Experiment "Universe-25": a paradise became hell
For the population of mice within a social experiment created a haven: unlimited supplies of food and drink, the absence of predators and disease, enough space for breeding. However, as a result of the whole colony of mice died. Why did this happen? And what are the lessons of this is to bring mankind?
American scientist ethologist John Calhoun has held a number of fascinating experiments in the 60-70 years of the twentieth century. As an experimental D. Calhoun invariably chose rodents, although the ultimate goal of the research was always a prediction for the future of human society. As a result of numerous experiments on the rodent colonies Calhoun has formulated a new term, "behavioral sink» (behavioral sink), indicating the transition to a destructive and deviant behavior in terms of overpopulation and overcrowding. His research John Calhoun has acquired a certain fame in the 60s, as many people in the Western countries that have experienced post-war baby boom, began to think about how overpopulation affect public institutions and for each person in particular.
His most famous experiment that made us think about the future of a whole generation, he held in 1972 in conjunction with the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The aim of the experiment "Universe-25" was to analyze the effect of population density on the behavioral patterns of the rodents. Calhoun built a haven for mice in the laboratory. It was created a tank size of two by two meters and a height of half a meter, where guinea could not get out. Inside the tank to maintain a constant comfortable temperature for mice (+20 ° C), present in abundant food and water, created numerous nests for the females. Each week the tank was cleaned and maintained in a constant state of cleanliness, all necessary safety measures have been taken: eliminates the appearance of predators in the tank or the occurrence of massive infections. The experimental mice were under the constant supervision of veterinarians, their health status is constantly monitored. food and water security system was so thought out that the 9500 mice could eat at the same time without experiencing any discomfort, and 6144 mice consume water, and without experiencing any problems. Space for mice was more than enough, the first problem of the lack of shelter can only occur when a population size of over 3840 individuals. However, such a large number of mice had not been in the tank, the maximum size of the population observed at the level of 2200 mice.
