# 1770: "When a Parasite Rewires Behavior to Spread Itself"

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/interesting-things-with-jc-5049896/1770-when-a-parasite-rewires-behavior-to-spread-itself.md
Podcast: [Interesting Things with JC](https://stenobird.com/podcast/interesting-things-with-jc-5049896)
Published: 2026-09-09T07:00:42+00:00
Episode link: https://jimconnors.net/interesting-things-with-jc/2026/9/9/1770-when-a-parasite-rewires-behavior-to-spread-itself
Audio file: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5bba2d6fca525b3efa21591f/t/6aa07ea006206520e99737f9/1788903074689/1770+-+Interesting+Things+-+When+a+Parasite+Rewires+Behavior+to+Spread+Itself.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/interesting-things-with-jc-5049896/episodes/1770-when-a-parasite-rewires-behavior-to-spread-itself
Duration seconds: 266

## Resource

Interesting Things with JC #1770: "When a Parasite Rewires Behavior to Spread Itself" – Infected Texas field crickets were sterile or producing barely moving sperm, but they kept mating, and infected males courted females sooner than healthy males. The virus was disrupting the immune signals that normally slow courtship during illness while still spreading through sexual contact.

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## Transcript

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