Japanese scientists say they've used genetic engineering to create mice that show no fear of felines, a development that may shed new light on mammal behavior and the nature of fear itself.
Scientists at Tokyo University say they were able to successfully switch off a mouse's instinct to cower at the smell or presence of cats — showing that fear is genetically hardwired and not learned through experience, as commonly believed.
"Mice are naturally terrified of cats, and usually panic or flee at the smell of one. But mice with certain nasal cells removed through genetic engineering didn't display any fear," said research team leader Ko Kobayakawa.
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Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:47 am Posts: 46000 Location: Reasonville
In his experiment, the genetically altered mice approached cats, even snuggled up to them and played with them. Kobayakawa said he chose domesticated cats that were docile and thus less likely to pounce.
_________________ No matter how dark the storm gets overhead They say someone's watching from the calm at the edge What about us when we're down here in it? We gotta watch our backs
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:47 am Posts: 46000 Location: Reasonville
malice wrote:
correct me if I'm wrong here, but wouldn't it be more logical to name the thread "cats now able to destroy entire populations of mice"?
fearless mice, mary. we're going to start seeing them go to work everyday at big-name corporations. fuck ... we're done.
_________________ No matter how dark the storm gets overhead They say someone's watching from the calm at the edge What about us when we're down here in it? We gotta watch our backs
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:47 am Posts: 46000 Location: Reasonville
malice wrote:
corduroy_blazer wrote:
malice wrote:
correct me if I'm wrong here, but wouldn't it be more logical to name the thread "cats now able to destroy entire populations of mice"?
fearless mice, mary. we're going to start seeing them go to work everyday at big-name corporations. fuck ... we're done.
Did you just finish reading 'Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIHM', or something, babe?
i don't know what you're talking about. this is serious.
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Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 4:01 am Posts: 19477 Location: Brooklyn NY
so cute
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LittleWing sometime in July 2007 wrote:
Unfortunately, it's so elementary, and the big time investors behind the drive in the stock market aren't so stupid. This isn't the false economy of 2000.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:47 am Posts: 46000 Location: Reasonville
i should volunteer at the local pound and begin to secretly train cats to seek out these fearless mice purposely in an attempt to stem their population growth.
_________________ No matter how dark the storm gets overhead They say someone's watching from the calm at the edge What about us when we're down here in it? We gotta watch our backs
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:47 am Posts: 46000 Location: Reasonville
conoalias wrote:
well, i'm not sure ANY mouse fears that fruitcake of a cat.
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