The Jolly Heretic – “Toxoplasmosis: Owning cats turns women into raging leftists.”

Our thanks to Sean for this. (video, 14:19). The Wiki entry on Toxoplasmosis is here. An extract:

“Crazy cat-lady syndrome” is a term coined by news organizations to describe scientific findings that link the parasite Toxoplasma gondii to several mental disorders and behavioral problems.[106][107] The suspected correlation between cat ownership in childhood and later development of schizophrenia suggested that further studies were needed to determine a risk factor for children;[108] however, a later study found that childhood cat ownership was not predictive of psychotic experiences at ages 13 or 18.[109] Researchers also found that cat ownership does not strongly increase the risk of a T. gondii infection in pregnant women.[61][110]

The term crazy cat-lady syndrome draws on both stereotype and popular cultural reference. It was originated as instances of the aforementioned afflictions were noted amongst the populace. A cat lady is a cultural stereotype of a woman who compulsively hoards and dotes upon cats. The biologist Jaroslav Flegr is a proponent of the theory that toxoplasmosis affects human behaviour.[111][112]

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