Who's in Charge Here? How Microbes Can Control Our Minds

image courtesy "Toxoplasma gondii tissue cyst in mouse brain" by Jitinder P. Dubey - http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/graphics/photos/sep08/d1210-1.htm. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons -
C756c250 seeable

Taught by Raj Sivaraman

Raj Sivaraman is a PhD virologist, scientist, and comedian. He has presented his work at international conferences, Nerd Nite, Empiricist League, and at various parties (to many people's dismay). He has been featured in the Nature Magazine, Cambridge Science Festival, and the New York Times. He also lost on Jeopardy! because he missed a question about ABBA. So, don't talk to him about ABBA.

This is an old class! Check out the current classes, or sign up for our mailing list to see if we'll offer this one again.

You might think that being able to control the mind of another person is purely science fiction. Well, that's what THEY want you to think! Mind control is real and is happening all around us, whether we like to accept it or not.

In this talk, we will explore how funguses can make ants leave their colonies and become zombies. We will discover how parasites make rats suicidal and possibly make us schizophrenic, and we will discover how viruses can alter our behavior in ways we could never imagine. Don't let THEM keep you away from this mind-expanding discussion of microbiology and the brain!

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