back
3 comments
We are lucky that mass epidemics that plagued humans so far didn't affect the brain. Affections like rabies, that require individuals biting each other, and which are the inspirational source of all those zombie fantasies, do not count. That is an attack vector easy to spot and manage. The scary scenario is the one like with this Sporothrix Brasiliensis fungus, which can spread by merely "sneezing out the infectious yeast", and then remain potent (outside a host) for "up to 10 weeks", plus (the cherry on top) -- "developing the disease three years after" the infection event. Any kind of pandemic is scary by the sheer magnitude of its reach, but one that would affect the brain? That would be another level of scary.
Toxoplasma gondii affects animal behavior, I don't think it's a stretch to think it (or something similar) could affect humans in some way we haven't measured yet.
I think it’s very common for parasites to affect their host’s behavior.

If you find this topic interesting, I recommend the book “Parasite Rex”

I think this is widely speculated already, right? It is just hard to measure human behavior. I mean one of the proposed effects on Wikipedia is a reduced aversion to cat urine. But obviously there is a correlation/causation question there, haha,
userulluipeste says "Affections like rabies"

and

"Any kind of pandemic is scary by the sheer magnitude of its reach, but one that would affect the brain? That would be another level of scary."

"Affections"? Are you talking about socialism or Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) perhaps?

Now, after you quoted me, I see that "affection" in the medical sense is considered archaic: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/affection#English

I'll keep this in mind, thank you.

As for your question, I have little to do with USA politics, which includes holding little to no attitude towards POTUS, and I very much hope for situation to stay that way. Prudence compels me to refrain from saying anything more on the subject.

Or you could use "afflictions" rather than "affections". I don't often see the use of "affection" in the medical sense. Good comparison here:

https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/232933/affection-vs-...

I think you're "affected". Why would you bring Trump into this discussion?

UPD: reading your other comments confirms TDS.. I'm sorry.

In the opening scene a scientist argues once the ambient temperature of some region is 37°C we'll all get eaten by fungus. It will evolve to live at body temperature.

There are some precedents for this: hibernating bats lower their body temperature to that of a moldy environment, and are getting infected with a fungus which kills 90% of them in some cases [2]. Logic goes that raising the ambient temperature could be the same (with some evolution thrown in) as lowering our body temperature.

Is it credible? No idea, not that kind of scientist.

[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLNagvJHl3g

[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-nose_syndrome

You mean the video games?
There is also a TV adaptation that came out on Netflix a few years ago.
I guess GP is hinting that referring to TLoS as a TV series is a bit similar to, say, referring to LotR as a movie series (when discussing the basic premise shared by the original and the adaptation).
Reminds me of this scene: https://clip.cafe/airheads-1994/uh-67-copies-of-moby-dick/?s...
It's HBO Original actually