Frankly, I expected my comments about mercury and lead
exposure to cause a larger debate. There's plenty of
tinfoil-hat info on the web that makes it sound like merely
looking at lead and mercury will fry your brain. But if
toxoplasmosis infection causes rats to no longer fear cat
urine, I'd also at least listen to anyone with a reasoned
argument that typical nerd exposure to various toxic
substances could enhance forms of obsessive-compulsive
afflictions, including hoarding.
My list of chemical exposure is huge, and includes automotive chemicals
and paints, industrial chemicals, commercial cleaners and degreasers,
and smart-but-stoopid kid exposures (smart enough to experiment, didn't
know about the risks). I do have a serious genetic disease that will
result in a short lifespan. I don't know if its from my life exposure or
exposure to a toxic dumpsite that my mother lived next to as a child
(hexavelent chromium and other stuff in Woburn, MA). Out of 4 kids I'm
the only one with the disease, so it could be from my technochemical
exposures.
I also have technology-hoarding disorders that I struggle with daily ;-)