yego.me
yego.me
💡 Stop wasting time. Read Youtube instead of watch. Download Chrome Extension

'Zombie' Parasite Cordyceps Fungus Takes Over Insects Through Mind Control | National Geographic

less than 1m read
·Nov 11, 2024

Fungi and slime molds race to decompose dead matter on the forest floor. Many spread by releasing spores up to thirty thousand a second. (scary music)

If just one of these spores lands in the right place, and takes root, it can colonize a whole new area. (scary music)

But not all fungi feed on the dead. (scary music) Days ago, a spore landed on this ant, now she's acting strange. A network of roots has infiltrated her muscles. Her body has been taken over by cordyceps, a parasitic fungus. It floods her brain with chemicals, drugging her, compelling her to head where conditions are perfect. (scary music)

Just the right amount of light. Just the right amount of humidity for the parasite growing inside. It forces her to clamp down in a death bite. And cordyceps reveals its gruesome nature. (scary music)

After three weeks of growth, cordyceps can release its own spores. Infecting more ants. Releasing more spores. Infecting more ants. Releasing more spores. Infecting more ants. Infecting more ants. More ants. More ants. More ants. (scary music)

Cordyceps can wipe out entire ant colonies. But more than just ants are at risk. (scary music)

There are over six hundred species of cordyceps spread across the world. Most are found in jungles where they prey on a whole host of victims. (scary music)

PURPOSE of WEALTH (Pt2): SECURITY
How much I spend on dating

More Articles

View All
The Eighth Amendment | National Constitution Center | Khan Academy
Hi, this is Kim from Khan Academy. Today I’m learning about the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits the government from imposing excessive fines and bail, or inflicting cruel and unusual punishment on individuals accused or convicte…
What's in a Lichen? How Scientists Got It Wrong for 150 Years | Short Film Showcase
My favorite thing about lichens is that they’re always out there. So anytime you go on a walk and go on a bike, go float the river, you can go out and collect. Like, it’s into a winter when you’re skiing. You only see lichens; so like, until they cover ab…
An URGENT Warning For ALL Crypto Investors
What’s up guys, it’s Graham here. So, as usual, I had another topic that was planned to post today, but with everything going on, along with some really bad advice spreading around the internet, I decided it was best to postpone that video so that we coul…
Peter Lynch: Avoid These 10 Investment Mistakes
This is a very important rule. This is a very, it’s one of the key rules: the stock doesn’t know you own it. Remember that you could be a miserable person; you could have, uh, you know, never helped anybody, never done anything right, had 67 spouses, neve…
15 Ways to Get Out of Any Situation
Do you feel trapped in a situation you don’t want to be in? Maybe you feel like you’re stagnating in life. Maybe you’re living paycheck to paycheck. Maybe you’re unhappy with your weight. Whatever your situation is, when you’re stuck in a rut, it can feel…
Crisis | Vocabulary | Khan Academy
Wordsmiths, we’re in it now, you and I. The situation has become very serious. You might even say it’s a crisis. Yes, crisis is the word we’re going to be looking at in this video. Crisis, it’s a noun. It means a tipping point, a very dangerous period or …