What Disease Does The Joker Have?

The Joker has been one of the Dark Knight's most iconic foes for decades. Everyone knows there's something wrong with the Joker, but is there actually a medical explanation to what makes him tick? Kyle checks into Arkham to investigate in this week's Because Science!
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Because Science every Thursday.
Learn More:
JOKER INFECTION: arkhamcity.fan...
PRION: en.wikipedia.o...
CJD: en.wikipedia.o...
KURU: en.wikipedia.o...)
MECHANISMS OF TSES: smw.ch/en/arti...
KURU SORCERY: books.google.i...

[@ashleywatson5301]

What is your disease? 2019 joker: Society...

[@jeggsonvohees2201]

I thought he had super sanity.

[@jeromescultleader535]

@@jeggsonvohees2201 Joaquin Phoenix Joker

[@jeggsonvohees2201]

@@jeromescultleader535 Ah.

[@kronoscamron7412]

THIS... FUCKIN THIS

[@God-ch8lq]

gamers rise up

[@henkman00]

also In Arkham Asylum (the game) Doctor Young: ''Every doctor that has ever interviewed you claims a different type of psychosis. Everything from multiple personality disorders to, well...The list is endless'' The Joker: ''I do my best''

[@tonylu2471]

Doctors: What disease do you have? The Joker: All of them.

[@shayanmoosavi9139]

@@tonylu2471 correction : Doctors : What decease do you have? Joker : Yes.

[@tonylu2471]

@@shayanmoosavi9139 Doctors: diseases? Joker: yes.

[@Donkyelburro]

The scary part pf the joker is that he simulates every other disease. Hes actually quite lucid and sane. Thats why hes always toe to toe with a genius like batman. He cant be diagnosed because he doesnt have anyyhing

[@henkman00]

@@Donkyelburro having a mental disorder doesn't mean you can't function. you can even be a genius and still have a mental disorder. this is a common mistake that I've seen a few times when discussing the Joker. ''he's evil, not insane'' or ''he's faking it, a real insane person wouldn't be able to think, act or speak'' this isn't true. Batman himself has called Joker insane, and the best example of Joker being insane is checking out stories where he's temporarily turned sane. like in legend Of The Dark Knight #145 in it, Joker is killed and placed inside the Lazarus Pit. a side effect of the pit is that it causes temporary insanity. but it has the opposite effect on Joker, he turns sane. he is shocked about being killed and is helpful when Batman asks him where Ra's Al Ghul is. then he says: ''I've been thinking...remembering...all I've done, all the people I've hurt. the dead...the dead...sanity is such a burden'' what makes Joker scary is that he isn't faking insanity. no he's scary because we all could be him. we all could fall into the abyss. lose our humanity, lose empathy. lose ourselves. and that it would only take one bad day. But then there's hope in the form of Batman, one bad day turned him into a hero. that it was Joker who allowed himself to fall into the abyss when most people don't.

[@chisasa9509]

He's immune to mosquitoes. When they land on his skin they begin suffocating and if they bite him, they go into shock and slowly die.

[@monkeydluffy-fu3vj]

Nice

[@TheCrowFrend]

Man I want to be joker now

[@PackedLunch.]

I wonder if you can find out what’s in scarecrows gas?

[@El_Vuego]

I also always wondered what scarecrows gas was all about.

[@Thr4kus]

Bump!

[@1TVMN]

Hallucinogenic gas

[@goblinking3151]

Yes! Doing it!

[@xwolfking7733]

This is certainly one I would like to see as well

[@Godzillawolf1]

'Memory loss'... I would say that it's possible he actually DOES have that. Remember: Joker, by his own admission in the Killing Joke says he doesn't even remember his past properly, and remembers it numerous different ways depending on the day. And Killing Joke IS canonical to the Arkham Games, so it is possible. In fact, doing some minor research of my own I found Wernicke-Korsakoff's syndrome and other conditions often cause what is called spontaneous confabulation: that is creating incorrect memories that the patient holds true, and may act on, arising spontaneously without any provocation, in an attempt to fill in lost or damaged memories. Which is more or less exactly what Joker's 'multiple choice past' suggests he does. So it is possible that rather than experiencing traditional memory loss, Joker's form of prion disorder specifically causes spontaneous confabulation as its form of effecting the victim's memory.

[@joshuawilliams8921]

Godzillawolf1 i was actually going to bring up that fact till i saw you did in the comments lol, Loved that graphic novel

[@chezwizard]

The deadliness could also fit, hence why there are multiple jokers -- one dies, and then a new infected person gets scrambled enough to believe THEY are the joker.

[@rianas217]

This boi has a great pony disguise, you look like a peaseant just like me

[@bradmolyneaux5883]

You are, a supernerd! Bwwwaaooowww!

[@thomasparkin259]

@@wadewilson889 Only if it damaged portions of the brai associated with those qualities. Perhaps the protein buildup of this Joker has some sort of effect or quality beneficial to such thinking or it somehow encourages the brain to try adapting to the damage that improves such thinking.

[@Zoloft77]

Memory loss? In the Killing joke, doesn't Joker explain how he remembers his past.... as a multiple choice question?

[@maxgrzeda5065]

I was just about to comment that as well!

[@deanjelbertaustria6174]

@J&N Gaming and More! So that's the reason why the story joker tells about how he got his smile keeps on changing!

[@leonarddement4058]

Joker , funny as it is, is remembering a whole memory, but as separate. One memory was his rendering the red hood part. The other was his working for the mob because they got him to rob for him by killing his wife. The other was batman at the acid tank. To him he dropped him when in reality he was trying to save him. It's all the same memory. Just fractured

[@thebestthinginthecurrentsi4727]

well the joker has none of the diseases mentioned in the video the joker has some sort of mental and physical disease that's similar to CJD or kuru

[@Aemick]

@@thebestthinginthecurrentsi4727 And we don't know what it is so how would you know that it isn't?

[@NeonDream]

The scientific term is "fellintoagoddamnvatofchemicals-itis"

[@NeonDream]

@Nicolas Castillo my dude😂😂

[@inglebear84]

Indeed. The chemicals could have rapidly mutated the disease that was already beginning to take hold of him...🤔

[@aryamsmith8952]

Na man dranktomuchgamergirlpee-itis worse

[@12434567891]

@@inglebear84 this is plausible, and something that should be considered when looking into this scenario with Joker. Many chemicals can create psychotic behaviorism, furthering his already chemically imbalanced brain.

[@alisoncircus]

That would be an inflammation of a "fellintoagoddamvatofchemicals". Like appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix and bursitis is an inflammation of the bursa. "Itis" means "inflammation of". Like "ectomy" means "removal of". So you're saying the vat he fell into became inflamed. Maybe - but is that relevant? And - newsflash - proteins are chemicals. So fellintoagoddamvatofprions (without the vat subsequently becoming inflamed) makes more sense.

[@BassmanProducciones]

Maybe the Joker had CJD before falling into those nasty chemicals which they miraculously cured, but his brain was permanently damaged.

[@snowgrave2475]

Or could be that the chemicals killed the CJD, leading to further damage. Not essemtially a 'cure' but not as bad as it could have been?

[@meganofsherwood3665]

It's a cool idea, but in order to destroy the prions, you would have to get the chemicals into the brain tissue, at which he would be dead

[@snowgrave2475]

@@meganofsherwood3665 fair point. But from everything the joker has survived at this point. Maybe the chemicals mutated his brain to resist the prion, causing it to function despite all the damage so far?

[@Hubert_Cumberdale_]

Can't believe he didn't mention that cjd is more commonely known as "mad cow".

[@thunderrobots1980s]

@@meganofsherwood3665 all he would need is an open wound for the chemicals to get in to from there it gets to his blood stream an flows to the brain ,plus swallowing it would also help

[@PhantomSavage]

I think Joker himself doesn't have a prion disease, or rather didn't before Arkham City (where he may have been experimenting with a designer version of a disease and inadvertently infected himself which lead to his condition in that game), but the people infected by "Mad Clown" disease obviously are, but a very, VERY specific prion disease focused to make very specific personality changes and traits. Uncontrollable laughter is certainly a real-world symptom which we can compare, but the "Mad Clown" disease seems to do minimal damage to areas in the brain associated with motor functions and memory loss, but very much makes its subjects homicidal, violent, yet intensely happy. My theory is its a prion infection that has prions designed to specifically target the ventrolateral part of the ventromedial hypothalamus, which is centrally located in the brain underneath the hypothalamus, as well as areas of the frontal lobe associated with emotional response and humor. The hypothalamus, or more specifically the ventromedial hypothalamus in recent studies, is the area in the brain we currently most associate with aggressive and violent behavior. If the "Joker" prion infection continually stimulates the ventromedial hypothalamus while also stimulating our frontal lobe, psychologically someone infected with the disease would perversely associate a positive emotional response or even outright laughter with our most violent and aggressive behaviors... now if that doesn't sound like The Joker I don't know what does.

[@henrycarson3023]

wasn't the reason behind him having a disease in "City" because he consumed the TITAN formula in "Asylum"

[@jtfbreedlove]

In-game Jokers disease *seems* to be a bad interaction between TITAN and the wierdness already going on in his bloodstream.

[@TotalDec]

So... Nanites.

[@terrsus7676]

​@@TotalDec nanomachines, son!

[@Vivek-cw3zu]

Nice❤

[@RJWorth]

Thor is breaking the 4th wall. He's talking about a character in another universe.

[@ladyathenaofowls]

Drippy_R this is like the 5th wall

[@CaitiffFTW]

Hypertime. JLA/Avengers is a thing. Thor is well aware of the existence of Joker.

[@MA5Kprod]

you're confused, this is Aquaman, not Thor.

[@Volroomste_melk]

Noticed it to

[@alexandersmith7061]

Lol

[@512TheWolf512]

all things considered, a vat full of prions can INDEED be called a vat of chemicals! so nothing technically wrong with that origin story

[@royepic3504]

Eugene InLaw it’s at 69 likes so I’m gonna leave it there

[@CieJe.Alexander]

Can Prions continue to exist in a vat? Or do they require a host to survive?

[@CieJe.Alexander]

@@wilhelmseleorningcniht9410 Thank you it does help. But, would there be a legit reason why anyone would have a vat of prions just sitting around? I understand that it is almost always stated as being illegal toxic waste, but it seems as if prions would be to valuable to leave in an open vat that way?

[@CieJe.Alexander]

@@wilhelmseleorningcniht9410 Sounds good! I'd read/watch it!

[@TheAce736]

If it the toxic waste can selectively destroy the melanin in the skin without melting it then it could probably do more than enough to some nerve cell to cause it to misfold

[@guessmyname1104]

"Excuse me, ma'am..." Kyle turns around: "It's SIR!" 😨

[@starshot2661]

Ha, that's funny. I wonder if anyone else will get the reference?

[@maverick885]

@@starshot2661 i got it

[@FnRenner]

If you've seen him monkey his way up a wall you'll know it's notKyle, it's Sci-Thor.

[@gandalftheantlion]

None, even Harley Quinn noted that joker is faking insanity and perfectly knows what he is doing.

[@gandalftheantlion]

cak01vej yes, but by legal standards he is not protected by the insanity clause if he is a psychopath.

[@joshuagranger2529]

@cak01vej well he knows it's wrong because he pretty much announces when ever he kills someone he's just doesn't give a fuck

[@En.GergerRacc]

If he perfectly knows what he's doing and still wants to do it, that is still indicative of mental illness. Sane people don't tend to fake insanity or do murder.

[@gandalftheantlion]

Gavin Smith the imaginary axis did a really good video on joker as being super sane, even though Kyle chooses to ignore super sanity there is no doubt of its possibility. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gn-xqYZ8oMyqh7c also a psychopath is not classified as insanity, people tried using that in court but it doesn’t hold water.

[@BrutusTheOwl]

@@En.GergerRacc Those traits aren't necessarily indicative of mental illness. Also, often times especially in recent times, the mass shooters and such have no prior history of mental illness or are classified as insane. And really, ONLY sane people can fake insanity, hence the faking part. Also murder has always been more often than not a totally sane and rational endeavor.

[@someboddyy2964]

Who else already knew prions from plague inc ?

[@Boomrainbownuke9608]

"raises hand"

[@Ghostscar]

Iceland Knows well.

[@chrispeefeart4655]

I still learned a lot more from this though

[@edtexas5064]

TV show Regenesis for me

[@UnlimitedFlyers]

Ah, Plague Inc --- I've killed the world so many times now, I've learned to be genuinely scared of the real epidemic outbreaks when they occur. Because we all know how it starts...

[@SmurfYeahBizNitches]

"Thanks so much for watching Gary" My name is Gary. I am legitimately confused.

[@DAEDAEANT]

I was honestly searching for a comment like this

[@Armygirlsdad]

You must've missed a previous episode where he told us to watch you. He wanted to make sure you stayed safe. You're welcome.

[@mysteryman1036]

Ali Desch I love that show! Shame they had to cancel it though

[@KyrosX27]

Leave it to Kyle to put the _fun_ in Funerary Cannibalism! Love the show btw!

[@thassalantekreskel5742]

Now that's a joke worthy of Mark Hammil's Joker voice.

[@numberjackfiutro7412]

Yep

[@mattschroeder3432]

bad memory loss could also explain why his personality keeps changing

[@thedarkapex5327]

He doesn't have bad memory lol

[@gregorygreenwood-nimmo4954]

The pathology of the Joker as explained by Science Thor - this is pretty much Nerdvanah, and I love it.

[@richardalvares5834]

Does that mean joker is not in control of his actions? I thought joker was a psychotic mastermind genius Now he's just ill

[@doomyboi]

He can be both. You make the most of what you got, after all.

[@Fernandanatac]

He can have this disease AND be a psychopath (that would technically be called Anti-social Personality Disorder) + be simply intelligent by his own merits. He HAS to have more than this disease, because not everybody that has it is a genocidal mastermind criminal like Joker. The disease would only explain the psychotic behavior and uncontrollable laughter.

[@MagicMorton]

He was never really a true genius tbh and he is in control of his actions fully. Just they aren't good or made to succeed most of the time

[@Spud1210]

Watch the imaginary axis’s video on the joker’s sanity. He is actually on a fictional level of sanity called SUPER sanity which is where he realises his entire reality is a comic book and that’s what he does what he does. He torments batman because he knows he’s never going to kill h8m since the comics won’t let him kill the main hero, which is why in a comic where the joker truly believes he has killed the batman he actually becomes sane and convinces himself he actually was insane all those years, until batman comes back, which the joker knows would be impossible if it were in the real world, and becomes a criminal again. He also feels the pressure of the audience, knowing that he needs to constantly one up batman and himself to remain Batman’s worst and most popular villain. He kills innocent people because he is trying to ex0lain to batman that they are in a comic, and the people he kills usually don’t even have names, faces or families, which is why he finds it funny that batman cares so much about people that, to the joker, might aswell not exist. In my opinion, the only time we see a joker that is ACTUALLY INSANE is in the batman who laughs’s universe in the dark knights storyline. Where joker finds out the chemical vat he fell into is slowly killing him, so h goes all out in destroying and killing everyone in Gotham to the point where batman kills him. In this story the joker no longer cares about entertaining his audience or explaining to batman that their reality is fake, all he knows is that HIS life as he knows it is ending, so he isn’t going to leave anyone alive, which is what our joker usually does with main characters so the audience is left wondering if he will ACTUALLY kill them. The joker in the dark multiverse isn’t trying to keep the readers attention because he doesn’t care about them anymore, he just wants to fuck with batman as much as possible before he dies so he makes sure batman is the ONLY person he ha to worry about by killing EVERYONE else he comes across. I think this joker is truly insane because when he finds out he is dying his mind shifts down from super sanity, to insanity, because he no longer acknowledges the fact he is in a comic book and just does what pleases HIM most, not the audience, now he is treating the citizens of Gotham as ACTUAL PEOPLE because he thinks killing the most PEOPLE will get to batman the most, whereas our joker wouldn’t bother killing random citizens because he knows they aren’t real and will only kill those he or batman are actually 8n contact with

[@zakazany1945]

@@Spud1210 Mind = blown

[@urekmazino2086]

It would be really damn scary if he had no diseases and perfectly okay. Like imagine a sane person who can act like that. That's scary.

[@jamesdrennan7964]

i do...

[@kda9x]

@@jamesdrennan7964 what

[@danieldoesgaming5899]

" or by being jerad leto" this is just the second video of yours im watching, and i love it

[@Chiwi2004]

I almost spit out my drink at that joke. Disappointed there aren't more comments about it

[@corey8704]

Laughter is the best medicine Kuru: Hold my prion.

[@lennysmileyface]

"Yeah, eating brains ain't good y'all can stop that mate."

[@bradmolyneaux5883]

Kyle: warning. I'm going to show you a medical picture totally not disturbing unless you have some sort of phobia. Me: I'm eating but medical scans aren't anything. Kyle: tribes ate the infected brains and bodies of their loved ones. Me: *gag* where's my warning on that one?!?!

[@becausescience]

didn't show it -- kH

[@thegrandmaguss84]

Didnt show it omegalul

[@bradmolyneaux5883]

@@becausescience oh of course. Because no ever has used the pink elephant example. And there is no such thing as books or audio books where they describe things to create imagery in people's minds. And listening to horrible stories on the news doesn't invoke emotional reactions in people. Totally not a thing you are right. ;) And by the way, someone said to man up. I reported you. You could say that sort of thing to my face but I doubt you would be man enough. You're a troll. Being desensitized to everything is not a positive attribute and in case you are thinking otherwise I made the original post to be a little tongue in cheek about my reaction. You made yours to be rude. Keep your garbage personality to yourself.

[@lojika1majik]

@@bradmolyneaux5883 after that long winded comment, you should also keep your own garbage private.

[@corbanoT.V.]

@@bradmolyneaux5883 jeez, dude, calm down.

[@ruyman90]

I see so this time instead teaching people of how to defeat superheroes, Kyle decided to go into the law and give a chance for the joker to have a plea for insanity by mental disease in court so he would be put into Arkam Asylum instead of a high security prison because he knows that because the lack of security is like a playground for villains so that they can conspire freely. I see what you are doing Kyle. PS: I already changed my identity and my location.

[@osmosisjones4912]

Hears question for evoltionary workings what if a prion is benofitial. But generics that passed down the gene

[@bandotaku]

This is why Joker is never put in prison.

[@khristoferdickover8983]

But what if the Joker IS experiencing memory loss? That would be a good explanation as to why his origin story is inconsistent between different versions of himself. The memory loss affected his long term memories more so than the newer ones.

[@joshuakloc8558]

More directed at the game calling it Jokeritis itis is a medical suffix meaning inflammation based on the description you gave on CJD I think it would be more accurate to call it Jokerlysis as the Lysis suffix means deterioration or destruction. Love the show man!

[@AAllen-br8it]

I for one prefer "Mad Clown Disease"

[@snazytoons4142]

Rick J-420 No no, it should be called "Clown Guy Who Attacks a Man in a Bat Costume Disease"

[@brianwhorton5619]

Hey KYLE, huge fan of the show. What do you think is actually in Bane's V.E.N.O.M. serum to make him the powerhouse we know him as?

[@matthewrinaldo8709]

Steroids lots and lots of steroids with some amphetamine and psilocybin thrown in just for fun

[@chezwizard]

That's chlorophyll.

[@AAllen-br8it]

Sci fi chemicals

[@brianwhorton5619]

Yeah but I want Kyle to explain it and make it more fun. Plus you know you want to see a neon dry erase Bane

[@AAllen-br8it]

@@brianwhorton5619 true

[@daveyryuzaki6533]

Psychologist: what caused this? Joker 2019: Society...

[@St_Mindless]

A society THAT ABANDONS HIM AND TREATS HIM LIKE TRASH! I'll tell you what you get. YOU GET WHAT YOU FUCKING DESERVE!

[@bboyfan22]

Idea for a future BS What would John Carter really be able to do on Mars?

[@bigdaddymike5225]

IniTial91 that’s a good idea. Thanks for that inspiration. Hope they do a video on that.

[@matthewthompson9902]

Like the supernatural strength and leaping ability.

[@bboyfan22]

@@MostlyPennyCat good point

[@redacted144]

Isn’t lower gravity mean less dense atmosphere? Will he just simply suffocate?

[@RedwoodTheElf]

@@MatthewBaron I think he meant "What would John Carter be able to do on a mars AS DESCRIBED in the novels. In the novels, Mars has massive machines that replenish their atmosphere so it is approximately Earth normal pressure for, say, Denver.

[@DeadUnicornClub]

You've now made me afraid of a new thing. I'm sending you my therapy bill.

[@maninthebox420m]

I like the idea of him being super sane. He's always 2 steps ahead of Batman, he knows right from wrong he just chooses wrong because he gets a kick out of it.

[@YngolSonofYsgramor]

I dont care what anyone says Prions frighten me much more than a black hole ever could

[@MrAsh-hr9mm]

Much more likely as well.

[@eanna3781]

What about the Elephant's Foot?

[@skylx0812]

I thought that was _"prisons"_ and my thoughts went places...

[@eanna3781]

@@skylx0812 don't drop the soap

[@AlexandreMS71]

Those sucker scare the hell out of me since I've read about them some 30 years ago.

[@МихаилСирманов]

As you said, bats said that it is mutated so imajine this: A human, carying CJD fals in a tanker with a chemical, that acts as a mutagen to the amiloid placks in his barin, thus changing their effects (life expectancy, psychological deformations, even voice changes) and even changing the way that the illness transmits (instead of injection of brain tissue - by blood transfer, as in Batman Arkham City game, where the infection is spread by The Jokers blood) This makes me wonder if scarecrows toxin didn't cure batman in the last scene of Arkham Knight

[@fanasful]

The KZbinr "The Imaginary Axis" made a video about this topic that is quite a bit more faithful to the comics. You can see it here: watch?v=LNNxSFkgwQU TL;DW: According to the comics Joker has so called "Super Sanity", which basically means he is so sane, that he knows he lives in a comic. He does what he does because it keeps the comics alive (and therefore him) and all the people he killed are just drawings, therefore he never actually harmed anybody.

[@joshuabruun3813]

Fuckin genius

[@corbanoT.V.]

That's actually pretty cool.

[@ThugOG30VIPs3rd-T]

That actually sounds sooo likely. Its like he breakin the 1st wall wit out REALLY SHOWING IT IS WOW. def will watch

[@DanielRieger]

Finally figured out the name of the Because Science music, Trash Disco 2 by Alexis Smith & Joe Henson, for those interested

[@Felipeh999]

4:18 Well... As far as I know, there's still no consensus about whether viruses are alive or not. Perhaps that's why Kyle used air quotes?

[@becausescience]

There's not even a consensus on what "alive" means! -- kH

[@superiorredditor8173]

"That is no laughing matter" I see what you did there.

[@BlestNekun]

Everyone knows The Joker suffers from SUPER SANITY. He sees the code in the matrix. The Joker is the One.😋 😎🍻😎

[@becausescience]

We live in a society -- kH

[@BlestNekun]

@@becausescience A society only "one bad day" away from falling into utter chaos! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!🤪 😎🍻😎

[@Beegrene]

One explanation of "super sanity" that I've seen and really liked is that Joker, on some potentially-subconscious level, knows that he's fictional. He knows that he's just a character in a comic book. In that case, his horrifying antics are a form of self-preservation. We all know that comic book characters tend not to stay dead for long. The only reason a comic book character would die and stay dead is if the readers weren't interested in reading stories about them any more. I posit that Joker does what he does specifically so that he remains interesting to comic book audiences and thus ensures his own continued existence.

[@thralldumehammer]

It only takes one system to fail. Sheeple will flip out

[@FrozEnbyWolf150]

Yes, the Joker is very much like Deadpool, and has been written similarly. Although the Joker doesn't do this as often, he's been shown breaking the 4th wall, turning the page of his own comic, and remembering multiverse and Marvel crossovers that nobody else does. In fact, in the original Pre-Crisis DC multiverse, Earth Prime was supposedly the real earth, where DC is a publisher and superheroes are fictional. So there's a basis for the Joker knowing he's a character in a comic book.

[@smellybruhwithattitude7287]

Noodle king has a great idea you should find out what is in scarecrows gas

[@astralascendance]

The joker is really just super aware of his being. He knows he is in a comic book. They cover this canonly in quite a few different comics

[@anoninunen]

Five seconds before watching, I was like "He ate brains, right?" Is this the power of ultra-instinct?

[@ribosomerocker]

Teach me your ways

[@MegaManXPoweredUp]

Is this "Because Science" or _beyond science?_

[@xal3xmedia]

I bet you weren't even using 1% of your power as well

[@boh-d2u]

Scott Gleason This is... requiem

[@ticonofruger573]

I think he has both CJD and Kuru. Given that he has symptoms of both. Could it be possible that the mix of both diseases would alter each other to create an entirely new disease?

[@ButcherofRagol]

The problem is, where would he contract Kuru? Has the Joker been to Papua New Guinea?

[@tylerpowell405]

One thing is that one has to wonder about if the prions meet together. If the prions do meet, what is there to say that one misfolded protein could not turn the other? Similar in a way that some bacteria and viruses would fight against each other for dominance, something similar could happen. It would be interesting to see if anything like that has been tested before.

[@ticonofruger573]

@@ButcherofRagol The vat of chemicals he fell in I guess.

[@ticonofruger573]

@@tylerpowell405 Agreed.

[@meganofsherwood3665]

Without delving into my cell bio textbook, it depends on which protein is the culprit. As I recall, CDJ is a very specific protein that gets misfolded, and proceeds to turn the normal versions of that protein into the corrupted form. Kuru *may* be a different protein, and differebt misfolding of the same protein, or a misfolding of a variant of the protein unique-ish to the people of Papua New Guinea (again, this is without checking my textbook)

[@leoalcaraz6153]

Thank you for making the joker scarier than he already was

[@JeremyWS]

Batman has always been my favorite comic book character. I really liked this one.

[@pandapanda4124]

Even his BDSM?

[@gj9157]

For you..

[@fearz-4367]

Who would've guessed lol.

[@Lycandros]

I did a presentation about this in high school 19 years ago or so, and aside from the Joker correlation was very similar. Find it sad that not much has changed in the understanding/ healing. Happy to learn that the Kuru outbreak has greatly improved however.

[@SFMPlayz]

Can't get it by falling into chemicals or being Jared Leto 😂😂 I'm dead

[@nettowaku1252]

Kyle: "I was sipposed to be g..." My brain: "...ay."

[@Jason-tz7ir]

It's funny because he is

[@MrKeenanrutledge]

Mah man!! I'm working up to super nerd status....these things take time. But I would love to say that everything you do is awesome brotha!! Keep on keepin on!!

[@becausescience]

Very kind, thank you Keenan! -- kH

[@MrKeenanrutledge]

@@becausescience Made my day lol Thanks for taking the time to read and reply. Thats beyond awesome mah man haha

[@barrybend7189]

How safe are Gundam's fusion reactors and SEED's fission reactors?

[@MechaZen]

Add 00 gundam's gn drives which implies a perpetual motion machine. Cmon kyle you know you wanna do an episode based on a well known mecha series

[@barrybend7189]

@@MechaZen the GN drive is semi perpetual. The TD blanket acts as an alternator to both refine the particles but also act as a power capacitor to keep the engine going. Hence why the GN tau drives have limited operation times( like a car with a non functioning alternator and runs on the battery.

[@barbatosrex1087]

Or the better question: Can Jesus Yamato survive being at the epicenter of a nuclear explosion?

[@MechaZen]

@@barbatosrex1087 wut?! That's common sense ofc he'll survive

[@xerodelacroix5552]

He doesn't actually have a mental illness. It's been confirmed numerous times that he's aware he's living in a fictional world, and thus acts as to what seems insane in that insane fictional world.

[@theskeletalrebel3908]

Nice job on the episode Kyle. Glad to see you didn’t go the way of the Harlequin, instead sticking to your dark background.

[@theskeletalrebel3908]

@Revolver Ocelot, just some wordplay. Harley Quinn went crazy trying to diagnose the Joker. Batman is the dark knight and Kyle lives in the darkness of the void.

[@שלומיוינר]

well, it might sound crazy but the joker is not psychiatric disordered but a genius. it just might be hard to process but let's look at what mental illness is. it’s a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. the joker hoewer is not mentally ill but looks at the world from another perspective (and sort of logical perspective). one of the beautiful things about the joker is his similarities to batman. they both were born out of one tragedy a tragedy that left them mining less. and as batman says himself- when life is meaningless you need to give them mining yourself. for batman it was to embrace and work for better conventional morality. for the joker hoewer it was to leave conventional morality behind. the joker sees good and evil as one of the same. no villain sees himself as evil. even thanos saw himself as the hero, but the joker kills the line between good and evil. were most villains do things to gain power he does it to prove a point. that morality is fragile. he makes people do horrible things to teach as that there is no good or evil and that they are one of the same. and also to teach as that humans with our morality are corrupt. he is not evil as well in the comics he refuses to join red skull in the marvel dc crossover, and he killed Lex Luthor in infinite crisis. what makes the joker dangerous is not that he is mentally ill, the joker is ok mentally, what makes him dangerous is that he understood how fragile is morality and he made it his life purpose to prove himself correct. however he did not abandon conventional morality all together but replace it with humor. hope my comment is nerdy enough to convince you he is not evil and for kyle to get me in on his villain plans. your poster is on his way to my roof i will send u a photo later on Shlomi Vinar

[@abhijitdas8588]

Could not agree more. Someone with CJD would have progressively degenerating cognitive abilities. As He said, "I am not a monster, I am just ahead of the curve."

[@lirondadon6727]

U are so right and funny

[@נועםפרטוש-ט4ג]

I'm agree with you.

[@octohhytyuf6ur952]

The right stuff are the long one. (That what she said)

[@דורהרוש-ת5ל]

אחלה שלומי

[@xlaythe]

I think (in addition) he's meant to have classic sociopathy.

[@LightsOnTrees]

Batman also then proves the positive link between increased physical exercise and cognitive function.

[@jammanapalliramaiah2274]

Ah, what

[@gabepatton9851]

Well, provides evidence for it anyways

[@professionalmemeenthusiast2117]

Not really surprising. If the blood is flowing better through the body then more oxygen gets to the brain.

[@skylx0812]

Dunno but the last one (Leto) looked like they dug up David Bowie's corpse and put Halloween makeup on it.

[@leonmorte7241]

@@ericsacks5731 i agree Leto wasn't a good Joker, but your grammer is terrible.

[@ericsacks5731]

@@leonmorte7241 this is how people on the Northside of Milwaukee Wisconsin, USA speak, it's the regional dialect

[@user-nu8in3ey8c]

The video games and newer movies are a departure from the classic Joker. The newer artists and writers likely are not trying to stay close to the original vision of the joker. The original Joker(and the earlier films and animations) was written with attention to detail. The Joker was simply a cunning, mobster(See Jack Napier), sociopath (see anti-social personality disorder) who fell into a vat of toxic chemicals/waste and had his skin bleached, and some psychiatric disturbances from said event. The nerve damage causes the bleached skin, a perpetual slasher smile, and the laughter and additional disturbances could be related to trauma from the injury and disfigurement. His violent behavior is explained by his prior occupation and antisocial personality disorder. As a sociopath Jack Napier could manipulate, he could appear to be friendly, he could play the victim, he could intimidate. With the nerve damage and skin bleaching of his face, he really cant appear warm and charismatic. His criminal acts make it hard to play the victim card. That only really leaves the Joker persona. He can intimidate, and disturb his potential victims with his permanent slasher smile and bursts of laughter. High intelligence, fine motor skills, and above average coordination should rule out prions and other diseases that cause catastrophic damage to the brain.

[@Subutai_Khan]

One correction. Viruses aren't in fact considered living anymore being smaller than the basic unit of life cells. They also don't behave entirely like living things.

[@joa1035]

So the virus discussion finally came to an end? Interesting.

[@walkinmn]

The debate is still going but i do think most of the scientific community agrees in non-living. But the main factor is definitely not the size, there are viruses as big as 400 nm and cells as small as 200 nm having said that in biology there's always exceptions to the rule. Personally i agree that viruses shouldn't be considered a living thing, since they don't have most of the necessary parts to function by itself that it can exist in its own classification doesn't mean that it has to be alive and this is more evident for prions.

[@ginnyjollykidd]

A professor of mine called them something like a "nucleus in search of a cell."

[@watchmiker]

Hey Kyle! I'm back! What if the Joker has Huntingtons disease? A great many of the symptoms involve compulsive behavior, lack of restraint, hallucinations, violent outbursts, and so on. Instead of an infectious disease, this disease is hereditary and degenerative. This would possibly play to a progression of jokers schemes from simple crimes to grand, crazy plans to destroy the city. It could also play into jokers that appear in different times. The joker is simply passing along huntingtons to his offspring. I don't know much about the DC universe. Has the joker tried transmitting the disease to other people? Seems like a joker thing to do. But the only chemical I've ever heard of him using is a mix of cyanide and laughing gas to kill people. If hes never tried to spread his disease, I would contest that it's more plausible that he has an inherited disease, and passes it down to keep his legacy going. Thanks! Mike

[@STRAKAZulu]

The Joker has tried "infecting" others before. For example: in Batman Beyond, one of the last Robins was tortured by him for a time, in an effort to make him another Joker. He even gave him a transfusion of his blood. It didn't take effect until Terry took over as Batman. Then, there's the second plot of Arkham Knight. He sent contaminated bags of blood to hospitals around Gotham, infecting four people.

[@DaveLennonCopeland]

I have Huntingtons disease in my family, it killed my mum (39 years old), my sister (40 years old) and my brother (42 years old)... I could go mad too... I nursed my brother at home (we lived in a shared house together) until he died, not good. It gradually kills off healthy nerve cells in the brain, leading to loss of language, thinking and reasoning abilities, memory, coordination, movement, and emotional problems, with occasional sparks of awareness... I am in my early 40s and would NOT wish this on anyone, even enemies (not that I have any)... When my brother died, the local news paper wanted to interview me because they thought it was CJD, I declined.

[@watchmiker]

@@DaveLennonCopeland I am so sorry to hear about your situation and I hope you didn't take any offense to my speculation. I did not wish to make light of the disease. I know it is a horrific way to live and die... i apologise if you took offense.

[@DaveLennonCopeland]

Watchmiker - No offence taken, all good... Just wanted to say that it defo would NOT make for a very good Joker, is all... And yeah, when Kyle mentioned CJD, it sparked a nerve (so to speak)... :)

[@joshuakusuma5953]

In the Batman Who Laughs miniseries, Joker did try infecting Batman with his "toxin". Symptoms were violent outbursts, spontaneous laughter, increase in aggressive behavior and bloodshot eyes for some reason.

[@shinkaiatsuya950]

The same one deadpool has Breakingfourthwall-itis.

[@biohazard724]

Nope, cancer. Lots of cancer. A buttload of cancer. Some of it actually in his butt.

[@shinkaiatsuya950]

​@@biohazard724 Its not all bad, I mean regeneration is pretty op.

[@FatNinjaWalrus]

so, i paused this video at 5:11 to look up CJD because i remembered having read about it after batman initially mentions it in arkham knight. i spent the next hour reading about kuru, the Fore people, and most interestingly, their culture. then i remembered i was watching this video, came back, clicked play, and proceeded to have you go down the exact path of topics i had just wiki-wandered through myself lol

[@richardalvares5834]

By the way Kyle love your show and thanks for answering my Aquaman question.. it means a lot to me.. thankyou

[@rodarevil1008]

I wonder how is possible that Mr freeze may ve able to move & Survivor so low tempeatures

[@assassinmaster3419]

I think what it was that the body temperature of his body temperature dropped radically. This made room temperature basically suck the moisture out of his body, making him dehydrated. If stuck like this long enough, he would die from dehydration

[@thetruth45678]

I think Joker has Witzelsucht, a set of pure and rare neurological symptoms characterized by a tendency to make puns, or tell inappropriate jokes or pointless stories in socially inappropriate situations.

[@dattasubrahmanyam8719]

Well, what will happen if these prions are exposed to ionizing radiation ? Will that be a cure or a curse ?

[@ailius1520]

A prion is a protein, and a protein is by definition one big molecule. Either the molecule is hit by a radioactive particle, in which case it is destroyed, or the radiation misses. There really isn't a case of a molecule being "exposed" to radiation...either it's hit or it's not. But, if you're asking if radiation therapy can cure a prion disease...no. Prions are much smaller than cells. You'll just be hitting everything around the prions much more often than the prions themselves. Think of radiation therapy like a scene in Bravehart. There's a scene where Edward Longshanks is commanding an army of sellswords fighting the scotts, and the infantry are in this big melee, and Longshanks orders his archers to fire a volley on the mass, killing the scotts, but his own troops as well. He says he can do this because he has reserves. Radiation therapy works on cancer cells because they are the same size as healthy cells and your healthy cells are replaceable. Now imagine the same scenario only this time the scotts are six inches tall and the sellswords about 10 feet tall, but "antman" rules apply so the scotts are still dangerous and the 10ft guys are still just as vulnerable. Now a volley of arrows would mostly just kill Longshank's own troops but would do minimal damage to the scotts because the arrows have a much higher chance of randomly hitting a larger target. That's why radiation therapy doesn't work on viruses and would be worse for prions. You're better off just keeping the white blood cells alive.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

@@ailius1520I really like your examples!

[@jayvis123111]

I wonder if kyle considered if the joker is just super-sane and realizes that he is in fact is a form of media (a comic/movie/game ect...) it seems to me that from the comics that I've glanced at that this would also explain why the joker does what he does. I would also say that I think that the idea of the joker being actually sick is kinda not on one of the messages I think Batman tries to represent. Which is that a normal human, with sufficient background, can become something wonderful. Meanwhile the joker is shown to be the exact opposite. Circumstances that create a great evil. At least that's my interpretation.

[@uzzwalkumar253]

U might like it. www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DLNNxSFkgwQU&ved=2ahUKEwickqve--HjAhV1guYKHSWYCk8QwqsBMAB6BAgCEAU&usg=AOvVaw1giHK1OLk4ZoVMfWJn28Kv

[@SuperShanko]

jayvis123111 Doubtful, because Mr. Mxy fully understands the big picture and is just doing shit for lolz, while Joker once had that level of power yet just killed Batman hundreds of times for shits and giggles.

[@Samhain_III]

I think the path of super-sanity is the more probable since the joker has a slightly different illness than all of the victims of his [joker-gas, mad-clown-desease, ...]. For example he has no halluzinations, is not completely incapacitated and he survives for a long time. I think the comparison of the illness his victims contracts is probably a prion-disease, BUT that is only similar to what the joker himself is afflicted by. So I would argue that the joker weaponized a prion-disease, but he himself has a different disease.

[@kalebduff9589]

Dam right

[@AAllen-br8it]

I really do think that people misunderstand Grant Morrison's "Super Sane" concept a lot. Though it can be supported by meta contextual gags here and there in the comics, and it's a fun thought to entertain, I honestly don't think the whole 4th wall breaking ability holds up too well under scrutiny when you look at Joker's narrative throughout the Batman mythos. The Super Sanity is more like an abstract kind of Extra Sensory Perception to where Joker adapts his personality and focus towards whatever his mind compulsively draws him towards that given day. Morrison kind of spells out that it's like an extreme blend of Tourettes Syndrome and MPD rolled up in one. Essentially all it really means is that Joker is not exactly consciously sitting down and scheming all of these things like you or I would, it comes to him the way a tic comes to someone with tourettes. His ESP side hones in on his environment (as implied in A Serious House, the Joker takes in the constant barrage of perceptual input and goes with the flow seeing the world as his theatre of the absurd. I personally take this as his instincts responding with a sort of improv essentially.) So all of his complex schemes, him being such a precision instrument, inexplicably being able to pick up such a wide variety of skills so easily, seemingly limitless energy, unpredictability, dissasociative tendencies, it all just comes from this and it is what's constantly guiding him along like a neverending tic that adapts itself to his given situation (much like the function of a Joker card) It's a little hard to explain, Morrison is much better at it for sure(give his Batman run a chance it is phenomenal imo), but I honestly really like it and it holds up pretty much no matter what comic your reading that features the main Joker. Adds a sort of fun angle to look at him in as well.

[@Alovon]

Old one, but wanted to comment here. But I do say impressive work on Bruce for making a cure for Prions. Honestly in a realistic sense, my best idea would be using CRISPR to make a harmless virus that would spread through the body and modify the cells to allow them to have a proper interaction with the misfolded proteins, with the term being them recycling them for energy or something. Therefore, someone with that CRISPR virus/edit would progressively become immune to the effects of whatever Prion(s) the Virus was programmed to make the edit to target. Now, no real way to undo the damage for a active sufferer, but as a vaccine, pretty great.

[@Aynshtaynn]

7:05 Wait, is Aquaman an Australian patrol officer? That's strange

[@JediSentinal]

🤔🤔🤔 arthur... hmmmmm

[@somberzeus]

Hey Kyle and the rest of the BS crew. I just wanted to say thank you. I'm in my first year of studying microbiology and neuroscience and have been concerned about what I was going to write my thesis on in my final year and this video has pointed me in the right direction. Keep up the good work.

[@GhostRider-uk3xv]

I thinking about an traumatic, anti-social and narcisstic personality.

[@bignibba7428]

New episode ideas: How can superman control his opitic laser Could superman fly through and survive a planet How long would it take for the flash (or anyone with super speed) to gain enough speed to run of the side of the earth What would happen to a human or animal if the flash hit it at full speed

[@ZalorgLeGoose]

Take a mashed potato. Cover in ketchup. Put a bit of explosive powder in it. Watch.

I think part of the Flash ones are explained in the Super Speed video

[@SeantheBawse]

Kyle, I'm disappointed...you didn't use any clips from Plague Inc. Haha. Favorite episode in a while.

[@Xray_3051]

That’s how the Batman who laughs was made, interesting

[@leocoelho4536]

joker video wears purple shirt well done.

[@becausescience]

of course -- kH

[@georgiaw6955]

Not that you need validation from a local idiot, but this is all super true and super terrifying. Another symptom of CJD and/or Kuru along with fits of laughter is random dancing! Introducing our newest game, Dance Dance Encephalopathy. Also how wild is the evolutionary resistance to Kuru!

[@PaleGhost69]

Obviously Joker has Depression. That's why he's so obsessed about smiling.

[@eanna3781]

I feel personally attacked.

[@EdwardNo1]

No, he has a trauma and that's why he's obsessed with smiling, just like Gohan with he's poses

[@koomori]

This is probably a joke, but there is at least one canon where Joker does have a form of depression. In White Knight, Harley explicitly says that Joker suffers from dysthymia, which is a persistent, low level depression. It's also something *I* suffer from, so seeing that was a special little form of representation. Of course, the Joker of White Knight is staunchly different from other Jokers, including the fact that he explicitly has never murdered anyone. I think it *is* likely that most iterations of Joker suffer from some form of depression and possibly PTSD (honestly, most of Gotham probably does). Most likely, Joker has serious abuse and possibly neglect in his past, and was unable to, or uninterested in, not perpetuating that cycle. There are likely environmental factors beyond abuse and neglect, as well.

[@koomori]

@@10tailedbijuu I've read Killing Joke, yes, and I've seen UtRH.

[@walkinmn]

Mental diseases can be very complex

[@Riggy1991]

the Joker has super sanity, he has perfect understanding of the fictional DC universe and realises that nothing matters as they'll get rebooted at some point anyway

[@KINGKROSBYSKINGDOM]

that's part of it yes

[@Nick12_45]

11:47 the person named gary watching this video: 🤨😳

[@riot2944]

Your Alfred impression sounds like Peter Griffin 😂.

[@becausescience]

Pfft that's a perfect Michael Caine -- kH

[@riot2944]

I respect your scientific abilities but ehhh I'd say it was a 4/10 Michael Cain and a 8/10 Peter Griffin. Thanks for the reply.

[@PiroMunkie]

This was my thought as well. xD Definitely heard Peter Griffin.

[@AmyraCarter]

TSE's are no joke. Some of them can be transmitted upon any contact, though I've never seen it firsthand.

[@facundoynsfran]

I've seen it, and I am scared af

[@TheMildConfusion]

Shoulda said, "First try!" after that last smoke bomb.

[@elgiba1]

Great show as always :D Even in the comics this diagnosis would be “kind of” correct, during the batman’s metal event appeared a batman who killed his joker and subsequently got infected because of it, and if its some kind os CJD i can imagine that killing the host could cause the desease to spread to nearby people Ps: hope i can finally make it to foot notes

[@zakosist]

7:30 I always had a habit of laughing at random time points (from actually thinking of something funny) I wonder how many people must have thought I have kuru...

[@MustafaKhan-mj8yv]

What about the bleached skin. Would love to hear your thoughts on that. And what chemicals would cause it

[@JediSentinal]

ninjabearfilms has a good possible explanation in comment above this. check it out. its a long comment but explains a lot

[@mtgmtg3090]

:47 The Joker has uncontrollable bouts of laughter. Sounds like Kamala Harris.

[@Rockwell218]

Great episode, love the show! Honestly the best part was learning that prion is a portmanteau

[@lewisrichardson1539]

It depends what joker you're talking about, some of them (like the one in the recent movie) laugh uncontrollably due to a disease and can't help it, but heath ledgers joker in the dark Knight didn't seem to have the same issue, and simply laughed because, well... He was insane 😂

[@Enigma7331]

remember the original X-Men movie where Magneto wanted to turn normal humans into mutants? Could that be done by a type of Prion disease?

[@hirosmirnov8287]

Good theory, but I think it's more of a freestyle-CRISPR, where the viral agent is injected into the cells, and is then allowed to do its thing.

[@joedelorra1016]

To practice for his role in the new Joker film, Joaquin Phoenix became a gamer and lived in a society for 984 days!

[@fellahanas4222]

if you don't wait for the 'random' fun fact after the BS logo display you're def missing out .

[@GarrettOtt-ls2ml]

Your contents so good and ur jus great at explaining and keeping things interesting. I'm extremely surprised you dont have more subs

[@MarijanVukojevic]

He does not have a disease. The Imaginary Axis already examined the Jokers mental condition and concluded that he is Supersane. Please go and watch that video.

[@masterhack5767]

Kyla i doubt you will see this comment, but i wanted to say thank you for making all your videos. I have learnt so much from all of them and its entertaining the way you do them. Truly.

[@dariensampson7913]

The implication you made was that prions form randomly and can be spread through cannibalism but it is also thought that cannibalism causes prion disease.

[@m.4243]

Kyle, any reason you didn’t touch more upon the psychology and mental illness possibilities of the Joker when conducting your conclusion? Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, and Dissociative disorders could be major factors influencing the Joker’s mental state on some level or another in various ways, and that’s only to name a few. Transmissible Decease’s and Kuru may simply be the tip of the Joker iceberg when delving into why he does what he does. PS: Love the show and your deduction process in general on the Joker. Hoping for more content in the future relating to these fields and DC in general.

[@maxchavez6870]

Oh Thor 's from the amalgam universe so he knows about the joker and Batman

[@brennanslocum3958]

"To the Kyle Computer!" - Kyle Hill, August 2019.

[@IulianAxiomAVI]

Ironically seeing this makes me laughs. kuru = the ass in Romanian

[@eanna3781]

Teehee

[@WiiWarrior933]

HAhHAhaahAhahA not funny didnt laugh

[@IulianAxiomAVI]

@@WiiWarrior933 okay, now I'm going to cry because my observation doesn't make you laugh

[@SkaldHaven]

1 minute old, 87 views, 29 likes. Impressive

[@ZalorgLeGoose]

1 minute and his video is bigger than my channel

[@AxeLea3]

Several things: Prion actually stands for "proteinaceous infectous only" "mad cow disease" is literally CJD but in cows. In fact it's what started the buzz around CJD (in this case vCJD for variant CJD because we categorize CJD by which way you contract it). CJD has 4 forms categorized sCJD ("sporadic" which means you develop it on your own) fCJD ("family" which means it's a genetic mutation causing you to develop these prions) iCJD ("iatrogene" which means you contract it through a medical procedure) and vCJD keep in mind these are all the same disease but you just contract it in different forms. well and a very fun-fact at the end: for everyone who ate beef while mad cow disease was running wild in britain, (due to feeding practices involving feeding livestock ground up remains of other livestock) the vCJD has an incubation time of up to 20 years so right about now is when the symptoms should be showing up, giving people who did contract it at that time an estimated life-expectancy (rom the point of diagnosis) of 6-12 months. (source: my own education in the medical field and doccheck.com for fact-checking)