Toxoplasma infection permanently shifts balance in cat-and-mouse game

This. -- “The idea that this parasite knows more about our brains than we do, and has the ability to exert desired change in complicated rodent behavior, is absolutely fascinating,” Ingram said. “Toxoplasma has done a phenomenal job of figuring out mammalian brains in order to enhance its transmission through a complicated life cycle.” --

There is no conscious awareness here, if that isn't obvious. It's cool this thing evolved to exploit behavior in this way, but it had no say in the matter.

I was really surprised to read that at the end of the article as well.

Toxoplasma seems to affect human behaviour too: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2526142/?tool (incidentally, I was part of this research as one of the subjects)

Did they tell you afterwards if you were one of the toxo-zombies??

yes, they told everyone after the last test

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3573694

Perhaps a title change is in order. We know the mice became unafraid of cats, just not that the change was permanent.

There is a Radiolab that discusses Toxoplasmosis: http://www.radiolab.org/story/91689-parasites/