Latest news with #LastOfUs
Gizmodo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Meet the Real Zombies That Exist Everywhere Around Us
Zombies are real and everywhere we look. Not human zombies, of course, but animal ones: insects, arachnids, and countless other species. In her new book, Rise of the Zombie Bugs: The Surprising Science of Parasitic Mind-Control, author and science writer Mindy Weisberger delves into the world of zombifying parasites, aka the various lifeforms that have evolved to nudge or outright force their hosts into doing their bidding. The average person probably knows about a few of these parasites, such as the fungi that take over an ant's body so it can climb up blades of grass and release a new generation of infectious spores—an act so horrifically spell-binding that a fictional version of it sparked the human apocalypse seen in the popular game and HBO TV show The Last of Us. But Weisberger details a whole litany of zombie-making bugs (microscopic germs, insects, and other creepy crawlies) for readers to be grossed out by, including a few that might even be able to influence human behavior. 'Parasitism has been around for about as long as there has been life on earth.' Gizmodo spoke to Weisberger about her fascination with these bugs, the evolution of parasitism in general, and disco-lighted snails. Ed Cara, Gizmodo: We here at Gizmodo are no strangers to covering all sorts of zombie bugs. But what drew you specifically to spend so much time digging into these parasites and their gruesome way of life? Mindy Weisberger: For starters, they're inherently fascinating. And like a lot of people, my first introduction to these zombifying agents was the cordyceps fungus in The Last of Us, which of course is inspired by an actual zombie ant fungus in the genus Ophiocordyceps. So this is something that people maybe are a little more aware of now. But over time, as a science reporter, I came across more examples of different types of zombifying organisms, and I just started to get a sense of the scope of how many different kinds there were and all of these different mechanisms they had for zombification. So, of course, there are zombifying fungi, but there are also zombifying viruses. There are zombifying insects. There are many, many species of wasps that have evolved to manipulate their hosts. There are zombifying worms. So, it seemed like the deeper I went, the more that I uncovered and the more I just wanted to learn about all of these different types of zombifiers. And that just led me down the rabbit hole. And, of course, I wrote a whole book about them, but there are still so many examples that just didn't even make it into the book. So, these parasites are a very, very rich source of study, and they tell us a lot about the natural world and how different relationships work and the different kinds of strategies that have evolved for different forms of life to survive. Gizmodo: Throughout the book, you talk about how abundant and ancient these parasites really are. That raises the question of why. Why have so many organisms evolved to have this sort of freeloading lifestyle, despite the very real risks of being wholly dependent on another living thing? Weisberger: So, just the fact that you use freeloading is very telling. People in general have a negative view towards parasites because many parasites cause disease. And I also think, from a capitalistic perspective, the idea of being a freeloader is like, 'Oh my God, there's nothing worse than that.' But in fact, this is obviously a very successful strategy, and parasitism has been around for about as long as there has been life on Earth. One of the researchers that I spoke to for the book was Kelly Weinersmith, who studies parasitic wasps. And she said that parasitologists like to joke amongst themselves that the first form of life that emerged on earth was free-living, and the second was parasitic. Because it is actually a very attractive strategy. I mean, if you had to worry about going out and looking for food, finding a safe place for you to reproduce and raise your young, and potentially exposing yourself to all different kinds of threats and predators, would it not be profitable to find yourself a place where everything you need is there, all the nutrients are there, the place where you can reproduce is there? Once you've established yourself in a way that you can evade the host's immune system and just do your thing, that is actually a safer, better option for you. And this is why parasitism has evolved so many times across not just the animal kingdom, but plants and fungi as well. By some estimates, there are roughly about 8 million known animal species, and at least 40% of those are estimated to be parasitic. And this is something that goes back hundreds of millions of years. The earliest direct fossil evidence of parasitism is found in the shells of marine organisms called brachiopods, from a site in China dating to about 512 million years ago. These parasites were probably worms that built these little mineralized cylinders for themselves on the shells of these brachiopods. And they were thought to be kleptoparasites, which means that they stole their host's food. And the way that scientists figured that out was when they looked at the brachiopod fossils, the ones that were carrying a greater load of these parasites were smaller, which seemed to suggest that they were not getting enough to eat. So parasitism goes back a very long time. But of all the known parasite-host associations on the planet, only a tiny fraction to date are known to involve behavioral manipulation. Gizmodo: You detail so many different examples of zombie parasitism that the average person might wonder; is this something I should ever be worried about? Are there any bugs out there that can or possibly could zombify people someday? Weisberger: Well, it's natural to be concerned about how this might affect you personally. And the fact is that there are some pathogens that are known to affect mammal behavior, and you probably know them already. Rabies, of course, is a very common one. Cases of rabies are recorded in texts that go back thousands of years, and it's known to affect its host's behavior very dramatically. This usually involves behavioral changes that make them more aggressive, and there's also excessive salivation involved. The thinking is that this benefits the parasite, because aggressive animals are more likely to fight. And the virus particles are shed in their saliva. So the combination of changing aggressive behavior and a lot of drool means that the rabies virus is able to increase its chances of successful reproduction. Another example you might know about is Toxoplasma gondii, which causes the disease toxoplasmosis. T. gondii's definitive hosts are cats, which means that it only can reproduce in cats. But it can live in lots of different species of birds and mammals, and that includes people. And so there's robust evidence that T. gondii changes the behavior in infected rodents. What it does in rats and mice is it reduces their fear of cats. It makes them attracted to cat urine, which is something that's normally, for good reason, a deterrent for them. It makes them bolder around cats, which means they're more likely to be eaten by cats, which means the T. gondii they are carrying will then get inside a cat where it needs to be to reproduce. But there's also evidence starting to come out in papers within the last decade or so showing that there seem to be similar types of behavioral changes in animals that are not rodents. In hyena cubs, for example, that are infected with T. gondii, they seem to be bolder around lions. And there are studies of captive chimps infected with T. gondii that seem to lose their fear of leopards, which are a natural prey of theirs. Now with humans, they're dead-end hosts. More than 2 billion people worldwide are thought to carry this pathogen, even if they don't show any symptoms or have any signs of toxoplasmosis. And there's also a growing body of evidence hinting that T. gondii can change human behavior, even if the person doesn't show any other symptoms, and in similar kinds of ways where the person with T. gondii will be bolder or more aggressive. But figuring out what actually makes a specific behavioral change is very complicated. And it's even more complicated in people compared to figuring out what changes behavior in an ant, for example. So there is still, at this point, a lot of work to be done to be certain that you can separate out these specific changes and link them to T. gondii, rather than there being other factors involved. But it's definitely an interesting area of study. Gizmodo: Speaking of unresolved questions, what are some of the biggest mysteries left to be solved about these zombifying parasites? Weisberger: Well, if you look at the history of how scientists have studied behavior manipulation and zombification, some of the first records of these are centuries old. And usually it just starts out with the scientist observing that an insect is either behaving in an unexpected way or that it seems to be sprouting things that are not normal. But it's only really been in the last 20 years or so that scientists have been able to drill down and look at the neurochemistry of what's going on. We're finally at that point we can start to figure out questions like: What are the proteins that are being changed? What are the genes that are being expressed? What is the parasite actually doing to its host? And one of the big questions is; is the parasite itself producing the compounds that are causing the change, or is it producing compounds that then get the insect to produce chemicals that affect its behavior? For example, there is a type of wasp that zombifies spiders. And what it does is it lays an egg on the spider, the egg hatches, and the wasp larvae essentially just piggybacks on the spider. It just sits there discretely sipping the spider's hemolymph [the invertebrate version of blood], almost like a juice box, until it's ready to pupate. And when that happens, there is a very dramatic behavioral change in the spider. The spider starts to build a web that is completely different from the normal web it makes. You can probably picture the Charlotte's web type of web, which is a series of concentric circles with spokes. And that's a typical prey catching web. But the zombified spider builds a web that's usually used to keep it safe and secure as it molts. Once the spider is done with this web, its job is done. The wasp larvae drains it dry, the spider corpse drops to the ground, the wasp builds itself a little cocoon and then it hangs out in the wasp web—the last web that the spider ever built. So what the wasp is doing is it's stimulating in the spiders a massive amount of hormones called ecdysteroids. And the big unanswered question right now is, is the wasp producing this itself or is it stimulating it in the spider? Because spiders naturally produce these hormones just before they molt; it's actually the trigger that starts the whole process of them building this web in preparation for them having this big physical change. So in this and in many, many other examples of zombification, there is still so much to be unpacked about what the specific pathways are between the parasite and its host, about the small nudges that it's doing to cause these dramatic changes in behavior. Gizmodo: So to close things out, what's your favorite zombie bug that you learned about in writing this book? Weisberger: I was originally a filmmaker before I was a science journalist, so I'm naturally attracted to things that are very visual. And one of the most dramatic examples that caught my attention are the discofied zombie snails. So these are land snails that are infected by worms in the genus Leucochloridium. What these worms do is they infect the snails using these broodsacs, which is like these little sausages full of worm larvae. And these broodsacs are very colorful, they're usually striped, patterned in shades of brown and green depending on the species. The sacs migrate into the snails' eye stalks, and once there, they pulse, making the stalks look very much like the undulation of a crawling caterpillar. Now, the definitive hosts of these worms are birds; they have to be in a bird to reproduce. So this display, which looks like a caterpillar, is something that is uniquely attractive to hungry birds. The worm also manipulates the snail's behavior so that it will wander out into exposed spaces, rather than hunkering down in the undergrowth where it normally stays. So they're now out in the open and they have these caterpillar-looking eye stalks, making the broodsacs an enticing meal. But the eyestalks split very easily, so the broodsacs will often just pop right out, and the snail will often heal its eyestalks and be fine afterward. That's my favorite species example, but I also have a favorite specific individual zombie bug. There was a zombie ladybug that became TikTok famous in 2021, which became known as Lady Berry. There's this content creator named Tiana Gayton, who's very enamored of insects and spiders. And one day, she was in a grocery store when she looked at a head of lettuce and saw a ladybug that looked like it was hugging something. It looked like it was hugging a small cocoon. And she was like, 'Oh, this is weird. I'm going to take this ladybug home with me and see what's happening.' She took it home and she tried to pry the ladybug's legs away from the silk around the cocoon, but the ladybug refused to let go. It turned out that the ladybug was parasitized by a species of wasp that manipulates its behavior. It will lay an egg inside the host's abdomen, the egg hatches out of the ladybug and forms into a pupa, and the host then becomes the pupa's bodyguard. So the ladybug was guarding the cocoon. But Tiana Gayton was determined to save it. She pried it off the cocoon, separated it from the cocoon, and put the ladybug in a little jar. She gave it water, gave it food, and nursed it back to health. And eventually she took Lady Berry to the park and returned it to the wild. And so there's an example of a zombie that got something most zombies don't: a second chance. Rise of the Zombie Bugs: The Surprising Science of Parasitic Mind-Control, published by Johns Hopkins University Press, is now available in hardcover and as a e-book.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pedro Pascal Makes Questionable Style Choice: 'Who's Dressing Him?'
's latest fashion statement is making his fans do a double take. While making an appearance at the Star Wars celebration in Japan on Friday, April 18, the Mandalorian actor showed up in a funky new outfit, and his fans aren't sure how they feel about it. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 As seen in a clip from the event posted to X (formerly Twitter), the 50-year-old actor could be seen wearing a loose-fitting striped long-sleeve shirt, paired with tight black shorts and knee-high baggy boots. While many of Pascal's adoring fans said the actor "can wear anything" and make it look good, there was an overwhelming amount of criticism from social media users who just didn't see the vision. "Boots (damn near fishing waders) and shorts? Who's dressing him?" one user on X wanted to know, while someone else compared the Last of Us actor to "a pirate that forgot his pants." "Ok Pedro pascal is awesome and seeing a grogu IRL would be awesome but i could not concentrate because this dudes freaking outfit lmao," someone else quipped. Another person chimed in to say, "I love him and this won't change easily, but his clothes man." But regardless of his 'fit for the day, there's no question that fans still adore the actor, including one user who playfully wrote, "I don't know why Pedro is wearing lederhosen and fishing boots, but I'm here for it!"
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
The Last of Us season 2 episode 5 draws criticism for 'bad quality' despite Joel's emotional flashback
'Hey kiddo!' Yes, Pedro Pascal's emotional flashback as Joel in The Last of Us season 2 episode 5 left fans sobbing like anything, especially since many had been wondering if, after his death scene, we would get to see him again in any meaningful way. While the flashback deeply moved viewers, the episode as a whole failed to impress particularly among gamers. Although the scene centered on Joel resonated with many, it hasn't been enough to shield the show from criticism. Ever since season 2 began, fans have been voicing concerns that the creators are being inconsistent with the show's quality and are making unnecessary changes to The Last of Us universe. The Last of Us season 2 episode 5 draws criticism The Last of Us season 2 fans have not held back when expressing their dissatisfaction, especially when episode 5 was released. One viewer called the production "a minefield of mistakes," citing odd casting selections and "nonsensical little changes" in expression and story that, in their opinion, detract from the game's world. One wrote, 'The Last of Us - Season 2, is a minefield of mistakes. Weird casting choices aside, it's the often nonsensical little changes to the overall narrative and dialogue that consistently ruin the whole atmosphere. Love it or hate it, but the game is infinitely better.' A second added, 'Not vibing with Season 2 of the Last Of Us. It lacks the visceral weight of how the game was written.' A third went on to add, 'How can a season be so inconsistent in quality like The Last of Us Season 2?' How can a season be so inconsistent in quality like The Last of Us Season 2?Last weekend's episode made me question my will to continue watching the season, but yesterday's episode was actually – apart from a few minor issues – on par with Season 1, especially Nora–Ellie The Last of Us season 2 is very very very shit. Ngl. What a terrible 2nd season to a fantastic first season. Something just feels off and I'll tell u what it's not bc Joel died. Not vibing with Season 2 of the Last Of Us. It lacks the visceral weight of how the game was written.I don't think it's bad, it just feels safe? Like even tho it's following the story of the game, it feels like it's game forces you to confront the most… The Last of Us - Season 2, is a minefield of mistakes. Weird casting choices aside, it's the often nonsensical little changes to the overall narrative and dialogue that consistently ruin the whole atmosphere. Love it or hate it, but the game is infinitely better. Pedro Pascal aka Joel's appearance in The Last of Us season 2 episode 5 It's important to mention that everyone loves Joel, Pedro Pascal's character, and seeing him on screen is never enough. Taking to X, many fans shared that his appearance in the latest episode made them feel incredibly emotional. The Last of Us Season 2 episode 5 went hard! 10/10! #TheLastOfUsSeason2 the second i saw the beautiful joel miller back on my screen #TheLastOfUs 'Hey kiddo.' #TheLastOfUs Where to watch The Last of Us season 2 episode 5? You can stream The Last of Us season 2 episode 5 on HBO and JioHotstar.
Daily Mail
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Bella Ramsey admits they 'don't have access to femininity' and it 'doesn't serve their purpose' despite sharing regrets over coming out as non-binary
Bella Ramsey has admitted 'they don't feel they have access to feminity,' despite previously sharing how they regret coming out as non-binary. The Last Of Us star, 21, revealed in 2023 that they are genderfluid and use they/them pronouns, admitting 'being gendered isn't something that I particularly like'. Speaking on The Louis Theroux Podcast, Bella shared that the idea of femininity 'doesn't serve their purpose,' which partially led them to come out as non-binary. Explaining why they chose to identify as genderfluid, Bella explained: 'I never thought about pronouns really until season one of The Last of Us was coming out. 'Suddenly I had to choose what pronoun I wanted people to write about me with. I was so stressed out about it because I didn't know, and I didn't really care. But I found the whole thing quite stressful still. 'There was a thing on Last of Us this season, it was a question again of, on set what should people refer to me by? 'And I just said, my thing at the moment is call me how you see me. I'm so aware that I get into a taxi and the taxi guy's gonna call me 'she'. 'It's just a natural thing that happens in your brain... which I completely get. I've never been strict about 'they/them', because I think I just don't really care. 'Also, I'm very comfortable in who I am. I know how important it is for other people, but for me it's not as important right now.' Bella went onto tell Louis that they 'never really felt female,' and in recent years has been looking into the idea of femininity. They said: 'This is where I've been looking into this a lot recently. I've tried to do a lot of research from both sides. 'I've been watching a lot of gender critical researchers and people talking about the opposite end of the spectrum, being transgender doesn't exist. 'And I've been trying my own journey, I guess, understanding what it actually is. Because there's been a lot of times I'm like, what even is the neurology of, or the psychology of being non-binary. 'I rejected that word for so long by the way, because I didn't want it to be trendy. It's been very obvious since I was young. 'I always called myself a tomboy, but it wasn't that I was a boyish girl, I was always like a bit of an in-between. Leaning most of the boys side. To be honest, I grew up more as a little boy than I did a little girl. 'I always felt more masculine or more on that side of the spectrum. I guess at the moment I don't feel like I have access to femininity. 'I think when I'm trying to avoid being perceived as a woman in my everyday life, the idea of me exploring femininity in any way feels like, that doesn't serve my purpose. 'You know what I mean? I feel a bit like sad about that sometimes, but I think it's also a journey.' As Louis noted that they said they 'felt sad' about it, Bella added: 'Like the idea of femininity being something that I think is so beautiful, but me not feeling like I have any access to it at the moment. 'But within a masculine mould, you know how there's more feminine guys, the whole Harry Style's wearing a dress. 'That's what it is. It's femininity within the structure of masculinity, I suppose. I don't know. I feel like it's now just words that don't mean anything.' In an interview last month, Bella shared that 'part of them regrets coming out as non-binary,' after seeing the reaction to the news. Two years on from the announcement, Bella confessed they are in two minds about coming out, admitting the reaction has been a 'mixed bag'. Speaking to The Observer, Bella confessed: 'Part of me looks back and I wish that I didn't, because I didn't want it to become a headline and a big thing. 'And obviously it was going to, and I didn't really understand that at the time. And I wasn't really prepared for that. But on the other hand, people have said to me that it's been very helpful for them seeing some representation. 'So it's been a mixed bag, but overall, I think it was a good thing, just for me living more freely, without feeling like I'm keeping a secret'. Bella went on to note that while they are happy to talk about their gender identity they don't want it to 'be the focus', and they just want everyone to be 'chill' about it. The British actor, who shot to fame on Game Of Thrones as Lyanna Mormont, told the New York Times that she found it 'exciting' when she was referred to as 'he.' She said: 'I guess my gender has always been very fluid. Someone would call me she or her and I wouldn't think about it, but I knew that if someone called me he it was a bit exciting.' The star said she ticks 'non-binary' if it is an option on a form, before adding: 'I'm very much just a person. 'Being gendered isn't something that I particularly like, but in terms of pronouns, I really couldn't care less.' Last month, Bella admitted it's been tough to 'still figure things out' when it comes to their gender identity when they don't have the 'privilege' of exploring their identity in private. They told Vogue: 'Part of the job of being an actor is that you're supposed to have an answer to every question that people ask you. But actually the answer can be: "I don't know and I'm not ready to talk about that"'. Bella continued: 'If I did want to explore other things, like facets of my gender identity, that would be done publicly'. 'As much as I would try and keep it private, if someone recognises me on the street, say if I'm presenting differently, [and] takes a photo, then that is just talked about'. Bella wore a chest binder '90 per cent' of the time filming The Last Of Us, which takes place during a global pandemic that has transformed the infected into zombie-like creatures. Elsewhere in the chat, Bella revealed they were diagnosed with autism during the first season of the HBO series, which filmed from June 2021 until July 2022. While they'd previously spoken about their neurodivergence, but for 'some reason didn't want to' share their official diagnosis before now. Bella, who plays Ellie in the post apocalyptic drama, said: 'I got diagnosed with autism when I was filming season one of The Last of Us'. Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others. They told the publication: '[The diagnosis was] Freeing, it enables me to walk through the world with more grace towards myself about not being able to do the easy everyday tasks that everyone else seems to be able to do.' 'The label of being autistic has been so helpful to me because that's helped me to understand myself, but gender and sexuality-wise, labels do not feel comfy for me in any capacity, because I feel like I'm putting myself into a box. I feel trapped'. Bella also spoke about their gender identity with her co-star Pedro Pascal, whose sibling Lux is a trans woman. They said: 'They weren't always deep [conversations] they could be funny and humorous, the whole spectrum. We were just very honest and open with each other.' The Louis Theroux Podcast is available on Spotify and all podcast platforms.
News.com.au
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Bella Ramsey hopes people will ‘high five' new Madame Tussauds wax figure
British actor Bella Ramsey has encouraged visitors to 'high five' their first Madame Tussauds London wax figure when the sculpture makes its debut. The Last Of Us star, 21, sat with the London wax museum's artists last year so they could collect their measurements, select the figure's outfit and review the initial sculpt.
