Short Wave

The zombies living in our midst

Oct 25, 2021

Science writer Ed Yong from The Atlantic dives into the eerie world of real-life zombies in the animal kingdom. He discusses how parasitic fungi take control of cicadas and ants, transforming them into spore-dispersing 'zombies.' Yong reveals how these fungi manipulate their hosts' behavior, blurring the lines between life and death. He connects this phenomenon to our cultural fascination with fictional zombies, exploring the deeper fears of control and mortality that haunt us all. Get ready for a spine-chilling Halloween treat!

09:42

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Ed Yong

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Episode notes

Intro

2min

The Gruesome Manipulation of Cicadas by Parasitic Fungi

2min

Mind-Controlled Insects: The Zombie Fungus Phenomenon

3min

The Chilling Influence of Parasites and Our Fear of Control

4min

The idea of human zombies probably seems pretty far-fetched. But there are real zombies out there in the animal kingdom. To kick off Halloween week, science writer Ed Yong of The Atlantic creeps us out with a couple of examples. Hint: they involve fungus. (Encore episode)

Read more of Ed's reporting on:
- The zombie fungus controlling ants' brains: https://bit.ly/2Zk79nA
- How to Tame a Zombie Fungus: https://bit.ly/3E13QAc

Haunted by other creepy crawlies in the animal kingdom you think we should know about? Please email the show at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love a little afternoon fright!

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