🎙️ Episode 5: Parasites Pt 2 – Tapeworm Tapenade

Welcome back to Mutant Hollow for Part Two of our three-part parasite series—where things get slimier, squirmier, and far more grotesque. This episode is all about the monsters that feed inside us: tapeworms, roundworms, and other writhing hitchhikers that blur the line between horror and biology.

From chilling case studies of Trichinella outbreaks and parasitic infections in pythons, to the mind-bending tale of a tapeworm that gave its host cancer, we dive deep into the dark side of parasitology. We’ll chew on the infamous “tapeworm diet,” gape at the sheer scale of whale tapeworms, and serve up a fictional sponsor you’ll never forget: Tapeworm Tapenade—spread it, share it, survive it.

💀 Creepy science.

💀 Disgusting case studies.

💀 Speculative zombification.

💀 A few gag-inducing surprises.

This is Part Two of our Parasite Trilogy—so if you thought disco-ball snail eye stalks were bad, just wait until you hear what’s wriggling in your dinner plate.

Tags:

parasites, tapeworms, trichinella, parasitology, creepy science, horror podcast, microbiology, infectious disease, zombie science, will it zombie, Mutant Hollow, parasite diet, tapeworm cancer, grotesque biology, parasite case studies

Parasite Master of Puppets, Part One | S1E4

Episode Summary:

Welcome to Mutant Hollow, the show where creepy-crawlies meet speculative science and the apocalypse gets… uncomfortably plausible. In Parasite: Master of Puppets, Part One, we dive deep into the world of parasitic puppet-masters, starting with three spine-crawling heavyweights:

• The zombie snail (Leucochloridium paradoxum), whose tentacles pulsate like disco worms to attract hungry birds.
• The horsehair worm, turning innocent crickets into suicidal swimmers.
• The infamous castrating barnacle, a tiny marine invader that rewrites crab biology and reproduction for its own gain.

Join Amber and Stacy for plenty of gagging noises, laughs to mask the horror, and a “Will It Zombie?!” segment where we rate each parasite’s potential to spark a full-on zombie apocalypse. This is Part One of our three-part parasite series—and the first to feature our fan-favorite Will It Zombie scale. If you like weird science, mind-control organisms, and imagining what happens if nature gets even weirder… this one’s for you.

Podcast Description:

Mutant Hollow blends spooky science, horror-comedy, and apocalypse speculation, exploring real infectious agents, folklore, and speculative scenarios. Hosted by Amber (sensationalist microbiologist) and Stacy (rational creature doctor), the show brings cutting-edge science and dark humor together in episodes that are as educational as they are unsettling.

Tags:

parasites zombie snail horsehair worm castrating barnacle parasitology infectious disease pathogens apocalypse zombie apocalypse speculative science biology science communication weird nature parasite master of puppets mutant hollow mind control parasites will it zombie

🎙️ Episode 3.5: Mini - Prion Holiday in Cambodia

⚠️ Warning: This mini episode dives into some of the strangest and darkest tales from the history of prion disease. Expect unsettling science, grim memories from the Midwest, and a dose of satire so twisted you’ll wonder if it was ever real.

In this nightmarish detour through the world of prions, Amber and Stacy unearth a trio of disturbing stories:

• Case Studies That Haunt — From labs to morgues, prion disease has left behind a trail of medical horrors. We revisit chilling reports that blur the line between biology and nightmare.
• Mad Cow in the Midwest — A firsthand memory from a rancher’s child, where cattle feed warnings and late-night visits from government officials turned the farm into a place of whispered dread. What did it feel like to live under the shadow of a disease no one fully understood?
• Cambodia’s Explosive Satire — Believe it or not, someone once proposed disposing of infected cattle by sending them into land mine fields. It was meant as satire… but the fact that people took it seriously tells you everything about the fear—and absurdity—of the prion years.

All of this set against the apocalyptic backdrop that prions always bring: silent incubation, unstoppable spread, and the eerie reality that they can linger in flesh, blood, and bone long after life is gone.

Stacy unpacks the science of these cases while Amber threads in the cultural panic, the dark humor, and the speculative “what if” questions that make Mutant Hollow… well, Mutant Hollow.

⸻

📖 Extended references and bonus content available on Patreon.

💀 Follow us for more twisted science and folklore at MutantHollow.com.

🎙️ Episode 3: Prions – The Cows Are Mad

They say madness spreads like wildfire… but what if it spreads like dinner?

In this chilling third installment of Mutant Hollow, we’re diving headfirst into the strange, stomach-churning, and scientifically horrifying world of prions—rogue, misshapen proteins that turn brains into sponge-like death traps. These microscopic nightmares are behind some of history’s most terrifying outbreaks, from Mad Cow Disease in the UK to the human form known as variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease. They can jump between species, hide in your body for decades before striking, and survive almost anything we throw at them. Fire? Nope. Radiation? Nope. Bleach? Ha—don’t make them laugh. (If they could.)

We’ll peel back the sinister layers of the mad cow scandal:

• How cattle were fed the ground-up remains of their own kind in a twisted agricultural shortcut that invited an epidemic.
• Why the “brain ban” stopped short—protecting cows, but not necessarily pigs or chickens.
• The experiments that proved prions could live in more than just brain tissue, raising the question… could your steak be hiding a deadly passenger?
• And how 2013 UK researchers found thousands of silent carriers who may never know what’s lurking inside them.

From sheep scrapie to chimps in lab experiments, we trace the bizarre journey of prions across the animal kingdom, connecting the dots between feeding practices, hidden infections, and species-hopping horror. Along the way, you’ll hear about contaminated growth hormone treatments, cases where spleens alone could transmit disease, and the unsettling fact that some infected animals are slaughtered long before symptoms appear—meaning no one knows they were sick in the first place.

As always, Stacy, our resident creature doctor, brings the science—and the dread—while Amber delivers the spooky folklore parallels, government conspiracy whispers, and speculative “What if?” scenarios. Could prions be the perfect slow-burn zombie apocalypse starter? You’ll have to listen to find out… but here’s a hint: the cows aren’t the only ones mad.

🔬 Highlights This Episode

• The real-life origins of “mad cow”
• Cross-species prion infections (sheep ➡️ cows ➡️ humans… and maybe more)
• Why you cannot cook, freeze, or bleach these things away
• The ticking time bomb of decades-long incubation
• The hidden cases the public never hears about

🎧 Content Warning: This episode contains unsettling discussions of disease, animal death, cannibalistic feeding practices, and cultural rituals.

💀 Join us in the Hollow for the perfect blend of true science, creeping dread, and the morbidly fascinating possibilities that keep you up at night. And remember: the cows are mad… and they’re not alone.

Episode 2.5 – (Case Studies, Hypotheticals, Listener Stories)

Foaming at the mic for more? You’re in luck. Welcome to Episode 2.5, the unhinged sidecar to our full-length rabies episode—where we roll up our sleeves and dive deeper into the most hair-raising rabies case studies, speculative science bites, and a few hilarious (and mildly horrifying) listener submissions you had to hear to believe.

In this “rabid bonus round,” we sink our teeth into:

• Real-world cases of human rabies with bizarre symptoms and tragic twists
• The science behind why some patients live (hint: it’s weird)
• Our favorite “Wait, WHAT?!” rabies myths from history
• Speculative outbreaks involving cows, birds, and other unlikely biters
• A deeply cursed vet school memory you’ll never forget (but only if you catch the Extended Cut)
• And a few absurd listener stories featuring kisses, cats, and questionable decisions involving woodland creatures

This isn’t your typical science episode. This is the grab bag of cursed candy you find in your Halloween pillowcase—delicious, disturbing, and maybe rabid. It’s speculative science, dark comedy, and weird medical horror all swirled together in one frothy mess.

💉 Plus: Amber and Stacy debate hypothetical transmission paths, laugh about unhinged animal encounters, and ask the eternal question—what would a zombie cow actually sound like?

Sensitive content warning:

This episode includes vivid descriptions of infectious disease symptoms, real medical cases, and a brief redacted listener segment about animal trauma (uncut version available on Patreon).

If you’re ready for one more bite—grab your vaccine card, don’t pet the wildlife, and let’s wade back into the saliva-soaked swamps of rabies one more time.

💀 Want the full extended episode?

Uncensored stories, bonus science segments, and unhinged outtakes are waiting in the Mutant Hollow Extended Edition on Patreon!

🐾 Coming soon: Our next full episode tackles brain-burrowing parasites with disco eyeballs and barnacles that castrate crabs. Stay weird, stay wary, and as always—don’t get bit.

🧟‍♀️ Episode 2 – Rabid Instincts: The Virus That Bites Back 🧪

Welcome back to Mutant Hollow, where science gets speculative, spooky, and just a little unhinged. In this episode, we sink our teeth into rabies—a virus so bizarre and terrifying that it may be the closest real-world equivalent to a zombie infection.

From ancient cave etchings to vampire legends and 28 Days Later fan theories, rabies has haunted the human imagination for millennia. It causes aggression, fear of water, hallucinations, and eventually death—with almost no survivors once symptoms begin. So… will it zombie?

🧬 Inside this episode:

• A deep dive into the rabies virus and how it hacks the nervous system
• Why it causes hydrophobia, confusion, rage, and hypersexuality (yep, it’s weird)
• Survivors, the Milwaukee protocol, and why most cases end so tragically
• Real-life horror stories, animal encounters, and species jumps
• Speculation on how a modified rabies strain could technically become a rage zombie virus
• Public health myths, bite response tips, and a few cautionary cow tales 🐄

🎙️ Hosts:

Your microbiologist-in-the-wilderness, Amber, is back with creature doctor and co-host Stacy, exploring the virology, folklore, and speculative chaos behind one of nature’s most brutal diseases.

🧠 Bonus Content on Patreon:

In our extended cut for Patreon members, we take a detour into experimental rabies vaccine research being used for cancer treatment and neurological diseases. What happens when we mess with a virus that already knows how to cross the blood-brain barrier?

🌕 Expect:

• Creepy soundscapes
• A PSA you might wish you heard before that raccoon bit your cousin
• A few undead jokes
• And some honest-to-goodness awe at how nature already wrote the zombie playbook

💀 Need a brain break? Stick around for bloopers and a bonus cow exam story after the credits.

👁‍🗨 Follow us:

Website: mutanthollow.com

Patreon: patreon.com/mutanthollow

IG & TikTok: @mutanthollow

YouTube: Mutant Hollow Podcast

🎧 Mutant Hollow blends microbiology, mythology, and monster science into immersive horror-edu-tainment. Whether you’re a science nerd, a cryptid lover, or just a fan of spooky storytelling with a side of rabies facts, we’ve got something brewing in the lab for you.

Ep 1.5 – Infectious Tangent: Pharaoh’s Curse & Mummy Dust Rituals

Ever wonder what would happen if a microbiologist and a creature doctor opened a cursed tomb… and immediately started planning a party? Welcome to our very first Infectious Tangent — the mutant mini-episodes where we follow the weird, winding trail of uncut rants, historical horror, and unhinged science that didn’t quite fit into the main show.

This week: things got out of hand while recording Episode 1 (“Fungus Among Us”). One minute we’re talking Cordyceps, the next we’re drinking cursed smoothies made from mummy dust, staging ancient unwrapping ceremonies, and building a full-blown cursed wellness brand. Obviously.

In this unfiltered bonus cut, we dive into:

• Mummy-themed afterlife parties

• Pharaoh-Phresh™: our new ethically-dubious wellness ritual

• Why 19th century Europeans actually drank real mummies

• The totally safe* side effects of powdered kings

• And whether embalming fluid makes a decent pre-workout

So light a ceremonial candle (or just a scented one), put on your favorite linen wraps, and join us for this glorious detour into ancient curses, pseudoscience, and extremely questionable health choices.

🧟‍♀️ Want more uncut mutations?

This episode is just the beginning. For access to all our extended cuts, weird science tangents, behind-the-scenes chaos, and mutant extras, join the horde at Patreon.com/MutantHollow.

🧪 Mutant Hollow is a science-horror podcast hosted by a microbiologist (Amber) and a resident creature doctor (Stacy), exploring infectious agents, speculative biology, and the surprisingly real science behind your favorite monster myths. From zombie fungi to plague-ridden tombs, no horror is too weird, too nerdy, or too… dusty.

Stay weird. Stay mutated. And don’t drink the mummy dust. Seriously.

Subscribe & Follow:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/55FZaIFrmQUt4qb55xK8AS

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mutant-hollow/id1824981230

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MutantHollow

*Not FDA approved. Consult your ghost pharmacist before starting any mummy-based ritual.

Welcome to the very first episode of Mutant Hollow, where microbiology meets mayhem. In this premiere, we dig into the real science behind the infamous zombie fungus—Cordyceps.

Amber and Dr. Stacy (our resident “creature doctor”) explore how this mind-controlling parasite hijacks insects in the real world… and whether it could ever leap into humans. From spore warfare to body-snatching behavior, we trace the terrifying line between fact and freaky fiction.

💀 Could Cordyceps mutate to infect people?

🦠 What makes it so creepy to scientists?

🧟‍♀️ Will. It. Zombie?

Plus: a brief romp through folklore, some speculative science, and the launch of our listener poll: WILL IT ZOMBIE?