Editing Talk:1664: Mycology

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Sounds like a reference to the parasite that infects cats and migrates to humans/rats/mices that make them likes cats so that the parasites can infect other cats. The parasite has been very successful in history
( Toxoplasma gondii ) [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.64|173.245.52.64]] 14:17, 6 April 2016 (UTC)
:I just heard that urban legend the other day. Unfortunately, Googling doesn't turn up anything for me to cite. Still, I feel like that is what the comic is referencing. [[User:Suspender guy|Suspender guy]] ([[User talk:Suspender guy|talk]]) 18:13, 6 April 2016 (UTC)

At first glance, this seems like a beneficial method to promote the spread of the fungus.  However, I believe this to be an evolutionary dead end.  Everyone affected will be easily identified by their desire to study fungus.  And their research will eventually reveal efficient ways to kill the fungus without harming the host.  Plus, the behavior modifier doesn't cause the host to want to study that particular fungus, but just fungus in general.  So the human hosts won't have any instinctive or intellectual need to protect the fungus from eradication. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.72|108.162.216.72]] 20:50, 6 April 2016 (UTC)SiliconWolf

This reminds me of [http://theoatmeal.com/comics/captain_higgins Captain Higgins], the parasitic flatworm. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.92|108.162.216.92]] 22:46, 6 April 2016 (UTC)

Isn't the title text almost the same argument as Michael Pollan's <i>Botany of Desire</i>? Also, there actually is a corn fungus that is eaten in Mexico called corn smut.
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.126|108.162.215.126]] 23:21, 7 April 2016 (UTC)

There's a new latest comic, but there's no page for it. I don't know what's supposed to happen now, but I clicked the button that was supposed to fix it and it didn't. Does the page for the new comic need to be manually created first or something? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.72.59|162.158.72.59]] 15:41, 8 April 2016 (UTC)

I actually thought this was a general reference to how academia often trains people to study academic subjects for the sake of themselves and not necessarily any practical real world application. Thus a successful academic department is one that successful brainwashes its students into loving its subject and wanting to stay, become a professor, and perpetuate the field. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.66|108.162.216.66]] 17:58, 8 April 2016 (UTC)
:YESSSSSSSSSSS BRAiNWAsHinG [[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.58|172.68.34.58]] 17:16, 26 March 2024 (UTC)

Sounds like a reference to psychedelic mushrooms imho. The biological role of psilocybin which is produced by those mushrooms is still somewhat unclear but it has intense effects on mammals brains functions when consumed. One hypothesis is that psychedelic mushrooms are psyhemerophile and thus depend on humans/farm animals as their main distribution vector. Opening a whole new lab for growing them after experiencing them seems like the logical way to go. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.150.149|162.158.150.149]] 20:47, 8 April 2016 (UTC)

I assumed that this was a reference to Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, which affects the behavior of ants such that they suicide to propagate the fungus.  [[User:Miamiclay|Miamiclay]] ([[User talk:Miamiclay|talk]]) 21:44, 8 April 2016 (UTC)

The corn parasite thing is part of the plot to the joke John Green novel Zombiecorn. [[User:Ejetzer|Ejetzer]] ([[User talk:Ejetzer|talk]]) 02:41, 15 April 2016 (UTC)
:Oh lawdy. I am strangely obsessed with mind control, but the title text kind of scares me. O-O [[Special:Contributions/172.68.3.59|172.68.3.59]] 17:15, 26 March 2024 (UTC)