Thursday, July 26, 2018

An imagined tale of how Silicon Valley, looking for its next edge, fell for a parasite

This week, a study in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B found that university students who had been infected with Toxoplasma gondii — a mind-controlling parasite found in cat feces — were more likely to be business majors. “Toxoplasma, found in cat feces, makes mice unafraid of cats, and it could give people the courage to start their own businesses,” said NBC News. (Later, the article said the researchers “haven’t actually shown that” in reference to the links to business.) After raw water, nootropics, and other Bay Area trends, I imagined what it would be like when toxo took the Valley.


“Sure, it hurts a little,” says Shane Dutton, pulling up the sleeve of his white button-up. “It’s a shot. What do you expect? But pain is...

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