Digital Mind

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

The Parasite That Shaped America?

This would be too easy of an explanation. Sounds a little too "They" to me... you know, Aliens in human form taking over the US but you can only see they are actually lizard people if you have the special glasses.
You are not the only one controlling your mind.Approximately one-quarter of Americans host a parasite that has been shown to affect personality in both rodents and humans. According to a recent study, this single-celled organism may be able to shape entire cultures.

In a paper published in the online edition of Proceedings of the Royal Society, United States Geological Survey researcher Kevin Lafferty argues that a significant factor in why some countries exhibit higher levels of neuroticism than others may be the prevalence of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. The study also indicates that it may influence a society's preference for strict laws, an expression of uncertainty avoidance, and its valuation of 'masculine' priorities such as competitiveness and financial success over 'feminine' values like relationship-building.

Newsvine - The Culture-Shaping Parasite

technorati tags:

Blogged with Flock

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home