Press "Enter" to skip to content

Does the flu virus make us more sociable? | Mady Kung | TEDxLFHS


it’s flu season everybody

it’s flu season everybody and this 2018 flu season is particularly

and this 2018 flu season is particularly

and this 2018 flu season is particularly deadly up to date it’s been accountable

deadly up to date it’s been accountable

deadly up to date it’s been accountable for 93 deaths and children doesn’t it

for 93 deaths and children doesn’t it

for 93 deaths and children doesn’t it seem that with each season the virus

seem that with each season the virus

seem that with each season the virus finds yet another way to infect more

finds yet another way to infect more

finds yet another way to infect more people while I was researching how the

people while I was researching how the

people while I was researching how the flu virus has changed over time

flu virus has changed over time

flu virus has changed over time one thing I was amazed to learn is that

one thing I was amazed to learn is that

one thing I was amazed to learn is that one sneaky trick that the flu virus has

one sneaky trick that the flu virus has

one sneaky trick that the flu virus has up its sleeve is this ability to change

up its sleeve is this ability to change

up its sleeve is this ability to change how sociable you are you see unlike more

how sociable you are you see unlike more

how sociable you are you see unlike more stable diseases the flu virus is unique

stable diseases the flu virus is unique

stable diseases the flu virus is unique in the way that it’s constantly morphing

in the way that it’s constantly morphing

in the way that it’s constantly morphing into ever so slightly different forms in

into ever so slightly different forms in

into ever so slightly different forms in order to avoid our annual vaccine after

order to avoid our annual vaccine after

order to avoid our annual vaccine after all that’s the reason why we need an

all that’s the reason why we need an

all that’s the reason why we need an annual vaccine in the first place to

annual vaccine in the first place to

annual vaccine in the first place to meet the challenges and changes that

meet the challenges and changes that

meet the challenges and changes that each new strain of the flu virus

each new strain of the flu virus

each new strain of the flu virus presents now if you really thought about

presents now if you really thought about

presents now if you really thought about it if it sort of makes says that the

it if it sort of makes says that the

it if it sort of makes says that the ultimate goal of the flu virus is to

ultimate goal of the flu virus is to

ultimate goal of the flu virus is to plan itself into as many human bodies as

plan itself into as many human bodies as

plan itself into as many human bodies as possible indeed the multiple studies

possible indeed the multiple studies

possible indeed the multiple studies have shown that in order to do this the

have shown that in order to do this the

have shown that in order to do this the flu virus will actually manipulate

flu virus will actually manipulate

flu virus will actually manipulate immune responses in the human brain in

immune responses in the human brain in

immune responses in the human brain in order to spread itself so put in more

order to spread itself so put in more

order to spread itself so put in more simple terms the flu virus can actually

simple terms the flu virus can actually

simple terms the flu virus can actually influence how social how sociable you

influence how social how sociable you

influence how social how sociable you are so what did these social and

are so what did these social and

are so what did these social and interactions even look like well just

interactions even look like well just

interactions even look like well just imagine how you feel when you’re a

imagine how you feel when you’re a

imagine how you feel when you’re a little more talkative than usual you

little more talkative than usual you

little more talkative than usual you feel buzzing happy that’s exactly how

feel buzzing happy that’s exactly how

feel buzzing happy that’s exactly how you would feel upon first being exposed

you would feel upon first being exposed

you would feel upon first being exposed to the flu virus you feel more of this

to the flu virus you feel more of this

to the flu virus you feel more of this desire to go out and hang out with your

desire to go out and hang out with your

desire to go out and hang out with your friends on a Friday night when you

friends on a Friday night when you

friends on a Friday night when you normally wouldn’t have or you feel like

normally wouldn’t have or you feel like

normally wouldn’t have or you feel like you would probably go to a party when

you would probably go to a party when

you would probably go to a party when again you normally wouldn’t have and

again you normally wouldn’t have and

again you normally wouldn’t have and that’s what the flu virus is doing to

that’s what the flu virus is doing to

that’s what the flu virus is doing to you now in a study conducted by

you now in a study conducted by

you now in a study conducted by biologists at UC Berkeley they try to

biologists at UC Berkeley they try to

biologists at UC Berkeley they try to see the effects of parasites on the

see the effects of parasites on the

see the effects of parasites on the social behavior of mice

social behavior of mice

social behavior of mice and now before you guys stop me I just

and now before you guys stop me I just

and now before you guys stop me I just want to say that I do recognize that flu

want to say that I do recognize that flu

want to say that I do recognize that flu viruses are different from parasites but

viruses are different from parasites but

viruses are different from parasites but at the same time they’re not too

at the same time they’re not too

at the same time they’re not too different

different

different both parasites and flu viruses use a

both parasites and flu viruses use a

both parasites and flu viruses use a human or animal host in order to spread

human or animal host in order to spread

human or animal host in order to spread itself so with that being said this is

itself so with that being said this is

itself so with that being said this is how the lab setup kind of looked like

how the lab setup kind of looked like

how the lab setup kind of looked like one end of the enclosure we have a mouse

one end of the enclosure we have a mouse

one end of the enclosure we have a mouse it was kind of a shoebox kind of deal

it was kind of a shoebox kind of deal

it was kind of a shoebox kind of deal and then on the other end of the

and then on the other end of the

and then on the other end of the enclosure you will have a sample of

enclosure you will have a sample of

enclosure you will have a sample of Bobcat urine so a normal Mouse sensing

Bobcat urine so a normal Mouse sensing

Bobcat urine so a normal Mouse sensing the presence of cat urine will story to

the presence of cat urine will story to

the presence of cat urine will story to the far end of the enclosure but a mouse

the far end of the enclosure but a mouse

the far end of the enclosure but a mouse infected with this brain parasite will

infected with this brain parasite will

infected with this brain parasite will actually dally dangerously close near

actually dally dangerously close near

actually dally dangerously close near the target area suggesting that

the target area suggesting that

the target area suggesting that something have fundamentally changed

something have fundamentally changed

something have fundamentally changed within the brain chemistry of the mice

within the brain chemistry of the mice

within the brain chemistry of the mice making them somehow lose their inherent

making them somehow lose their inherent

making them somehow lose their inherent fear of cats now the reason why I bring

fear of cats now the reason why I bring

fear of cats now the reason why I bring up this last example of parasites and

up this last example of parasites and

up this last example of parasites and mice is because there are parallels

mice is because there are parallels

mice is because there are parallels between parasites and mice and then flu

between parasites and mice and then flu

between parasites and mice and then flu viruses and people in a study published

viruses and people in a study published

viruses and people in a study published in the analysis of Epidemiology by a

in the analysis of Epidemiology by a

in the analysis of Epidemiology by a team of researchers they collected data

team of researchers they collected data

team of researchers they collected data from 36 normal perfectly healthy adults

from 36 normal perfectly healthy adults

from 36 normal perfectly healthy adults and these participants had just walked

and these participants had just walked

and these participants had just walked into the doctor’s office received a flu

into the doctor’s office received a flu

into the doctor’s office received a flu vaccination and had agreed to simply

vaccination and had agreed to simply

vaccination and had agreed to simply participate in this study making it a

participate in this study making it a

participate in this study making it a perfect setup for this experiment given

perfect setup for this experiment given

perfect setup for this experiment given that it would be sort of unethical to

that it would be sort of unethical to

that it would be sort of unethical to just give someone influenza for the sake

just give someone influenza for the sake

just give someone influenza for the sake of this lab experiment but anyway is

of this lab experiment but anyway is

of this lab experiment but anyway is given this perfect lab setup the

given this perfect lab setup the

given this perfect lab setup the researchers asked each participant to

researchers asked each participant to

researchers asked each participant to record the number of social interactions

record the number of social interactions

record the number of social interactions that they had in the first two days

that they had in the first two days

that they had in the first two days before receiving the flu vaccination and

before receiving the flu vaccination and

before receiving the flu vaccination and then compare that number to the number

then compare that number to the number

then compare that number to the number of social interactions they had

of social interactions they had

of social interactions they had following the flu vaccination the

following the flu vaccination the

following the flu vaccination the results were astonishing during the two

results were astonishing during the two

results were astonishing during the two day period before the vaccination the 36

day period before the vaccination the 36

day period before the vaccination the 36 participants averaged a total number of

participants averaged a total number of

participants averaged a total number of 54 social interactions that number

54 social interactions that number

54 social interactions that number nearly doubled to

nearly doubled to

nearly doubled to 99 social interactions suggesting that

99 social interactions suggesting that

99 social interactions suggesting that something had totally changed within the

something had totally changed within the

something had totally changed within the humans instilling in them a desire to go

humans instilling in them a desire to go

humans instilling in them a desire to go out more to talk more all going back to

out more to talk more all going back to

out more to talk more all going back to that idea that tiny little exposure of

that idea that tiny little exposure of

that idea that tiny little exposure of the flu virus within them now just to

the flu virus within them now just to

the flu virus within them now just to clarify as I close off the science on

clarify as I close off the science on

clarify as I close off the science on the flu virus and the sociality

the flu virus and the sociality

the flu virus and the sociality connection is still in its very early

connection is still in its very early

connection is still in its very early stages we’re not quite assured the exact

stages we’re not quite assured the exact

stages we’re not quite assured the exact mechanisms of how this occurs within our

mechanisms of how this occurs within our

mechanisms of how this occurs within our body but nonetheless it points to very

body but nonetheless it points to very

body but nonetheless it points to very important questions regarding the

important questions regarding the

important questions regarding the relationships between health disease and

relationships between health disease and

relationships between health disease and social behavior and if you think about

social behavior and if you think about

social behavior and if you think about it it’s pretty amazing that the little

it it’s pretty amazing that the little

it it’s pretty amazing that the little things inside of us could have such big

things inside of us could have such big

things inside of us could have such big effects on the outside and how we

effects on the outside and how we

effects on the outside and how we interact with the world with all this

interact with the world with all this

interact with the world with all this being said make sure that you guys take

being said make sure that you guys take

being said make sure that you guys take preventative measures during this deadly

preventative measures during this deadly

preventative measures during this deadly flu season like call for sneeze into

flu season like call for sneeze into

flu season like call for sneeze into your elbow

your elbow

your elbow wash your hands under hot water and

wash your hands under hot water and

wash your hands under hot water and avoid all social interactions if you

avoid all social interactions if you

avoid all social interactions if you think that you’ve been exposed to any

think that you’ve been exposed to any

think that you’ve been exposed to any bit of the flu virus stay healthy and

bit of the flu virus stay healthy and

bit of the flu virus stay healthy and thank you

”

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *