Sam Kean on his book the Violinist Thumb

Now. All -- female friends out they have. Until summer do you have this year. That you'll wake up one day and suddenly turned into a cat lady. I talked about my I have hatred for cats much to my friends -- from how Eckhart shows -- I despised cats and I think I have a valid reason. MIA loathing of the feline. And invited CM keen. -- the -- there of a great book called the violence found so interesting it's about genetics in DNA. And does your DNA. Make you a hypochondriac. Or give you musical talent or make you crazy can't lady. So we abided CN key to its of those questions for -- because he takes a look at how DNA. Influences that -- worked -- tendencies are musical abilities. -- all I asked him if it affects whether or not you can. Maybe get like a killer Jeanne. Or are you -- Predisposed to violence because some your family members perhaps and this idea. Was floated around in novel I just read by bill the candidate who's a local writer. Defending Jacob -- a whole premise of the book is about how the kid inherits the killer Jeanne. From his grandfather's -- in these types of things could they be your reality well we invite CN -- welcome to the show -- Right. Now that's really grab my attention is this idea that you. Quite possibly could be a crazy cat lady literally because it's something in the cat DNA in the cat litter tell us about that part of your buck in -- -- Sure this is one of these stories from the book I have to do with a parent site that you the call -- Cox so. And we know -- so is made to act parasite. And it loves being inside cats that's where it can reproduce it's where it wants to be. And we know that it affects the behavior of certain other animals. Mice in particular this is very while studies. When. Talks so gets inside -- it's went straight for the -- bringing. And it starts producing a neuro transmitter brain chemical called -- -- -- And what opening does is it really changes the money is being paid my and the like behavior. They're normally very scared of attacks especially this mail they run away from its. But what they have talks so -- them. They've actually flips it around and they become attracted. To cat now they want to be around -- they run to work that. And of course once they do a bit. They immediately. Get eaten by the act and so the talks so parasite and -- back inside the cap. Now we know that talks have an effect a lot of other animals too including human beings. And it goes again straight for the human brain and it starts pumping out this girl transmitter to open mean because a long time ago. Talks so actually stole. That gene that helps it made to -- me to -- -- produced open mean I think you've been very. As well and they haven't done specifics studied. Controlled studies on this. But it's certainly possible. That this could influence our behavior toward cats and make this more attracted to cat so it kind of provide the plausible biological basis. For things like being very attracted -- -- at work and you know it's a little scary to think about a little microbe doing this to your brain. I mean -- contain. A single celled parasite. Can create this obsession with cats and hence we have -- lady and as a result. Said that talks are you talking about tea from and from -- understanding you correctly is messing with your brain quite literally so you become a crazy cat lady you are crazy cat person. Yet it definitely makes you more attracted -- -- draws you've poured cats at least that's -- that theory that there working with right now yeah it's a little scary to think about that. It's certainly a day ants to scary and I hopes in Kenya can take some questions and -- listeners probably have some. This idea I just finished his novel fantastic novel called defending Jacob it's written by a local guy named bill mandate in any way he presents this theory. That -- prosecutors kid murderers because he inherited the killer gene from his grandfather. And it was it was fascinating to needed to think about whether or not you could be pre disposed to violence based on ED NA -- genetics. Yeah talking about a killer -- Would probably brought scientists a little bit the wrong way. But we do know. That there are lots and lots. Genetic influences. On our behavior probably more than a lot of people expected there's just a lot of psychological. Behavioral traits that do have genetic influences. At this same -- -- name we're finding more and more however. That it is Justin in for Lou it's not something that Reid should be -- to see that you're going to be like this or like that. So while we're kind of extending the reach of jeans on one hand and finding that good genes influence a lot more. On mental traits that we might have expected we're also finding out that those genes need to work with actors here in Europe and fire meant to meet you who you -- they don't. Sort of they're not is determined to stick yeah you might hear you just heard this news. Without a little more information. Now that the book is name the violinist Simon and is because it's about nickel low. Paganini was a very famous violinist and music they had these -- -- its -- flexible fingers to tell me about the violence and how DNA. Affected the way in which he had it in seen ability to -- people -- does music. -- -- Not -- -- that title story from the book and he had about a nickel a part in any what you said is usually considered the greatest violinist. Who ever lived to be playing herb Pope -- emperor in Europe in the early eighteen hundreds. They're all these rumors that he had sold his soul to Satan for his talent that's how good he was. And as -- said he really had these freakish week. Flexible hand that between us and all sorts of not a stretch been incredibly wide looked like they were about to prepare apart. And that the reason. But one of the reasons he was able to play a lot of music that all the violence simply could not it's almost certain that -- in meaning had. -- genetic disorder that seat in the beauty flexible. Now they disorder and I double worshipping the gave them. The zero flexible ends. They're also related gone to a surgeon and that he had been cut all the ligaments in his hands and extract -- like -- they're all sorts of rumors people just didn't understand. It was something in board it was genetic it's. And it really like this story because. It showed something that I think is an important theme in the book -- -- -- environment in -- were together. Because I didn't mean he wasn't very hard worker and he also laws to use. And so it was kind of a perfect storm. -- this temperament. Coming together with someone who had been genetic endowment. To take advantage of and we're really lucky that all the bush -- sticking together. Like back in the same person and there are a lot of cases of that throughout the book of people kind of being able to take advantage. Of their genetic endowment because it's something in the current -- to it was a good good theme for the book. Is it it's it really fascinating look at the way genetics and and DNA give us these quirks that we have in our personalities. But one of our I -- unemployment checks on six days dictating. Said there must be crazy dog people to look now at as -- parasite that affects. Doggone ours are people who hoard cats in general or is it pretty much. Confined to cats. Well this particular. Organism that talks so -- plasma. That is only affecting captain are certainly other factors involved in working people who. The -- and anxiousness underlying or something else like that so it's certainly not you can't be so simplistic in states. Just the -- says there are other things involved. But it's usually cats when people are courting some sort of act in especially when they. Far far too many of them he goes really destructive houses but there are hundreds of cats running usually at. And not other animals and this might be one of the explanations wipe -- itself. Or it's possibly you know there could be another dog parent site that's certainly not something as widespread as the talks. Yeah because you always hear about these people who hoard cats in their homes become completely overrun with feline in this. Cat litter boxes everywhere. It's. It's insane and it's it's been heeded that no one can really understand and now that it could be a Paris I mean this could be as simple as a single cell parasite. That is causing this sort of obsessive. Miss about cats is they're treatment far can he can you Q other cattle eighty. Well they're still looking at it and trying to figure out exactly what it's doing how it's affecting behavior. On -- There's studies that it you know it might slow down reaction times too silly it does complicated things. Inside the brain and they are still working on these trying to work out exactly what's going so. There's no no sort of treatment or anything they're not quite at that stage by there're -- people looking at. Now the violinist on what do you think was most fascinating aspect of your research that people can read about in the Spock. Well I really try to emphasize this story throughout the book the historical funny spooky strange stories especially kind of -- stories. About our history story that we thought happened too long ago. To really be able to get much information about but it turned out ourselves were copying these stories in -- On a one of the stories that I didn't know anything about that -- found fascinating. What's the story of a Soviet biologists to in the 1920s. Actually Randy experiments to try to read human beings which can indeed in direct UK. And that's why it's like this yeah that was my reaction to -- like I cannot believe they actually let somebody do this spot. You know Joseph Stalin was involved in approving money for this project and stopped short -- I think that was probably the least surprising thing about this are. But it was just -- hadn't heard of before but it offered a good way to explain well what would happen in these experiments. How different is a human entry and indeed DNA. So it offered good land. To look at this historical story and that's really what I tried to do with all of the stories in the book. Is used DNA as a lens to try to do it at some of this money than usual strange history. I'll I love that the book is called the violence thumb and Tim Kean thank you so much for joining us this morning. And thanks for that is just fascinating stop folks thank you against him. Ever -- you know when he went there might be affected. By this. -- -- Do you know anyone who hoards these kinds 6172666868. And have you run into when these people. Who let -- homes become completely. Completely overrun. I can have they taken hundreds of cats their entire house just is. Greeks it's a stench of cat in cat litter. Indeed think could narrow the you know that there could be some comparison in the yet it's making those -- people crazy. Does -- explain you know not. 6172666868. In the tax or the ball I want to check side it's X 8680 said there must be crazy dog people -- I don't know what's works crazy -- voters get by boat anyone wants to follow a dog around -- twice today with a plastic bag has got to be that's. Well these is a plastic bag so if the dog parasite you just heard the genetic expert. -- -- Who talked a little bit about DNA is not necessarily our destiny. You say it is pretty much confined to cash according. So does it said steal this. -- doesn't say. That explains a lot because I think every. One has that neighbor the crazy cat lady who's looking out the window to get thousand catch you would never -- -- -- the -- Christian -- crazy cat ladies. Now you don't know a single crazy cat lady. Now users at risk those people. I mean I think everybody knows why is -- is up let it in my building is one woman and you know I haven't I've never met her. I just walked by her window and she has instead of furniture I think his -- one -- on but then she has I'll elaborate and of those cat climbing things but the right idea. You know the cat scratching to always and cats scratching to freeze and it is just cats in the window that I did absolutely positively insane would you -- -- went out. Do you know anyone like that in doesn't explain a lot when he hit this scientist -- he tell you that -- cats. Is quite literally. An obsession and an obsession and that is created. With can't litter that -- toxin that is released. And when that toxin is released you can slowly. Go insane and that's the reason that I know pregnant women -- probably our awareness. But doctors tell pregnant women to avoid cat litter boxes. Because since the 1920s. Doctor -- recognized that a woman who becomes infected during pregnancy can transmit -- eighties to the fetus. So Charlie beauty crazy -- read and does -- make a lot of sense. I do or -- property in periodical I did this house and I am not a house nice suburb. Every roll -- every girl on Al Sharif -- if he -- That might have been real worst smelling house you've got to locked into an eel like tally. That ironic how much did he all I'm just I couldn't wait to get out property I know I'm a police. Because you know what kind of like this -- -- aren't that are going to be birdied. An index of -- like -- conceded about a breakfast on block island. One time without -- I actually took my mom of the large -- and -- I took a road block island in which it has been breakfast. And at -- you can get on and help itself took up but he was like you know falls was a crisp in the -- and you're all excited about that -- what happens he. -- -- -- cats roaming around the kitchen area on the counter on the bracket needless to say we stayed at the dead pop or not the practice efforts on that. Absolutely I mean I don't understand people any psychological well. Well I mean they actually do trolley and that's. But they'd do psychological help because this parasite can create -- it a suicidal tendency mental disorder even schizophrenia. It's it's this -- The order across. Added actually discussing Charlie ticket that I did insert -- key means it is really no Q4 do. We have 97800 crazy cat that I feed all the -- cats and they hang out in my guide. I like kick everyone out of my house in replace him with cats. At least I don't caused by the litter box. Kevin of the litter box. I know woman who would newspapers Florida sealing the twenty I class cats -- -- are getting their freezer. This illegal. And now and next. Nation for the type of behavior that Charlie talked about a credit I was just on his story about how he is husband went to go look. At a house. In it was in a beautiful part of Marblehead and they went into this house in the woman had destroyed it. Absolutely destroyed it. This historic beautiful. Brownstone. Because she had cats every run and when they came -- looked at the property she was carrying two giant bins of cat -- from like Costco. It. Every need somebody like this -- now does some sort of explanation for cash -- it's not called talk so plasma. And is exactly who I am happy that have been pregnant I have not but if it's exactly why doctors tell pregnant women not to go near kitty litter. Who. Does fascinating 6172666860. Day don't sound absolutely addicted to -- I need help. Like a twelve step program. -- -- Addicted to cats. Because it is quite literally an addiction. That can be blamed on a single cell parasite either -- -- we are AM 680 WRKO. His last two thirds. I have to stop taxing. Explain what happened to the next right after the break.