Parasite tales: The jewel wasp's zombie slave - Carl Zimmer
111,503 Views
3,905 Questions Answered
TEDEd Animation
Let’s Begin…
This is stranger than science fiction. The jewel wasp and the cockroach have a disgusting and fascinating parasitic relationship. The jewel wasp stuns the cockroach, and months later, a jewel wasp hatches out of the cockroach. At TEDYouth 2012, Carl Zimmer walks us through how this happens and why it personally fascinates him.
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Carl Zimmer writes books and articles about science. Here you can find excerpts and reviews of his books, an archive of his articles, and information about his upcoming talks and his award-winning blog, The Loom.Here's a video of the emerald jewel wasp.Cockroaches are insects of the order Blattaria or Blattodea, of which about 30 species out of 4,500 total are associated with human habitats. About four species are well known as pests.What is a parasite?
Onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness and Robles disease, is a parasitic disease caused by infection by Onchocerca volvulus, a nematode (roundworm).Frederic Libersat of Ben Gurion University in Israel wrote a paper on the emerald wasp and the free will of cockroaches. Carl Zimmer's blog post about Libersat's work.A scary video of the Emerals Wasp.
A zombie is an "animated corpse resurrected by mystical means, such as witchcraft". The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli. Since the late 19th century, zombies have acquired notable popularity, especially in North American and European folklore.Diagnosing a zombie: Brain and body - Tim Verstynen & Bradley Voytek
Onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness and Robles disease, is a parasitic disease caused by infection by Onchocerca volvulus, a nematode (roundworm).Frederic Libersat of Ben Gurion University in Israel wrote a paper on the emerald wasp and the free will of cockroaches. Carl Zimmer's blog post about Libersat's work.A scary video of the Emerals Wasp.
A zombie is an "animated corpse resurrected by mystical means, such as witchcraft". The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli. Since the late 19th century, zombies have acquired notable popularity, especially in North American and European folklore.Diagnosing a zombie: Brain and body - Tim Verstynen & Bradley Voytek
About TED-Ed Animations
TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »
Meet The Creators
- Speaker Carl Zimmer
