zombies, UFOs: The U.S. Government Denies Everything | Con Games Tue, 03 Jul 2012 19:36:30 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=5949#comment-17965 [...] as Discovery magazine's Carl Zimmer reported, HuffPo gave it this snappy headline: "Zombie Apocalypse: CDC Denies [...] [...] as Discovery magazine's Carl Zimmer reported, HuffPo gave it this snappy headline: "Zombie Apocalypse: CDC Denies [...]

]]> By: Daniel J. Andrews http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2012/06/05/your-guide-to-zombie-parasite-journalism/#comment-17964 Daniel J. Andrews Tue, 12 Jun 2012 17:55:47 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=5949#comment-17964 The government denies the existence of a virus so therefore it must exist. And when the government warns people of a virus (say, HIV) then it doesn't exist/isn't responsible for AIDS/not dangerous. Very clever. I'd like to be a fly on the wall in one of their meetings when they're voting on whether or not to deny the existence of this particular parasite/virus/syndrome. "We've denied the last three viruses. People are catching on. Let's admit to this one." The government denies the existence of a virus so therefore it must exist. And when the government warns people of a virus (say, HIV) then it doesn’t exist/isn’t responsible for AIDS/not dangerous. Very clever. I’d like to be a fly on the wall in one of their meetings when they’re voting on whether or not to deny the existence of this particular parasite/virus/syndrome. “We’ve denied the last three viruses. People are catching on. Let’s admit to this one.”

]]> By: Feed – 6 | Svoogle News http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2012/06/05/your-guide-to-zombie-parasite-journalism/#comment-17963 Feed – 6 | Svoogle News Sun, 10 Jun 2012 02:31:20 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=5949#comment-17963 [...] Your guide to zombie parasite journalism [...] [...] Your guide to zombie parasite journalism [...]

]]> By: Bob http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2012/06/05/your-guide-to-zombie-parasite-journalism/#comment-17962 Bob Sat, 09 Jun 2012 23:09:10 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=5949#comment-17962 " it's not only ridiculous, but it's insulting to the 2 million people who suffer from schizophrenia in the United States, as well as their families." Yet calling Toxoplasma "one of my favorite parasites" isn't? Huh. ” it’s not only ridiculous, but it’s insulting to the 2 million people who suffer from schizophrenia in the United States, as well as their families.”

Yet calling Toxoplasma “one of my favorite parasites” isn’t? Huh.

]]> By: The Scienceblogging Weekly (June 8th, 2012) | My Blog http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2012/06/05/your-guide-to-zombie-parasite-journalism/#comment-17961 The Scienceblogging Weekly (June 8th, 2012) | My Blog Sat, 09 Jun 2012 16:10:23 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=5949#comment-17961 [...] Your beam to zombie bug journalism by Carl Zimmer [...] [...] Your beam to zombie bug journalism by Carl Zimmer [...]

]]> By: The Scienceblogging Weekly (June 8th, 2012) http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2012/06/05/your-guide-to-zombie-parasite-journalism/#comment-17960 The Scienceblogging Weekly (June 8th, 2012) Sat, 09 Jun 2012 13:54:23 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=5949#comment-17960 [...] Your guide to zombie parasite journalism by Carl Zimmer [...] [...] Your guide to zombie parasite journalism by Carl Zimmer [...]

]]> By: Feed – 6 « Oggi Scienza http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2012/06/05/your-guide-to-zombie-parasite-journalism/#comment-17959 Feed – 6 « Oggi Scienza Sat, 09 Jun 2012 08:22:54 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=5949#comment-17959 [...] Your guide to zombie parasite journalism [...] [...] Your guide to zombie parasite journalism [...]

]]> By: The Scienceblogging Weekly (June 8th, 2012) http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2012/06/05/your-guide-to-zombie-parasite-journalism/#comment-17958 The Scienceblogging Weekly (June 8th, 2012) Sat, 09 Jun 2012 03:58:54 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=5949#comment-17958 [...] Your beam to zombie bug journalism by Carl Zimmer [...] [...] Your beam to zombie bug journalism by Carl Zimmer [...]

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