An intriguing plot bunny in a dry article . . .

[voluptuary_manque]

Scientific American has just given me an idea. Admittedly it does relate to my series A Treat Turns Tricks but with a slightly different twist. I shall have to think on this one.


http://www.scientificamerican.com/a...nd-may-have-boosted-evolutionary-promiscuity/

 

[49greg]

I can see a use for this in a story an other Lit author and I tried to work on several years ago. I've not heard from him in eight months or so, and haven't worked on the story for 18 months, but still .... Maybe I should try to contact him.

 

[Bramblethorn]

One of Oliver Sacks' case studies involved an old woman who came to him because she'd suddenly started feeling euphoric and happy for no obvious reason. On investigation, he found out she'd caught syphilis many years earlier; after several decades of quiet lurking, it had just started messing with her brain and somehow stimulated the pleasure centers.

They killed the syphilis with medication before it could go on to do more harmful things, but she got to keep the euphoria for good.

(This is not a recommendation to go and do likewise, mind!)

Genetically, we wouldn't be what we are today without the involvement of various pathogens that infected our ancestors and got assimilated to our benefit; viruses reproduce by messing with DNA, and just occasionally the results are beneficial to both sides.

 

[legerdemer]

viruses reproduce by messing with DNA, and just occasionally the results are beneficial to both sides.

DNA viruses and to some extent retroviruses, anyway.

 

[legerdemer]

I'm incorporating this one into a story. For humans, that is. In fact, I find it hard to believe there isn't a human virus out there that already does this - papilloma virus (aka HPV) for example.


Aphrodisiac viruses

 

[Bramblethorn]

I'm incorporating this one into a story. For humans, that is. In fact, I find it hard to believe there isn't a human virus out there that already does this - papilloma virus (aka HPV) for example.


Aphrodisiac viruses

Not a virus, but toxoplasmosis has been found to affect human behaviour; more on that here. It has very obvious effects on rats and mice, making them lose their fear of cats, which helps toxo spread; I'd guess the effects on humans are just side-effects from that.

Mind-controlling infections of one kind and another are quite common; my last horror story here was inspired by one such.