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Mouse Utopia Experiment

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I was introduced to the Mouse Utopia Experiment aka “behavioral sink“. It was run by ethologist John B. Calhoun to describe the collapse in behavior which resulted from overcrowding.

The experiment starts with 8 rats, 4 female and 4 male, in an environment (“Universe 25”) he created for the rats which could house and supply up to a population of 3000.

The population grew rapidly, also doubling every 60 days. Then it came to a point whereby there is slight overcrowding or that “new” mice couldn’t have their own “space” as most are already taken. There are also males who struggle to get acceptance.Violence broke out within some of the mice, typically the outcasted.

Then, there is the “beautiful ones” who are more interested in grooming, eating and sleeping than involving with others and having sex.

Also due to the violence (sometimes younger males challenge the alpha male for position and the right to mate) there are a generation of young that are exposed to violence, neglect or even death because both parents are showing such behaviours.

Then at the end, the population headed towards extinction when the population hits 2200. The death rate is high and the birthrate couldn’t keep up. There are still many younger generations who are not so willing to step up and double the population.

So of them as stated, “aren’t able to cope with the multiple contacts with soo many individuals”… Anyway, the whol;e population got wiped out.

Many says this is the future of human race, and that we’re the “beautiful ones”. But I’m not sure. But I just find this experiment really interesting.

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Written by alibb

24 Comments

    • In my humble opinion, one of the problem with overpopulation is, resources and space getting lesser … and then well, greed will come in, and everyone wants them for themselves …

      1

        • Errm… I haven’t been following enough of these development … so I’m not sure if dessert could be change into fertile land …
          If it can be done, I’m sure someone will do it because space will run out eventually

  3. we aren’t rodents, we can modify our behavior. the problem is, we seem to be modifying our behaviors to cause even more disastrous outcomes. truly the worst case scenario…

    2

    • If they’re willingly to modify their behaviours, its a good sign already…
      problem is, many doesn’t even want to or are afraid to change …

      1

          • we can change for the better and live. or we can do nothing and eventually kill ourselves. or we can change for the worse and hasten our own demise. guess which one we picked?

            1

          • That problem is long standing… doesn’t seem like they found a good solution other than raising petrol/fuel price. Progress have been done but till a really good and stable (and cheap enough) solution, it’s hardly conceivable to some businesses …

        • I guess so, but someone have to come out and define “better” changes and then make the others willing to follow …
          Now I see most are willing to stay status quo or as you say change for worst to reap in profits

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          • we can’t keep using fossil fuels- they’re destroying the environment and they’re running out so we have to find alternatives anyway. but instead of phasing them out, we just keep using them like they aren’t going to disappear one day, if we live long enough which is becoming doubtful…

            1

        • That problem is long standing… doesn’t seem like they found a good solution other than raising petrol/fuel price. Progress have been there but till a really good and stable (and cheap enough) solution, it’s hardly conceivable to some businesses …

          1