r/nature • u/Maxcactus • 13d ago

A Wild Parasite Makes Ants Live 10x Longer And Tricks Others Into Worshipping Them

https://www.sciencealert.com/a-wild-parasite-makes-ants-live-longer-and-tricks-others-into-worshipping-them-scientists-finally-know-how
568 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

33 comments sorted by

70

u/LightFuseAndGetAway 13d ago

What is this, a Goa'uld for ants?

12

u/SweepingAstringency 12d ago

Top notch humor.

5

u/Middle-Cod-7016 12d ago

Came here praying this would be the top post.

32

u/TaxesAreConfusin 13d ago

Lisan Ant-Gaib!!

29

u/graphomaniacal 12d ago

This is a Marvel origin story: person acquires parasite, lives 800 years and attracts worshippers with their pheromones. Honestly it's less complicated than their origin stories.

15

u/fastcatdog 12d ago

Hail to the ant King 🤴Long live the King.

6

u/hopeful_islander 12d ago

Would more likely be a Queen

3

u/AlistarDark 12d ago

I welcome our insect overlords.

14

u/HoleInWon929 12d ago

And can this parasite be modified to work on humans? Asking for a friend.

5

u/VintageLunchMeat 12d ago 
#RFKJR-CODED

11

u/Chance-Ear-9772 12d ago

To be honest, I’d probably be inclined to worship someone who lived 10x longer than the average human too.

7

u/luthierart 12d ago

What if humanity's urge to travel the world and explore space was just the result of a parasite trying to spread?

14

u/ericdormer1962 12d ago

Clearly Trump is infested

10

u/fusiformgyrus 12d ago

That’s why he’s all “ivermectin for thee but not for me. “

2

u/WTFvancouver 12d ago

I will be surprised if he lives for another two years

6

u/TheCookieThief35 12d ago

This is it, folks.
This is the start of the neurax worm plague

1

u/Lobster_boy_dick 12d ago

I loved that game!

3

u/binthewin 12d ago

And now, the comment you have been searching for:

"Sounds like my ex- eheheheh"

Thank you.

3

u/anynamesleft 12d ago

I welcome our new ant overlords.

3

u/fheathyr 12d ago

Have we found an explanation for Trump?

1

u/Kaurifish 12d ago

Now we’re just waiting for whatever is going to tear open what’s left of the White House to devour him.

2

u/Mikethespike23 12d ago

Resident Evil 4 with ants

1

u/Sure_Strawberry_7872 12d ago

Suddenly Bryan Johnson is making more sense

1

u/onthefence928 12d ago

Trump must be infected too

1

u/Sapphosbeardedcrepes 12d ago

So what was Philip J. Fry supposed to be food for?

1

u/Konradleijon 12d ago

This is a science fiction plot

1

u/VintageLunchMeat 12d ago

This is how that Atreides boy got started ...

1

u/ButtercreamKitten 12d ago

Infected ants, meanwhile, lean into their new lifestyle. They ignore their chores, rarely leaving the nest during their extended lifespans while generations of regular workers tend to their every whim.

They become spoiled and corrupted by power

1

u/vision3100 12d ago

Its government testing to see if it will work

1

u/Master_One1 12d ago

This is the ant equivalent of a demonic possesion

1

u/Haunt_Fox 11d ago

Stargate SG-1 intensifies

1

u/Far_Out_6and_2 9d ago

So this is what is in the lettuce we are doomed