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Have you ever wondered what is responsible for unspeakable stupidity? Well some US scientists might have the answer, having discovered an algae virus which some call “stupid virus” that infects human brains and makes people more stupid. The surprise virus discovery was made by a team at the Johns Hopkins Medical School and the University of Nebraska while undertaking a study into throat micro-organisms.
90 people participated in the study and 40 tested positive for the stupid virus. It was then proved that those who had tested positive performed worse on tests that were designed to measure visual processing and attention spans.
Although human bodies contain a multitude of bacteria and fungi, the study has shown that specific micro-organisms can have a negative effect on intelligent processing.
The study was led by Dr Robert Yolken, a virologist, who said:
‘This is a striking example showing that the “innocuous” microorganisms we carry can affect behaviour and cognition. Many physiological differences between person A and person B are encoded in the set of genes each inherits from parents, yet some of these differences are fueled by the various microorganisms we harbour and the way they interact with our genes.’
Picture: University of Nebraska
