The Mouse Utopia Experiment by Charles River Editors ISBN B0DG9BBXGX instant download

The Mouse Utopia Experiment by Charles River Editors ISBN B0DG9BBXGX instant download

Calhoun had already undertaken similar experiments. In fact, this would be his 25th attempt at creating a self-sustaining rodent colony. This experiment was known as the Mortality-Inhibiting Environment for Mice, but informally, it was known as mouse heaven or, more commonly, mouse utopia.

The experiment was carefully crafted, and Calhoun’s previous experience was used to design a “perfect” environment for mice. Free from predators, disease, and stress, with unlimited access to water and plentiful food supplies, the mice involved could, in theory, live much longer lives than mice in the wild. Calhoun built the “mouse universe,” added mice, and provided food and water. Then, for almost five years, he simply watched what happened in mouse utopia.

While it may be fair to wonder how a fairly obscure zoological experiment that took place over 50 years ago has any relevance to modern society, since the experiment ended, people have been using the findings of what became known as the Calhoun Mouse Utopia Experiment to make predictions about human behavior and human societies. In the decades since Calhoun finished his work, this experiment has been used to “prove,” among other things, that modern urban society is doomed, that contemporary society will inevitably lead to lethal levels of overpopulation, and even that political creeds such as communism and socialism are unsustainable.

The debate about what this experiment means for the future of humanity - or whether it means anything at all - continues to the present day, and few biological experiments