The TFA asks "how do you test for Toxo" - the answer: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/toxoplasmos...

That article really made me shudder: A small literature is coming out now reporting neuropsychological testing on men who are Toxo-infected, showing that they get a little bit impulsive. … And then the truly astonishing thing: two different groups independently have reported that people who are Toxo-infected have three to four times the likelihood of being killed in car accidents involving reckless speeding

I have a cat (and have always had one) and am in constant close contact (she's literally in my lap non-stop while I'm at home) and I sometimes (often?) forget to clear the cat litter for days (yuck, I know). And I have this thing where I always feel I'm simply not going fast enough while on the road (140kmph on mountain roads is normal for me during my 90km one-way daily commute). Am I just overreacting (traditional self-diagnosis) or is this really worth looking into?

How many people are tested annually for toxo and in which situations would someone be tested for toxo?

Dr Sapolsky tells some interesting stories but the skeptic in me wonders how someone can take such a seemingly small independent variable like the presence of toxo in humans and suggest it affects certain specific behaviors like driving aggressively. To be fair, he stops short of establishing any sort of causation, but his implications certainly allow him to weave a fascinating story. Is it safe to assume that telling a good story helps one garner support for funding research?

Excellent Radio Lab episode on this and other parasites: http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/episodes/2009/09/25

hmm, if i were a MotoGP rider I would so be getting a cat right now.

Obligatory: http://xkcd.com/719/

You got me.

ex-Biker, sometime-speeder and cat-attendant.