Jefferson County Public Library Logo

Teen Blog Archive
Home >Teen Blog Archive

JCPL Teens

MARCH 17, 2012
Science Saturday - Your Cat Might Make You Crazy

I'm sure you all know the stereotype of the librarian with the bun, glasses and 20 cats at home that she likes to dress in different Victorian dresses on the weekend.  It turns out that your cat really may make you crazy.  Jaroslav Flegr, a Czech evolutionary biologist, has been doing studies on Toxoplama Gondii, the microbe that causes Toxoplasmosis.  This microbe is transmitted through cat poo.  Normally, your body will fight it off with flu like symptoms.  After you have recovered the microbe is dormant in your brain.  This is when the fun begins.  In rodents this microbe wil make them more active, thus more attractive to cats, and also can make the rodent less cautious.  In humans it makes men more introverted and suspicious and women more outgoing and trusting. 

Find out more in The Atlantic magazine article "How Your Cat is Making You Crazy."


   Add a Comment
Enter your comment below, then click Submit.
Nickname: (displays with your comment)
Comment:
Enter the letters you see on the left:

------------------------------------------------------

Comments

TaLu said, on Mar. 22 at 10:28AM
This explains soooo much...

Subscribe via RSS
Search

Categories