Carnegie winner reveals her secret: rat pee Jun 27, 2008
Each page is devoted to a separate terror, from ailurophobia (fear of cats) to aichmophobia (fear of sharp objects, which sets off a fantastical re-creation of the drama of the three blind mice and the loss of their tails, terminating their careers as flying "mousecrobats"). Starting on her book, Gravett had been trying to find a way to make paper look as if it had been nibbled by mice, and, finding that every human-made technique "looked a bit fake", her daughter's pet rats were employed to do... (Guardian Unlimited -- Books)
I See Doomed People Jun 14, 2008
In this case, it affects rodents and takes away their fear of cats. It's the parasite that pregnant women are warned not to get near to litter boxes about. (Scientific American)
Olympics clean up Chinese style: Inside Beijing's shocking death camp for cats... Mar 9, 2008
No one is allowed inside unless you have official permission," a security guard said. The killing of the six stray cats at the kindergarten - where staff at a Beijing cigarette factory leave their children - is the most striking illustration of the city-wide fear of cats. A teacher at the nursery said: "We did it out of love for the children. We were worried the cats might harm them. (The Drudge Report)
Can weedkillers whack human parasites? Jan 10, 2008
In mice and rats, its effects are somewhat different the parasite extinguishes a mouse or rats fear of cats, which, by leading them to a feline end, gets the parasite into a new host. Whats the new paper about. (Nature News Service)
Japan wants yen to be the anchor of Asia Dec 16, 2007
Tom and Jerry would never have been the same - Japanese scientists have created mice with no fear of cats. December 10 2007. (Yahoo News -- Asian Economy)
Japanese Experts Engineer A Fearless Mouse Dec 15, 2007
Experts in Japan say they've genetically engineered mice that show no fear of cats. In an experiment, rather than run squeaking for the nearest mouse hole, mice would scurry up to cats, even snuggle and play with them. (KWTX.com, TX)
* Genetically engineered mice show no fear of cats Dec 14, 2007
Genetically engineered mice show no fear of cats. AP, TOKYO Friday, Dec 14, 2007, Page 1. (Taipei Times, Taiwan)
Genetically Engineered Mice Don't Fear Cats Dec 14, 2007
New genetically engineered mice show no fear of cats, according to the Japanese scientists who created the rodents. The modified mice may also shed new light on mammal behavior. (National Geographic)
Japanese scientists create mice with no fear of cats Dec 12, 2007
The Tokyo University professor has just unveiled mutant mice that have lost their innate fear of cats. Rather than flee or freeze when confronted with their feline enemy, the mice sniffed and even played with them, blissfully unaware of the potential dangers. (Guardian Unlimited -- World)
Antarctic odyssey documents alarming retreat of the sea ice Nov 8, 2007
from The Independent & The Independent on Sunday. By Ciar Byrne, Arts and Media Correspondent. (Yahoo News -- Climate Change)
'New Lawrence evidence' found Nov 8, 2007
The Independent tells how scientists in Japan have created a mutant mouse which has lost its instinctive fear of cats. A genetic change to its sense of smell means it has lost the ability to associate the feline odour with fear of a predator. (BBC News -- UK)
Parasite "Brainwashes" Rats Into Craving Cat Urine, Study Finds Apr 4, 2007
"One would thus assume that if something messes up fear of cat pee, it will also mess up a variety of related behaviors." ... "Toxoplasma affects fear of cat odors with almost surgical precision," Vyas concluded. (National Geographic)
Study: cat brain parasite alters human behavior Apr 4, 2007
Rats usually have an innate fear of cat urine ... But a new study shows the parasite, which also infects more half the world's human population, seems to zero in on a rat's fear of cat urine with almost surgical precision, leaving other kinds of fear alone. (Xinhuanet, China)
Parasites as Neuropharmacologists Apr 4, 2007
For example, they found that even though the hosts lost their fear of cats, they still had normal anxiety in other respects, and could learn to become frightened of things. This is intriguing, since innate fears (such as the fear of cat urine) is the product of many of the same neurological circuits that produce learned fear and anxiety. (ScienceBlogs)
Human brain parasite alters fear Apr 3, 2007
Scientists say discovery could shed light "on how fear is generated Most Popular Most Viewed Top Rated Most E-mailed By Charles Q. ChoiUpdated: 6:34 p.m. ET April 2, 2007Rats usually have an innate fear of cat urine. The fear extends to rodents that have never seen a feline and those generations removed from ever meeting a cat. After they get infected with the brain parasite Toxoplasma gondii, however, rats... (MSNBC -- Technology)
