2019-09-01_National_Geographic_Interactive

(vip2019) #1
THERE MAY BE NOTHING more self-defining than our
tastes. Whether in food, wine, romantic partners, or
political candidates, our tastes represent our identity.
So it made sense to me that my likes and dislikes were
formed through careful deliberation and rational
decision-making—that is, through choices where
I wielded some control.
Then I became acquainted with Toxoplasma
gondii. In my research at the Indiana University
School of Medicine, I observed how the single-celled
T. gondii parasite can change the behavior of the host
it infects. It can make rats unafraid of cats, and some
studies show that it may cause personality changes
(such as increased anxiety) in humans.
These studies made me wonder if there are other
things happening under our radar that could be
shaping who we are, programming our likes and
dislikes. As I dug into the scientific literature, I hit
upon this astonishing and unsettling truth: Our

BY BILL SULLIVAN

THINK YOU HAVE GOOD TASTE? YOU DON’T DESERVE THE CREDIT.
THANK YOUR GENES, YOUR GERMS, AND YOUR ENVIRONMENT.


T


IN THIS SECTION
Jupiter’s close-up
Cheese with a beat
A squirrelly color
Language integration
THE DISCOVERIES OF TODAY THAT WILL DEFINE THE WORLD OF TOMORROW
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC VOL. 236 NO. 3

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Why You Like


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