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)

15 Obsessions That Translate to Fortunes
STOICISM | How to Worry Less About Money

More Articles

View All
Here’s how you can leverage yourself to have a better work-life balance
Gabby: “Este, and many of you have asked how do you approach the work-life balance? Is it better to spend more time on work, more time on family? I want to emphasize that you can have, uh, the most of both. I found in life that when faced with the proble…
Making conclusions in a test about a proportion | AP Statistics | Khan Academy
A public opinion survey investigated whether a majority, more than 50 percent, of adults supported a tax increase to help fund the local school system. A random sample of 200 adults showed that 113 of those sampled supported the tax increase. Researchers …
Dangling modifiers | Syntax | Khan Academy
Hello Garans, hello Rosie, hi Paige. So in this video, we’re going to talk about something called a dangling modifier. So before we get into what a dangling modifier is, we can sort of talk about just what a modifier is. Rosie, do you want to tell us wha…
12 SIGNS THAT YOU SHOULD CUT ALL CONTACT WITH SOMEONE | MARCUS AURELIUS | STOICISM INSIGHTS
We often think of our relationships as mere extensions of our daily routines, rarely stopping to consider their profound impact on our well-being. Yet, what if I told you that the quality of your relationships could be the single most crucial factor in yo…
5 Brutal Truths Men Need to Accept to Live Their Best Lives
Mr. Wonderful here. In this video, I’m going to share the brutal truths you need to accept to live your best life. Number one: your appearance. How you look, how other people see you. You should start worrying about your appearance when you’re in your ea…
Media Illusions Shaping Your World
Once upon a time, there was a wild pig and a sea cow. The two were best friends who enjoyed racing against each other. One day, the sea cow got injured and couldn’t race any longer. So, the wild pig carried him down to the sea, where they could race forev…