The complexity of parasite lives breeds awareness of what we don’t know or understand; that is, it reveals our ignorance, now easily recognized, and finally admitted. And like the case with political rhetoric in which one word can compress history into a simple emotional response, infectious agents teach us that complexity associated with parasitism cannot truly be simplified or compressed into a single word. The same could be said of today’s hot button words--abortion, immigration, LGBTQ--although you might never know that from media coverage of current issues or your neighbor’s yard signs before an election.
Contact: jjparasite@hotmail.com
