Apr 14, 2016

Since The Army of the Man is in the Hard Science Contest, I thought it might be time to discuss some of the hard science behind the book!  Get ready y’all...it’s time to SCIENCE.

As discussed on my project page, The Army of the Man involves a shadow group using the parasite Toxoplasma gondii to their advantage. How? They use its behavior altering properties to change humans into super humans, unafraid of consequence and the perfect soldier. 

At a base level, this is exactly what the parasite T.gondii does to mice.  Mice infected with the parasite (by eating contaminated food/cat feces) are noted to be more active, the first ones to enter traps, and unaffected by the presence of cats and their smells.  Some evidence exists that the mice may even become sexually aroused by the smell of cats!  The result? A mouse that runs right up to a cat to be eaten.  To the parasite, this is important because it reproduces ONLY inside feline gut.

The specific mechanism for this behavior is thought to be a dramatic increase in the infected organisms’ dopamine and hormone levels. Interestingly, similar impulsive behaviors can be found in humans who are infected by T.gondii. Humans with the infection are more likely to be involved in car accidents.  Infections have been linked to schizophrenia and other mental health diseases.  The length of time a human has been infected also seems to have an effect.  One study found that men who had been infected for many years are less conscientious of others. Huh...

What if science could harness T.gondii?  Use it to alter behavior of humans?  Make them more impulsive, less afraid, and more aggressive.  Access specific personality traits that might make, let’s say, a super soldier. Then, my friends, you would have the beginnings of The Army of the Man.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/common-parasite-linked-to-personality-changes/

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has pre-ordered The Army of the Man. I’m blown away by the support I’m finding here on Inkshares. If you haven’t pre-ordered already, please do so!