Geological Lecture Hall
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138

From the dark forests of New Guinea to the woods of New England, various parasites pull off tricks of manipulation that would impress any Hollywood screenwriter: they hijack the brains of insects and literally turn them into “zombies.” In defending against such sinister Svengalis, an array of defensive behaviors has evolved. Darwin was the first to study this in humans, and since then scientists have theorized that fear and disgust might be a defense against certain parasites. David Hughes, a researcher in Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology, will discuss the evolution of these behaviors in a world teeming with parasites.

Official Website: http://www.hmnh.harvard.edu/lectures_and_special_events/index.php

Added by hmnhpr on January 28, 2010

Interested 1