If Technology Is a Parasite Masquerading as a Symbiont—Are We the Host?

According to William E. Rees, "[a] parasite is an organism that gains its utility by sapping the vitality of its host [2]." A vivid illustration of this can be seen in WIRED science writer, Matt Simon's latest book, Plight of the Living Dead: What Real-Life Zombies Reveal about Our World - and Ourselves. Simon fastens on the startling machinations of "real" parasites and how they turn their hosts into agents of their own propagation. In his opening chapter, Simon zeroes in on Ampulex compressa, the jewel wasp, its "hypnotizing beauty — with big eyes and a precious green sheen to its body — [belying] its belligerence [3]." The unlucky target of her design is a roach. In her first move, the wasp injects her venom loaded stinger between the roach's front legs. Included in the venom's more than two hundred compound brew is the weaponized central nervous system inhibiting neurotransmitter, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). For five minutes, GABA paralyzes the roach's ability to block the wasp's next move with its front legs. The now unobstructed wasp removes her stinger and redeploys it to penetrate the now defenseless victim's neck and from there moves into its brain. The wasp, for now at least, is not trying to kill her prey as she feels around for the right spot [actually two spots] in the brain to inject her mind-control potion [3]. These precise locations govern the roach's means of movement. After discharging her venom, the wasp again removes her stinger and lo and behold, in a few minutes the roach, instead of flooding with fear, begins grooming itself as though it hadn't a care in the world.