The Universe 25 Experiment [All Mice Died]

[@thisguyispeculiar]

Another underrated scientist. This man spent years repeating a tedious experiment to get foolproof results. Then proceeded to stay optimistic, offer possible solutions and built even more rat utopias to hit the bullseye. We need to talk more about such scientists, their research and findings.

[@Dark_Slayer3000]

Gigachad Scientist.

[@tabaxikhajit4541]

@@Dark_Slayer3000 What do you mean? Are you saying that about Calhoun, or about the commenter? Is it an insult or a compliment?

[@bluedragonfly8139]

Nah, dude's overrated and tried to link mouse behaviour with human behaviour. Humans don't react to their environment like mice do, but somehow he didn't seem to get that.

[@dekudeku5520]

@@bluedragonfly8139 see now i know you capping

[@ronmcintyre1232]

So a scientist can repeatedly inflict harm on animals to keep proving a point and he is considered underrated? I do agree that we should speak more about scientist like him because they do inhumane things under the guise of research. I could see a few times repeating his social experiment but 25?!

[@Treforce]

Although it is never mentioned, there is a factor in the original experiment that I think was overlooked. I think a key factor in the experiment, is the lack of recreational activity for the mice.

[@ProtomanButCallMeBlues]

He published numerous papers that Mice shouldn't be seen as a parallel to humans. Their evolutionary advantage (over populating) is not a good indicator for most mammals. Zoo animals like Gorillas and Pandas have very similar sheltered lifestyles but they never devolve like this.

[@Deathnotefan97]

He actually did later experiments where the mice also had access to mental stimulation, and most of the problems disappeared

[@sandvich3943]

Another thing that was glossed over in the video was not the asexuality among the mice, but the homosexuality that was rampant

[@blizzard1198]

​@@sandvich3943 that's irrelevant tbh. Look online and look at how many wild animals participate in homosexual activities, you'd be surprised at the statistics.

[@JadeiteCrush]

Inmates in prisons often attack each other for recreation.

[@FrankBlissett]

Calhoun's later findings were quickly glossed over (which is more than most reviews of his work do). His later research, in fact, showed that if, in addition to their physical needs, the rats/mice are also freely given mental stimulation, most of the ill effects go away.

[@TarsonTalon]

One small issue: What is society doing, right now, that is going to ensure its destruction? It shames those who 'quiet quit', who are in reality trying to get their minimum recreational needs.

[@odd_bobble9106]

Hostility, more importantly random hostility fulled by those who seek to have a defined political ideology.

[@andythomas4998]

A big problem with any experiments and on animals, is "assuming" anthing, such as developing narcissism... Forcing animals into overpopulation in a confined space, *of course that will cause the traumas that occurred* it should not take even one experiment torturing animals to death to figure that out. If the parameters, the enclosures were widedened, then there would most likely have been no extra stress but did they keep the rodents penned in one specific place, no broadening of pastures, so to speak, not allowed past physical barriers... The lack of ethics to this fake science is astounding.

[@andythomas4998]

@@TarsonTalon Imo, religious pairing imposed on those indoctrinated to "go forth and multiply", as in stay in your predetermined path that others have determined for you, causing resentment to be passed down, not taking other factors into consideration, known and unknown, such as those assuming elite-ships taking it upon themselves to "cure" the world of imagined ailments or what they actually do/did release to cause ailments "for the greater good"... Something I think the mice did not do, force peasant mice to work in tiny laboratories concocting Spanish flu for mice... surely that would have been mentioned. But blood sacrifices and scapegoating cannot be used without religion/spirituality, so the few assuming elitists make "peasants" fearful to leave cities of their own accord while even more factors are ushered in, almost stampeding through, there's a term I can't recall at the moment. This terrible non experiment to show people they should be fearing something that would be non existent if they could just throw off those shackles that demand they follow prescribed conformities. All living matter needs periodic solitude. And there's so much space on and in the Earth. Fake leaders turn mushroom ideas into kool-aid.

[@TyshaggyGaming]

@@andythomas4998 It simulates a similar problem *WE* have. We do not have unlimited space to populate. We can not just "Expand the Earth." Sure, they could have expanded the enclosures, but it would take away from a deeper meaning in having limited space.

[@DoubleJJizzle]

The only issue I have with how this is presented, is that universe 25 had a far greater issue with it than overpopulation. In reality, it was not the actual population of the mice that caused its down turn. It was the lack of enrichment, activities, and need. Fear, and scarcity was completely removed from the mice, to the point they had no reason in continuing to live.

[@schwartz478]

Ancestors: Oh no a tiger! Oh no, no food! Oh no, no water! Oh no the enemy tribe! ....thousands of years later.... Me: *being cozy in bed conveniently eating a hot pocket fresh from the microwave reading your comment* Me: damn that sounds about right

[@boek2777]

I won't bet my lives earnings on it but it seems like a reasonable reason.

[@JackPitmanNica]

Exactly! The mice need something to run from sometimes. They evolved with predators around, which is one of the reason that mice reproduce so quickly. Most prey animals are the same. When you remove the predator, you remove the nature

[@bogdanpopescu1401]

exactly

[@stephenemrich2949]

Also populations that become overcrowded start to have an exodus or emmigration...of the beautiful ones!

[@ShawnRavenfire]

We're seeing the effects of this through social media. It's as if the entire population of the world is in one place, and we see the chaotic effect that this has.

[@ethantoise4073]

Social media has a huge impact, but its more about having unlimited resources at the press of a button and no real threat/predators to curb the herd.

[@kennymichaelalanya7134]

​@Shock Cat it's big cities like L.A., NYC and Chicago.

[@zitronentee]

See metropolitan, big cities. It's more common than you think.

[@goododays1812]

Once the XX mice have a taste of the Mouse CHADicus, lose the need for survival from average XY mice due to being educated, strong, independent and empowered,, only the top 10% of XY have all of the XX for themselves and thus decline of gene pool and birth rates. Being stuck in a containment is like giving mice dating apps and more options to be included to chadicus's harem.

[@kerwinbrown4180]

People miss the word "utopia". Neither mice or men are designed to live in a utopia. Instead nature is dog eat dog which encourages social behaviors to survive. The experiment never reached overpopulation.

[@YuubiTimberwolf]

The main issue was the lack of mental stimulie, the mice had no toys, no change in food and no change in enviorment. (like sticks to climb and gnaw on) Something thats crucial for such an smart and social animal.

[@AAxolotl1]

Actually in later experiments they were given other thing we would have (such as toys as you stated) and all experiments ended the same way. The only thing they didn't get was extra land which technically we don't have either anymore.

[@hardeeprajput6564]

I have read the experiment. Structure was changed and toys are provided.

[@-eurosplitsofficalclanchan6057]

@@AAxolotl1 but the whole world can fit in texas, so your last point means nothing

[@AAxolotl1]

@@-eurosplitsofficalclanchan6057 Not only is that one of the most idioc responses to the "running out of land" problem, it also does not pertain to what I said at all. What I described was that have no extra space to move to. We have seen all the land that we have to see. There are no more environments for us to move to because we have lived in every environment.

[@-eurosplitsofficalclanchan6057]

@@AAxolotl1 "There are no more environments for us to move to because we have lived in every environment." you said a whole bunch of nothing. there are millions of acres of land that can be used to create new towns/cities/homes, all across the world.

[@NinjaMan47]

One detail missed in Universe 25, the reason infant mortality was so total was that mother rodents stopped bothering to care for their young. Initially, food was so plentiful and life so peaceful that mothers could just abandon their offspring with the expectation that they'd just survive without any supervision. This was true up to a point but when the population started crashing the practice was so ingrained into the mice that they simply lacked the skills or desire to care for their young who were dying.

[@Emilyjacksonmidwest]

This has little to do with the mice and everything to do with the idiots trying to control them. Sound familiar?

[@maruf7956]

​​@@Emilyjacksonmidwestthey are not idiots,it was an experiment about how different things changes behaviors

[@LaDisperata_]

"This sounds pretty misogynistic. Females don't owe you children." 🤡🤡🤡

[@1Shalnark1]

The reason why it failed is because the "utopia" was more like a large prison except worse since even prisons have gyms and basketball courts.

[@Emilyjacksonmidwest]

This has little to do with the mice and everything to do with the idiots trying to control them. Sound familiar?

[@ray3559]

cope

[@augustodeazambuja365]

Go ask India how they are capable

[@CaliCurmudgeon]

@@augustodeazambuja365 Their birth rates are now going below "replacement level" too. Before long they might be as decadent as the Western World.

[@WilliamJohnBailey]

Since when do mice do extracurricular activities

[@aTerraxia]

It can be argued all day as to whether this experiment was more of a utopia or a prison. The important takeaway is the phenomenon that Calhoun describes triggering the collapse, the ‘Spiritual Death’. And when you compare where the US is to how the mice acted before total collapse, its easy to see that peoples spirits are dying left and right. People feel less like important members of their communities and more like faceless cogs in a machine.

[@michaelweston409]

Bingo

[@rphb5870]

the problem wasn't overcrowding, it was lack of purpose. Any population rises to their maximal extend over time, but normally they still have to work for their food. It is getting something for nothing that destroyed the mice

[@brulsmurf]

if that would be the case then the initial population shouldnt have been content and started breeding.

[@markarca6360]

Existential crisis in a nutshell.

[@slimeplayz164]

Agreed

[@rickappling5470]

This is something that worries me. With the emergence of AI. We may be headed to our own universe 25. With AI providing most of our needs. And there has to be some sort of universal basic income. Most of the population will have nothing to do. And as I am having confirmed. At least this person can't expect hobbies to give one a sense of purpose and value. That is the reason I believe that heaven wouldn't be a good fate. What's your purpose, other than praising God?

[@danajohnson4480]

Good thing people aren't mice. Like every other experiment they do on mice it fails when transferred to human population.

[@VitaInDC]

I'd really like to see a video detailing Calhoun's later experiments, housing architecture, and solutions.

[@someguy5977]

I'd like to see that too, but we aren't allowed to have solutions here. :P

[@MrTeff999]

Important differences. Humans have conflicts even when they aren’t overcrowded. And they often cooperate during times of hardship. They can observe their behaviors and challenges and develop strategies to address them. And humans can build environments, develop technologies, and solve problems.

[@octapusxft]

A similar story is told about "The Plenty" in the videogame Final fantasy 14. The chracters are told the story of a different distant planet where everything was going so well that because they had no sorrows or problems, they lost the ability to feel joy and only kept existing due to having also achieved eternal life so they created a special being that could completely erase their existence.

[@sprouts]

Interesting...

[@octapusxft]

@perseus274 More like an Artificial Creature.

[@Emilyjacksonmidwest]

This has little to do with the mice and everything to do with the idiots trying to control them. Sound familiar?

[@dhammmaraja]

@@sprouts your video is wrong in so many aspects..the original experiemnt done on mice didn't say its bcz of overpopulation but it bcz of laziness and having everything there you need to re-do the video, bcz its misleading and wrong according to the original experiment

[@WikiRafa]

Universe 25 was no "utopia". It was an almost perfect definition of a "refugee camp". For someonte who's not human, a refugee camp could be seen as an "utopia": there's food, water and shelter for everybody. Some camps also have gyms, libraries, schools, religious temples, among other features.

[@theknight1702]

Compared to what wild rats experience it certainly is a utopia. And keep in mind that human society is not a utopia either.

[@haileymh]

​@@theknight1702 i think a non-wild environment (so the artificial ones humans create) for a wild animal could only be a utopia if it perfectly mimics the animal's wild environment but without the dangers of predators, disease, harsh elements, etc. this is because a wild environment will give the animal enrichment and promote it's natural behaviors. basically the animal will be in an environment that its biology is designed for, and it won't get board. unless the scientist was able to do that then i don't think he created a real utopia for the rats. interestingly, this is the reason why keeping certain animals as pets or in zoos is frowned upon. it's really hard to give something like a whale or even an aquatic turtle a perfect man-made environment/enclosure. so they're better off in the wild. it's true that they'll die faster in the wild, but better to have a short life that is enriching and not boring and that contributes to your society (the ecological system that they are a part of) than to live a long, miserable, boring life in a fancy box and not even do the bare minimum of giving back to your society in your death (feeding an animal that's part of your ecological system*). *not saying that animals consciously care about giving back to their environment, but from and ecological standpoint leaving a native animal in its native environment is good for that environment, and removing that animal could be bad for that environment. so just by existing in their environment and doing their animal things (or by dying and feeding something else) they are "giving back to their society." sorry that was long, i like to overexplain and it's 4am so i have no one to talk to😅

[@BlazeMakesGames]

@@theknight1702 I think you're missing the point. Nobody is saying human society is a utopia, the point of this statement is that a refugee camp is serviceable but hardly the peak of the human condition, and that's what the rats were living in. A better environment than the one they would have had in the wild, but hardly a "perfect society" as it's claimed to be.

[@theknight1702]

@@BlazeMakesGames I wouldn’t say hardly, their estimated lifespans in there are several times longer than in the wild

[@QuestionableObject]

@@theknight1702 All animals need enrichment and space. Being stuck in a box these mice had neither, developing social dysfunctions was inevitable. They had the most bare bones basics needed (food, water, temperature) but no higher needs met (enrichment, personal space, privacy). Even 'simple' animals need more than just the bare essentials, they're not plants you can just feed, water, leave in the sun and call it done.

[@VestinVestin]

That, my friends, is why pretty much every 4X game forces you to build structures, research techs, create wonders, and garrison troops as soon as your cities grow beyond a pitiful bare minimum, or else they'll succumb to total anarchy. Thanks a lot, Calhoun...

[@mirceazaharia2094]

It's rhe build-up process and the struggle to grab good lands, chokepoints, strategic resources, have a strategy to rush certain techs, capabilities or unique Secret Projects / World Wonders that make this genre of games so delicious.

[@SSingh-nr8qz]

Sid Meier's Civilization?

[@Shyhalu]

That has nothing to do with over population, but human behavior in general. Without law enforcement, society collapses.

[@tabaxikhajit4541]

@@Shyhalu In small, healthy communities, law enforcement is rarely needed. It is when community connections break down that crime becomes a problem. Look at Mayberry. The town in the Andy Griffith Show may seem unrealistic now, but is existed and still exists all over the world. People who grow up together with a common purpose and connection can create a haven of peace and cooperation. Everyone is a friend and they leave their doors unlocked until an outside force or an imbalance in the community changes things.

[@Shyhalu]

@@tabaxikhajit4541 The world isn't made of small communities.

[@notconnected3815]

Maybe the gene pool was too small, leading to insanity over generations? Or maybe it would have had a different ending if they had more external stimulation or tasks to focus on?

[@SoloRenegade]

loss of purpose in life. not threats, no challenges, no obstacles. everything handed to them.

[@dougmartin2007]

There is definitely a lot going on with the experiment. The small gene pool could really be an issue. the big take away most people have is how do humans react in a similar place. Ultimately, we have to make sure that we spend time out of our house with other humans. Join a club, go hiking with friends, just experience life first hand rather than through social media. Find a purpose, even if that purpose is to just learn.

[@LadyLithias]

Pretty sure they used a genetically "pure" mouse strain. The mouse scientists take mice with the desired characteristics, and inbreed them for up to 29 generations, so that they are as close to genetically identical as possible. They do this so that when they test something on mice, they don't have to worry about genetic differences in the test subjects introducing an extraneous variable. The more inbred and uniform the mice, the more effective the research. Regarding outside stimulation, yes, I'd agree. I used to raise mice. It wasn't really like this Universe 25 in that the mice were in small nuclear family units. But I did pull the juveniles from the family units and put them in the larger playground cages with toys and levels and fun. Boy groups and girl groups. Then they would flourish. One of the issues I had was that there were local house mice that discovered my "mouse house" and the near unlimited food available. One day I cleaned out the juvenile bins, and set all the mouse wheels and other toys out on a shelf while the disinfected juvenile bins dried. When I returned to the mouse house, the door was ajar, and I was amazed .... What must have been the entire local wild mouse population were out in force. They weren't in the open food bin, they were on the shelf, playing with all the mouse toys.

[@AmunRa1]

The problem wasn't the gene pool or anything else. The problem was that they kept calling it a 'utopia' but what they actually designed was a prison. The mice all got depression because they weren't being enriched. Any mouse owner can tell you they need enrichment and stimulation, you can't just freakin' lock them in a big box and give them food. AND STOP EQUATING MOUSE PATHOLOGY WITH HUMAN PATHOLOGY, DAMN IT. God I hate this 'experiment'.

[@ghoulbuster1]

Oi vey the mice need more diversity! Bring in the immigrants!

[@flemmingbisgaard521]

Maybe the whole idea was flawed. When I try to imagine any utopia that I would want to live in , I eventually want to escape from it.

[@sprouts]

Right

[@elenakulikova8876]

I agree, utopias make me very anxious too😅

[@latenightorange4439]

@V B what they mean is there might not be a utopia and it’s just an idea that is as humans made up.

[@QuiteSimplyInsane]

That might be because, the concept of a UTOPIA is incredibly hard to conceive. The idea of a Utopia is a perfect Society, but what truly makes a perfect Society? This is a little off-topic, but there are a few games out there, based on these Utopian Societies, and despite these "Perfect Places", the Protagonist is always someone trying to escape from it. No matter how perfect we try to make a Utopia, there's always that Human Nature to create flaws.

[@VestinVestin]

@@QuiteSimplyInsane There's a reason almost every work of fiction that tries to depict anything allegedly "perfect" ends up being an exploration of flawed assumptions.

[@mattimeo7612]

Firstly, I want to say the animation is fantastic! Really nice quality, I'm amazed. That being said: This video takes a lot of liberties with Calhoun's research. I've read Calhoun's studies first hand and I don't remember anything about there "not being enough roles in society". The alphas were stressed into early deaths, but the betas had various stages of Behavioral Sink. Calhoun's reasoning was actually closer to privacy issues and social overload than "societal roles". There are only so many "roles" in mouse society. There aren't mice engineers, mice doctors, mice construction workers, etc. You have boy mice and girl mice (because they're old school like that) and then the jobs they share between them. Also, Behavioral Sink has nothing at all to do with seeking out others to be near. Absolute incorrect representation of Behavioral Sink. This needs to be driven home because it's the most important part of the experiment, especially if you want to liken it to any human societal collapse. The scariest part of Behavioral Sink is that it seems to be irreversible once it sets in. One way to explain the concept of Behavioral Sink is that it if you are what you do, or in this case if a mouse is as a mouse does, then if you slowly sink towards completely different behavior you become something else. By that I mean a girl mouse, by it's behavior, eats and drinks and forages and socializes and mates with males and gets pregnant and rears children, protects children, and so on and so forth. Through Behavioral Sink, the female mice still eat, drink, and socialize but they no longer (willingly) mate with males, they abandon their children (or eat them), refuse to rear or feed infants, vie for territory with males in the absence of the over-stressed alphas and no longer protect their nests from cannibals and pedophiles. So in this case, what is the girl mouse? It cannot or will not function as the girl mouse it once was and therefore has experienced the first death. The girl mouse within has died. Now there is just the body of a mouse sustaining itself through food, drink, and revelry until the second death when the body physically dies. For males it led to some truly strange behaviors like all the betas standing perfectly still in the middle like a bunch of those daylight-fearing rage zombies from I Am Legend. If any other mouse so much as touched them, they would freak out and start fighting anyone nearby. Massive amounts of free-floating anxiety among the males, dereliction of duty, dishonor of nest manners (like chasing females into their nests for forced mating, which usually doesn't happen), and preying on the young. The lack of "manly" boy mice led the girl mice to take on more and more male jobs like establishing territory and defending passage ways, leaving no one to guard the nests. Also, people keep trying to show female beautiful ones. In this video, there were females who retreated to nesting boxes way up above (that's actually what the beautiful ones did). There was no female version of the beautiful ones which is what made them particularly interesting. And honestly, as someone experienced with populated mouse colonies, I can tell you right now if a mouse female wants to be alone, that's up to the male. Girl mice don't just go up to a high spot and get left alone. That may be a contributing factor as to why there were never any female beautiful ones. Also, the colony death isn't marked by the death of the last mouse, it is marked by the death of the last male. There are ethics and expenses involved in subjecting the final generation of females to simply fade away. Fantastic video animation, really beautiful.

[@hufficag]

Mice have pedophiles too?

[@cherilynnfisher5658]

Brilliant post! Thank you! I am very happy to see someone else keeping the BSC alive! You are not alone!

[@kylepugh6607]

Thanks for this. I was also skeptical of the presentation, but it's been years since I went through this in class, and really haven't the time to go back through it just to critique the presentation in the video. So, sincerely, thanks!

[@LeBongFairy]

It's not an animation, friend.. idk why they're saying it is, but the characters do not move at all, thus this is more of a collection of speedpaint compilations

[@criminyworldriseedify8962]

In the girl part.. pedophiles? In male parts… forced mating? Why though? There shouldn’t be a reason for that… when all is… “happy” right?

[@BlackGold805]

The 'beautiful mice' sound like the type of folks I'd fit right in with.

[@sprouts]

👀

[@ghoulbuster1]

Welcome to the redpilled son, enjoy your existencial dread!

[@mr.jitterspam9552]

​@@ghoulbuster1as opposed to the brown pill, which gives you diarrhea

[@fabianustertius6460]

count me in

[@someguy5977]

I'm a beautiful one. What's interesting is I first learned about the mouse utopia experiment over two decades ago in college but the fact that the beautiful ones are MALE wasn't mentioned. I guess they like to educate without actually teaching anything.

[@boomdini9744]

Oh, I see how it is When he runs psychological experiments on mice, it's 'groundbreaking' and 'deep.' But when I do it, it's 'sociopathic' and 'inhumane.'

[@neolee8206]

The real scary thing about this study is that there are those, with power, that want to create that universe with humanity. You will live in centralised cities, own nothing, and be happy(?). With the entire planet available, and even possibly other planets, we are no where near maxed out. But with restricted living like the rodents, we will quickly become artificially maxed.

[@shuffman8094]

15 minute cities are sounding more like the Calhoun experiment

[@kennymichaelalanya7134]

I agree. I remember in 2008 when I first read about the Overpopulation issue in an article from El Comercio which is when I was in Peru . The German scientists explain that the earth is capable of having 100 Billion people but the only issue they found was transporting the goods such as food from one place to another.

[@neolee8206]

@@kennymichaelalanya7134 yeah a technical logistical issue to be solved by the next "self made" billionaire/trillionaire

[@andrefasching1332]

thats a....completely different discussion? The problem you describe has nothing to do with the problems the study encountered but is merely some antisocialist mimimi. Not that i support socialism. Simply pointing out the error with your argument

[@jeteater1]

Do you remember, just before Covid hit, there was a lot of talk about the wasted money people are spending by living a rural life? They said it would be better use of resources for everyone to move to cities where it is easier to maintain infrastructure such as hospitals, sewer, water, police, etc. Once the pandemic hit, that talk quickly got deleted. Some people want civilization breakdown to occur. They think/hope/know they will be put in a position of power. Not because they are good people.. Just they happen to have the most money right now

[@gavinlew8273]

As a mouse born in Singapore, I've to agree with the findings of John B. 🐭

[@leehayes4019]

I'm unsure if I would assume our world is as utopic. That and while we have similar basic instincts, we also have much higher ideas and goals.

[@KoToCoNDoR]

So we are in a spiral of Behavioral Sink, it was nice to meet you all, see you at the Extinction Party

[@Wonders_of_Reality]

I have to say, your illustrations are fantastic! Mousies are so-o-o cute! Too bad that the main story did not end well. Still, love the mousies!

[@sprouts]

Thank you so much! :)

[@DMDadventures]

Mice*

[@Wonders_of_Reality]

@@DMDadventures Nope, this is a diminutive form.

[@zetametallic]

I love mice. I collect mouse themed Xmas and Easter decorations and have done so since 1981 as a 5 year old. I had a pet male mouse named Robert, he bit my cat's paw when he tried to swipe him through the bars. Robert was fat, grumpy, stinky and peed constantly but I still miss him. (2012-2013) RIP.

[@emeraldhunter1]

As far as I know, there was no overcrowding. Universe 25 had the capacity to house more mice than the peak population

[@dhammmaraja]

this video is deeply misleading

[@nonyadamnbusiness9887]

The first thing that comes to mind is how did he know what is utopia for mice?

[@kenj0165]

Same.

[@thomasmaughan4798]

"how did he know what is utopia for mice?" Looked it up in Encyclopedia Brittanica.

[@therealgaben5527]

Probably because it satisfied all of the physical needs that the mice would need. But this didn’t very we’ll take into account the mental needs

[@thomasmaughan4798]

@@therealgaben5527 "But this didn’t very we’ll take into account the mental needs" I wonder why? All you need is look in the DSM under the chapter "Mental Needs of Mice".

[@ceu160193]

@@thomasmaughan4798 It did satisfy mental needs too, or so I heard. Problem is, they just lost motivation for those needs.

[@DowntownTasty]

I personally think population growth is a huge factor on why human misery is growing. I know for me personally, ive often thought on how theres "more people than meaningful social roles," and how society nowadays really makes you just feel like an insignificant number. It really does make you want to just give up sometimes. Our grandparents had it better Tbh.

[@infiniteworfare5089]

@@cloudair4154 that doesnt fix the issues of lack of natural selection. lack of natural selection has increased risk of creating more miserable lives.

[@infiniteworfare5089]

@@cloudair4154 poorer health outcomes. more cardiovascular diseases and depression.

[@TheJackHood]

I think this experiment should be recreated but on a much larger scale, like 200m x 200m or something with lots of vertical space and maybe even a bunch of different species of mice. Maybe also some physical barrires with water and also lots of enrichment opportunities. I feel like this would yield more interesting results than the limited one he did, plus I feel this would be more accurate to our lives than what he had made.

[@cinder3150]

Its pretty accurate already i would say. Look at whats happening around us

[@Emilyjacksonmidwest]

This has little to do with the mice and everything to do with the idiots trying to control them. Sound familiar?

[@stepfaniehawkins205]

Everybody's missing the whole damn point. Experiment isn't about overcrowding this experiment isn't about more activities or less activities. The experiment simply proves when you take natural creatures (mice and men lol) out of their natural environments, and impose systems and structures upon them, which are so far removed from their natural habitat, the natural order and hierarchy established by nature and evolution itself..... it is always a failure, always. It doesn't matter if the artificial environment does not provide enough or provides an excess it will always fail....... Because after all a little mouse is just a natural creature, on the planet minding its own damn business try not to get eaten by predators....... it's not meant to be spending all day in cages being analyzed by scientists under blinding light, living the life that a human man thinks would be ideal for a mini mouse man. Everybody talks about finding their purpose. I tell you what, mouse purpose is to be running through a field not sitting in a lab cage, just like it isn't any man or woman's purpose in life, to go stand on a factory line and put a piece on a product that gets shipped to somebody somewhere. A person they are never going to meet, who pays for the product more than the factory worker is going to make in an entire year. And all for what? pieces of paper? debits on a card? People talk about how socialism has been a complete failure look around! Every government every structure has been a complete failure, because it only takes into account what a male wants in an unnatural system. Sex food shelter status....... Don't argue with me and go argue with all the men who say that's exactly what they want! Bass primitive needs......... But absolutely no purpose whatsoever! Man and woman have been so far removed from nature and their own humanity....... We're all the rats in the cage now. Go check the birth rates, where in the final end stages of experiment 25 eutopia. The lesson is, manual war till the very death in order to stand at the top of a dead pile of bodies and say I'm the one who got this has sex with the last female...... I win, I'm top G...... Look how cool I am

[@someguy5977]

I'd like to see someone do this experiment again, in a much larger area, note results. Then do it again but with the addition of a cat that gets dropped into the mix. Will the mice then stay 'sane' with a strong attacker that intermittantly visits? Will it be basically the same? Will an earlier or later introduction of the cat have different effects?

[@beekeeper8474]

The test was never overpopulation. They didn't even use half the place.

[@Zeurion]

I was waiting for this video ever since you made that poll. I can finally recommend it to my friends as most documentaries about this subject are pretty long.

[@nostalgicuser]

The "Mouse Utopia experiment" as far as anyone who knows anything about mice or animals was too small for the animals to roam and establish separate homes and territories, like if your bedroom had a door so the neighbours could watch you sleeping. They couldn't move far enough away from those they disliked and suffered alot in those conditions, the experiment would fall under animal cruelty in this day and age as it would be closer to an unregulated prison than any "utopia". The mice were most likely in a permeant state of fear and paranoia from always being too close, close enough to get the scent of everyone. That would be like living, eating, sleeping and everything else for you entire life at a school with everyone who went to that school bullys included and no rules or laws. That would be a dystopia.

[@randomdude8202]

You realize they bunched up despite the fact that there was enough space in environment, right?

[@abcdefg-hv2ks]

@@randomdude8202 Let's say you lived in a gigantic castle. Everyone was there. Your family, your friend's family, murderers,kidnappers,creeps, etc. There is no police. You all dine at the same table and at the same time, each day, everyday. Eventually you'll get sick and want to get away from these people, even your friend. You'll want privacy.

[@randomdude8202]

@@abcdefg-hv2ks this contradicts with what I was replying. Read the comment again, he says they were traumatized by being too close to each other. If that is the case, they would get away form each other. And again, there WAS space available for that. What you say has no impact on this.

[@abcdefg-hv2ks]

@@randomdude8202 They were forced to bunch up. Food was placed in specific containers at a specific time, so crowding was unavoidable for the mice. There was competition for food, which stressed the mice. Adult mice scared away the small ones, and sometimes even killed them. Hence the cannibalism, which the video falsely defined as a "behavioral sink" The mice were living in a slum since day one. A sewer would have kept them much happier than this "paradise"

[@abcdefg-hv2ks]

Not only that, but this was the effort of an independent "scientist" and I highly doubt the conditions were similar to millions of dollars funded labs. They were most likely fed less and had insufficient bedding, nesting materials, etc. This isn't a social experiment and does not relate to humans in the slightest. This is plain animal abuse.

[@seren7173]

yesterday my friend who lives in Tokyo told me about his experience with his strange neighborhood:his neighborhood thought its to noisy when he is ONLY walking in his renting apartment.The strange man(or woman)didn't talk with my friend.but called the police,and leaved from the apartment.My friend says he NEVER meet so strange person until he living in Tokyo. For these years something we can't believed before happened,what cause them?I feel this well change human's culture,completely.

[@iLoveBigKnockers]

Interesting

[@seren7173]

@@iLoveBigKnockers when I living in other overpopulation cities I faced same situation.those people seemed like...made me feeling ill.

[@iLoveBigKnockers]

@@seren7173 Kind of like with economics, the more there are, the less value it has. When you have so many people in one spot, their individual value decreases in each other's eyes on a subconscious level. Most won't catch it before it affects their behavior, and it shows.

[@seren7173]

@@iLoveBigKnockers I never think about this point.thank you.

[@AmunRa1]

Hey, turns out that when you live in a place with lots of people, your chances of meeting one who is 'weird' increases. Wow! Shocker! You might even be more likely to meet one of those 'gay' or 'trans' folk, too! Oh my god!

[@celebrim1]

We are inside Universe 25 right now.

[@dtk12l]

No

[@williamfleming1386]

Having just watched this video, I would have thought that Calhoun would have looked at examples of human societies and shown how the mouse-model utopian society was or was not consistent with those real life human societies. Considering some of the most densely populated cities in the world: Manila (46,178 persons per sq. km), Pateros (36,447 persons per sq. km), Mandaluyong (4,925 persons per sq. km), Baghdad (32,874 persons per sq. km), Mumbai (32,303 persons per sq. km), Dhaka (29,069 persons per sq. km), Caloocan (27,989 persons per sq. km) and Port-au-Prince (27,395 persons per sq. km), does the mouse result reflect the human situation?

[@ravenmangameclips]

It's only a matter of time

[@ImJustTryingToSurvive]

I believe it does in a way. I believe we're heading towards a population reset of some kind here in America. There are other reasons I believe so, but the ones I'd like to talk about are in relation to the video. Despite the high numbers of population we see today the forecast for the human population growth is a plateau and decline within the next 30 years. As that time comes closer and closer we can see the sexual patterns that the mice exhibited begin to take shape. First was the initial population boom shown a bit after the mice were added to the utopia. The important thing here is that they all had access to food, water, and shelter. The real world equivalent started back in the industrial revolution, and picked up speed as working conditions became more and more automated. In the same way that the mice didn't need to "work" for their food, the amount of danger we would face as humans to get our share was other people and the economy. This ecosystem parallels the mouse utopia. We didn't have to worry about intense sickness, natural disasters, surviving the elements, natural predators, etc. We are the apex creature, same as the mice are in that safety box. When the conditions became similar enough in the world (despite the war) the baby boomers inflated the population. Second thing that happened was a slow rise in population to the point that it is now. You can find more and more people that are antiwork. They don't think it's worth competing against other "males" in this case. Not literally, but in a metaphoric sense on how the workforce has a history of tough competing masculine behavior where the best at their job gets the promotion and raise. This has recently fallen off in the name of hiring people based on gender, race, and social ties rather than the qualifications of a job. You see more and more people retreating from work and real world problems into the internet, social media, video games, etc. rather than trying to increase their living standards through getting an edge up on the next guy in any way they can. Third we're seeing some of the strange sexual behavior that was seen in the later phases. To many people nowadays they don't see it as strange, but in history most current sexual behavior was rare or unheard of. I'm not saying it's good or bad, just different from the historical norm. There are a lot more asexuals, homosexuals (I know that historically there were homosexuals, but less of them), transgender, and promiscuous people than ever before in recorded history. Like I said, not good or bad, just different compared to history. We're also seeing a rise in single women. It tends to be (but not always) that the more successful a woman is, the more likely it is that she'll look for a partner at her status level or higher. Women aren't fools. This would be fine, but masculinity is being demonized to the point where most young men don't apply themselves as well as they can or should. They have become more enticed by simple pleasures like pornography and video games. These are easier than grinding out the knowledge, skills, and hard work needed to compete with other entities out on the market. Here's the mirror to the male mice that gave up, and the female mice living in good conditions alone. On the other side of the spectrum we're seeing a rise in a certain smaller group of men that are trying to get back to work and make a name for themselves. These men tend to fall into more conservative beliefs, but not always. These are a parallel to the alphas in the experiment that weren't described in the video. We also see the part where the break down of social discourse in the experiment by our increasingly polarized views on life and how to live it. Ideologies are crawling out of the woodwork as more and more people find their "flock" to align their thinking with. Now you can't even mutter a word that goes against certain ideologies without being shouted down, reported, and silenced for having dared disagree with them. As for unrelated reasons to this video why I believe that we're heading towards a reset are a few fold. This part gets a bit messy, but bear with me. Throughout history mankind lives in cycles. The cycle of a civilization tend to go as follows according to historian Ibn Khaldun, and the scholar C S Lewis. Stage 1 is when the civilization is first founded. This is when harsh, strong, battle hardened individuals conquer a land or territory. You can see this in early pioneer days in the Americas as they spread out eastward. These individuals tended not to care too much about the finer parts of civilization and were primarily interested in adventure, survival, and strength. Stage 2 is when the descendants of the first civilization take the lead and the conquered land becomes more stable. Cities spring up, and society begins to take deeper root. These individuals still look at the heroes of the past with reverence and respect, but enjoy the niceties of city life. Stage 3 is where we're at. The people in stage 3 eventually lose sight of the values that originally created their society, and look back at physical strength with disdain. They see beauty is undesirable. Look at the successful with disdain. The people here tend to be physically and morally weaker than those who came before, and cling to their leaders for safety and comfort. Challenge is disliked, staying in the comfort zone becomes paramount, and the people become emotionally and physically weaker. Then, a hardy outside force sees the weakened state of the country, and swoops in, conquering the land and repeating the cycle. Sometimes the stronger force comes from within. More reasons are here too. I recently began to follow economics, and learned that due to a lending of debt bubble that has been rising and rising, we're going to hit one of two options unless someone comes up with an actionable plan to stop this. I only understand surface level knowledge on this so bear with me. What I understand is that we have a massive debt bubble right now. Each time we print off money to pay for it inflation goes up. However, the bubble exponentially increases each time we try to push it off into the future. If we can't find a way to unravel that bubble slowly either we'll erode our money to the point where it costs 100$ to buy a hot dog, or the banks will just crumble, and everyone's money they have stored up there will just disappear. You already see the first warning signs as the SVB and five other banks already went bust. Like I said, I only have surface level knowledge, so that's all I can tell you on that. Last reason I feel is just the general lack of unity. Whenever America had run into the problems of the past like the great depression, the world wars, and to a lesser extent the 2008 financial crisis, we were united against the issues we faced. Now you see both sides of the isle doing the largest pissing match you can find on TV. Many people online don't give a care about the country, and would be ecstatic at the prospect of a ruined USA. I think the best we can do is prepare for the worst and expect the best. We'll see however.

[@riwjin]

@@ImJustTryingToSurvive Didn't expect to get to read an opinion article on this issue here, but it's a pleasant surprise nonetheless. Thank you.

[@Teruna-nr2fl]

​@@ImJustTryingToSurviveInteresting and very well put

[@drish2552]

​@@ImJustTryingToSurvive Wow I read the great thing and it is really good.

[@UserK-46811]

This channel is very underrated.

[@thomprobus777]

With all due respect, is this still even the right question given the current global demographic trend towards fewer children? What’s finally going to happen in Japan, for example?

[@thomasmaughan4798]

"is this still even the right question" I do not see a question. "given the current global demographic trend towards fewer children?" The mice also had fewer offspring. "What’s finally going to happen in Japan, for example?" The model suggests extinction. However, in the mouse utopia, no adjacent utopias existed at different states of progression. If the Japanese become extinct, the territory will still exist and very likely be occupied by humans from adjacent territories that are not so far along the extinction curve.

[@commisaryarreck3974]

We'll just import people from the third world to replace you goym. Removing any reason for it's native population to change their breeding trend Japan will likely if it wants to avoid extinction have to accept that it's population will shrink for a generation maybe 2 Maybe it'll be the first nation to realize that infinite growth isn't possible and that a natural shrinking of birthrates is normal as the generation after generally tends to breed more

[@noodlesoup7986]

What people forget about this experiment is that these mice didn't have enough stimulation. They were using reproduction as a substitute for stimulation and this never would have happened if there had been a more adventurous environment to play in or things to chew on, etc.

[@MiddleEarthGirl75]

What the WEF wants to drive us towards....and some governments are getting a head start.

[@KuroNoTenno]

Seeing similar thing going on in the western society right now is honestly terrifying.

[@ЕгорПещерский]

Don't think that eastern or southern society any better.

[@KuroNoTenno]

@@ЕгорПещерский They are just perpetually bad, not degrading themselves into being degenerates.

[@ЕгорПещерский]

@@KuroNoTenno Hmmm... Africa... Asia... Middle East... Nah, same shit under different sauce.

[@KuroNoTenno]

@@ЕгорПещерский Are there insane people transing kids in Africa? Not that I know of.

[@jirachi-wishmaker9242]

@@ЕгорПещерский no

[@jackjones9460]

Lacking a struggle to survive caused the collapse more than the overpopulation.

[@5to81]

Give your artist a raise. Great work

[@escuelasestelares]

It is not necessary population the culprit of extinction. Observe that mice didn't have any natural challenges to survive as everything they needed was given. Overpopulation was a consequence of that life style which eventually will turn around as a means to protect their survival. Interesting video, Thanks!

[@sprouts]

Right! Thanks for enjoying it.

[@FruityHachi]

then how come people are depressed and unalive themselves when they DO have challenges to survive?

[@escuelasestelares]

@@FruityHachi People in general at this time are slaves of their own minds, thus will experience diseases related with the mind; something animals don't have to deal with.

[@FruityHachi]

@@escuelasestelares citation needed

[@blobbertmcblob4888]

This has less to do with "Social roles" and more with limited space. It's stated that within less than a year, the mice were so crowded that they had to squeeze past each other. Stopping breeding and cannibalism are both tactics to reduce the population in a crowded space. They also lacked any mental stimulation.

[@sagarshrestha5800]

I think the video lacks information such as 1. Does food increase with the increase in population to consider it as paradise 2.Later not enough space, made the paradise hell. Did they try to increase the space? 3. What more Behaviour was developed if all of their needs were met?

[@IngoLingoAnimations]

I live in the western part of US and we have a ton of empty land that could be used for homes, businesses, and farms. We are far from overpopulation. Everyone afraid of overpopulation usually live in densely packed cities.

[@witchreturns2263]

This is Paris, France. Perfect description!

[@bryanchannell7715]

To anybody watching this I just want to let you know the original best video of universe 25 that was explained was taken down This video has forgotten not only that it wasn't just asexuality but homosexuality and promiscuity amongst the alphas and then homosexuality from the alphas to the bettas and the females becoming super hyper violent which tells the order of magnitude of the story at a whole other level

[@ripj5301]

The differences between mice and humans are so significant that it’s not worth comparing the two.... Anyone who thinks humans will act the way mice acted in a controlled experiment need to re-evaluate their own morals in life- as they are mice themselves.

[@gyrrakavian]

Overcrowding is generally only a problem in major metropolitan areas. Something that their residents need reminded of frequently.

[@Someone.or.no-one]

Mice arent people, one of the main distinctions is that, when mice have food, water, shelter, and safety - thats enough, however people - people are never satisfied, thats why we innovate; we always want more and more

[@igkslife]

Many countries are already experiencing this.

[@brianbarter8822]

I think that many aspects of this can be very much compared to long-term prison inmate society. There is a reason that recidivism is a thing, and that most post-incarcerated individuals are eventually released with complex post-traumatic stress disorder.

[@Emilyjacksonmidwest]

This has little to do with the mice and everything to do with the idiots trying to control them. Sound familiar?

[@mylesmackey2430]

I don’t think it was the overcrowding that was the culprit here. I think it was the fact that they had all of their needs catered to like spoiled middle class kids today and didnt have to struggle for survival. They then became depressed due to a lack of purpose.

[@trublgrl]

I have heard about the Mouse Utopia experiment before, but I like how this presentation draws subtle parallels between Universe 25 and our current human condition.

[@Emilyjacksonmidwest]

This has little to do with the mice and everything to do with the idiots trying to control them. Sound familiar?

[@ANEE5AH]

It was not 1972 when he conducted this experiment. Everyone should see the actual experiment.

[@s.e.e455]

I see two main problems with this hypothetical situation: one, our world will never live in a stagnant stasis, where everything is handed to us. There will always be times of drought, famine, natural disasters, earthquakes, blizzards, volcano eruptions, etc. We have no control over that. The other issue is that human beings are more accountable for the damage they do, and each one is raised and born different, some people love living in crowded places like cities, whereas some are more inclined to lived a solitary lifestyle, which is why people move and travel. The only way for such mass destruction to happen is if all morality is thrown out the window and no one is able to move to a different place (yes, people have been traveling for years).

[@farrier2708]

I think you're arguing against your own conclusion here. Like the mice, some of us seek seclusion while others crave city life. Morality is breaking down, in as much as promiscuity, in all it's forms, has become acceptable; marriage and the breakdown of the family unit is common; violence against the person is rising; mental illness is increasing. Need I go on? All societies are born, reach a peak, decline and eventually die. It is a continuing cycle and I believe that ours is inevitably declining. But! Fear not! Another civilization will arise from the ashes to a height that will make ours seem barbaric. 😎👍

[@lozm4835]

@@farrier2708 Mental illness is rising, to be sure, but I can't find any stats for promiscuity. As for violent crime, that's actually falling. In so far as morality, that's not really possible to measure, but whilst on some levels there's elements like CEO's denying water to thousands of people and massive amounts of human rights abuses even within highly developed countries, it's also noticeable that there's also genuine, meaningful, and less violent pushback. Not successful, granted, but it's still more than our ancestors were able to achieve. You are right in that civilisations do rise and fall, but it isn't really a guarentee that they must fall violently or destructively, and even then the 'Fall' doesn't mean complete annihilation. I mean, I just used a Latin derivitave just there, so Roman Civilisation might have fallen but it's also still impacting our modern culture quite significantly.

[@thomasmaughan4798]

"our world will never live in a stagnant stasis, where everything is handed to us" There is no OUR world. As to everything being handed to you; that already happens in "blue cities". Generations of women who live on welfare, their children live on welfare, their children's children live on welfare and in some places it can be lucrative. The only purpose of males, in that kind of scenario, is briefly as a sperm donor. So they fight. Instinct says to fight, decide who gets to be the sperm donor.

[@someguy5977]

@@farrier2708 The world is a much darker place without the united states. It's already partially dismantled.

[@merucrypoison296]

This sounds very familiar but I just can’t put my mousetrap on it

[@ixiahj]

I remember watching this on that rabbit hole channel. It went into more detail. The universe was designed to accomodate a certain number of mice but at a certain point, the mice stopped reproducing way before the universe capacity was met. They're behavioral sink had nothing to do with over populalation at all.

[@criminyworldriseedify8962]

But why?

[@ixiahj]

@@criminyworldriseedify8962 They stopped reproducing because the male mice turned gay and the female mice started taking up male roles.

[@Emilyjacksonmidwest]

This has little to do with the mice and everything to do with the idiots trying to control them. Sound familiar?

[@fabianustertius6460]

@@ixiahj any similarities whit the real world are just coincidences!!!

[@dhammmaraja]

@@ixiahj you are right...this video is deeply misleading..I wonder why..hmmm...some political agenda probably

[@CaptainUnikitty]

Finally watched this video and gotta say the experiment relating to us is a bit scary but gets its point across

[@IslayToMuch]

Look at the world today and you see the parallels...

[@i_am_dumb1070]

Yes violence and homosex

[@fluffyderp7778]

I'm glad I found this channel , I love the knowledge you guy brought to anyone with creation video , great work guy

[@nordicnostalgia8106]

I heard that mice aren't social creatures in the same way we are and male mice have a desire to move out of their area to find new females and such. I admit I'm a bit fuzzy on the details but we shouldn't be too fast to use these mice experiments as solid evidence for human society

[@abcdefg-hv2ks]

I had the same thought. Experimenting on animals just because they're mammals and use it a basis for human psychology is misinformation, or pseudoscience. Mice are heavily different from us. If the scientist had used rats instead, this experiment would have slightly more credibility. Fun fact: mice don't have a bladder, rats do! The renal system impacts our psychology a lot more than we think.

[@ekki1993]

Not another misrepresentation of this experiment for social commentary. The experiment was no utopia, and extrapolating the results to humans without better models is a mistake that only reinforces confirmation bias. It's a great study that led to further studies that are probably more useful and interesting. Overinterpreting this study without taking in account its limitations and further studies is the same as spreading pseudoscience.

[@wooblydooblygod3857]

Our problem isn't that we have too many people, we have enough space and resources for far more to come, our problem is that there are too many people in the wrong places.

[@tremannaik99]

I bumped in the incredible experiment while reading Visionary thinking (Ashish Jaiswal). The author concludes that the main reason for extinsion was the lack of life challenge (look for food, safe shelters, defending from predators and other dangers)

[@Anonymous-yy7ur]

They did a similar test on St Matthews Island except with deer The truth is overpopulation is not the problem, the actual problem is the overpopulation of certain groups.

[@NobodyDungeons]

The key factor that Isn’t being taken into account is the fact that unlike the mice humans can increase or access more available space that would otherwise be inaccessible for other species. From moon colonies to basic skyscrapers we have more than enough space to house another billion or two people just on earth alone.

[@sdfPZXC]

does rural area also account in determine over population? my country have lot of land left free and super cheap too if its in rural area.

[@darrenstettner5381]

He didn’t mention that the mouse population was never crowded in terms of the space in their mouse utopias. They never came close to max capacity. They would just crowd into certain areas and leave other parts of the environment vacant to the beautiful ones.

[@lostandfound3588]

I wonder if it would've been saved if a predator was introduced once a week or month

[@erushi5503]

Its scary how this research reflects our current society in some way right now

[@hawkeye2644]

have some psychology, fore me it seems like lack of purpose( somthing to strive for, like the struggle for getting food) was the reason there was the behavior sink.

[@Euripidisify]

I wonder, if overpopulation is an over simplification. What if we as humans are experiencing "social over population" with social media and the internet. Prior to the 90s you would socialize with people you met, or worked with. This has increased exponentially now we have people with millions of followers, and social likes.. but not true social interaction. Now we see aggression, hypersexualization, asexual behavior and people withdrawing from true socialized behavior. It almost mirrors the psychology of the experiment.

[@sinomirneja771]

I do not understand the idea of "individuals capable of filling rolls being more than the number of such roles." In what way social roles scale slower than the population growth?

[@punchthecake82]

The concept of "individuals capable of filling roles being more than the number of such roles" refers to a situation where there is an abundance of individuals with the necessary skills, qualifications, or abilities to perform certain roles or occupations, while the number of available positions or opportunities remains limited or grows at a slower rate. This idea suggests that there are more people who can potentially fill specific roles than there are actual positions available for them. In many societies, population growth tends to outpace the creation of new job opportunities or the expansion of existing roles. This phenomenon is influenced by several factors: Economic factors: Economic growth and the creation of new jobs are influenced by various factors such as technological advancements, market demands, and investment. While population growth may be rapid, the creation of new job opportunities might not keep up at the same pace. This could result in an excess supply of qualified individuals relative to the number of available positions. Education and skills: As education and skill development improve within a population, the number of individuals with the qualifications and capabilities to fill specific roles may increase. However, the expansion of those roles might be slower due to various factors, including limited industry growth, market saturation, or slower adaptation to changing skill requirements. Labor market dynamics: The labor market can be influenced by various factors, including supply and demand dynamics, industry shifts, and technological advancements. In some cases, certain roles may become obsolete or experience reduced demand, resulting in a surplus of qualified individuals competing for a limited number of positions. Overall, the idea that social roles scale slower than population growth highlights the potential imbalance between the number of individuals capable of filling certain roles and the available opportunities. It emphasizes the need for factors such as economic growth, job creation, and skill alignment to keep pace with population growth in order to avoid high unemployment rates and societal inequalities.

[@punchthecake82]

In other words, the experiment demonstrated that even when there are ample individuals with the potential to fill specific roles, if the environment cannot accommodate or support their needs, it can result in social disintegration and negative behavioral outcomes.

[@sinomirneja771]

@@punchthecake82 Friend economic roles where removed from the start of the experiment, both labor side and supply side. Economy is means of acquiring and distributing resources, and the experiment was providing for that. There is no education systems amongst mouse either. Removal of these roles did not cause problem for the initial generations in first year either. I'm pretty sure the social roles here would be referring to individual connections. But I would expect that to scale as the population grows. Even if we forego that, in human societies population growth out pastes creation of job, because humans claim resources they can not personally use and claim a share of other's labor for allowing them to use those resources. It does not really apply to none human population. Less would it apply to a none human population where resources are abundant.

[@punchthecake82]

​@@sinomirneja771 You are correct, however, the experiment does not directly illustrate the idea of "having more individuals capable of fulfilling roles than the actual number of roles" in relation to economic roles or resource distribution. Instead, it focuses on the influence of overcrowding and limited space on social interactions and behavior within a population. It is possible that this was some scripting error.

[@sinomirneja771]

​@@punchthecake82 We are linking the observation from the experiment to over-crowding trough the analysis that these events transpire because more individuals can fulfill social roles than there are roles. It's not a given that the force that causes the problem is overcrowding. Is there any other logical link from which we could conclude overcrowding is the cause of the problem?

[@alice20001]

I'd love to read and learn more about Calhoun's works. Personally, I would think that the variety of activities we have as humans, such as hobbies, allow us to have much deeper and more extensive bonds with out environment. I've lived in New York and Tokyo, and despite being full of people, most of my needs were easily met. Sure I had to work, but in my time off, I'd go to a park, go to bars, restaurants, walks, arcades... I think that there are some really interesting insights, but I speculate that the demise of Universe 25 might have also been a result of the limited social repertoire of the species. Perhaps we could look at similar events in the past, such as the fall of the Roman Empire, and compare how reliable last can these activities be. If there is something we humans seem to have always been keen on is killing each other...

[@Emilyjacksonmidwest]

This has little to do with the mice and everything to do with the idiots trying to control them. Sound familiar?

[@dannyc2261]

This is happening to humans... RIP...

[@Noname0039]

There was no cannibalism in this experiment, it was in another experiment. There was no air conditioner and temperature varied drastically (there was an open window and heated place to the temperature of an oven for mices). It was literal shit hole. Excrements and corpses were removed only once every 4 weeks (in regular conditions it must be done at least once per week). And also original 8 mices were born in same day and most likely were from same litter(in was cheaper to buy) meaning they were siblings. And beautiful males that were removed and transferred to females were simply too old to reproduce. If you want to see how animals behave when they are truly given boundless supply of food and safety look at the rabbits in Australia.

[@chrislamrock5952]

Calhoun "We'll built a mouse utopia!" WEF "We'll build a human utopia!"

[@greyareaRK1]

Great episode. The artwork is amazing. It made me thinkg of all the unusual and even abhorent social bevhaviour has made the news, and how many of them are directly related to overpopulation. Now, let's factor in social changes brought about by new technologies, the abuse of media by SIGs to produce self-serving social movements, and it makes you wish there was something like psychohistory to chart the waters to something everyone can be slightly unhappy about but otherwise tolerate. Can we get an AI working on that?

[@flyoverkid55]

Why on Earth would you want an AI " working on that "? Are you suggesting that humanity can't resolve these issues? Have you such little faith in your fellow man?

[@alejandrocastro211]

that would be really interesting

[@alejandrocastro211]

@@flyoverkid55 AI is a tool created by our fellow man

[@flyoverkid55]

@@alejandrocastro211 My point exactly. If man can create " artificial intelligence ', why do we need it?

[@alejandrocastro211]

@@flyoverkid55 It's not a matter of needing, but the possibilities it unlocks. Some current AI can analyze way more data than any human, way faster and make way more accurate suggestions based on it. In ideas like this the work can be accelerated in magnitude of years, even decades

[@FruityHachi]

the problem is overcrowding, not being able to escape other mice, it's why we humans started to migrate and establishing small colonies instead of having a huge one where we can't escape each other and the problem is lack of activities to do, whether some games or learning opportunities people do much better when they're in small groups with like-minded people who support each other as opposed to being trapped in a huge crowd, people who don't like each other and who have nothing to do to pass the time but bicker, fight each other or becoming withdrawn not wanting to participate in fights

[@Ch17638]

I think it goes 2 fold , lack of challenge will make us apathetic and depressed, and yes maybe having 3+ kids in a modern world is not such a good idea when the average person used to need extra hands around the farm, and high child mortality rates was a concern;

[@dawnfire82]

The people I know with more kids (3+) are way happier than those with fewer or, especially, no kids.

[@kennymichaelalanya7134]

And then there's guys like Rollo Tomassi who says men should have a vasectomy in their 20s . Lol

[@lukethekuya]

@@dawnfire82 Real

[@greyralph1637]

​@@kennymichaelalanya7134 seriously?

[@nassimdjebaili5876]

​@@dawnfire82me when I lie

[@paulcalhoun436]

Well that was fun! Some interesting interpretations of the overall work, but there's only so much room for nuance in five minutes :) One of these days we really need to get the old data out and analyze it with current tools.

[@Emilyjacksonmidwest]

This has little to do with the mice and everything to do with the idiots trying to control them. Sound familiar?

[@austinreed7343]

@@Emilyjacksonmidwest Scientists?

[@erenrager6679]

One thing I'm confused about is how its considered a utopia if you're gonna suffer from the effects of overpopulation later on. Is the concept of utopia really that short sighted?

[@mushroomcloud5305]

Yes

[@someguy5977]

The scientist gave utopia his own deficient definition. The same way woke-toids redefine words to push agendas.

[@cooldude4519]

Idk man maybe having infinite recourses at your finger tips but limited space along with extreme population growth with inbreeding is kinda setting up the mice to fail

[@akshatbhatia1]

"Mankind has grown strong in eternal struggles and it will only perish through eternal peace."

[@ajeetalbert91]

Wow man!!

[@BertoxolusThePuzzled]

But only if we don't adapt to it ourselves.

[@Jaapst]

Sick quote wow. I have this feeling I live in Europe Netherlands. After WW2 we have the EU and too long peace Europe is dying migrants will inherit my land so I won’t make children. We have too long peace Europe is dying and old.

[@waluigihentailover6926]

Let me just say this: The art style is great! A comic book format is great for the videos you’re making, and it’s awesome that you found your own style. Other channels making videos like these wouldn’t have such like-able imagery to follow along. Even a child could be entertained with this.

[@MrVronscki]

Isn't it clear what the problem is? It's no population, it's utopia, laziness, lack of danger and competition. Overpopulation is the result of that.

[@GetAngryy]

You missed a key point mentioned elsewhere, in that the environment of Universe 25 could have supported 6000 mice, three times more than the eventual peak population. It wasn't population dentsity or physical overcrowding as such that led to the changes of behaviour and eventual demise.

[@AdonanS]

A lot of people have started making videos about the mouse utopia. I assume it's because a lot of people are seeing the signs in our own society.

[@pedrotom3015]

It's stupid to do it just now the same thing happens over and over again but at some point the current generation notice the old problem and the next generation do that again just complaining about it

[@AdonanS]

@@pedrotom3015 So it's probably not an issue. If it happens to each generation, it's probably just an annoying cycle that comes and goes, and we just have to live with it.

[@randomdude8202]

@@AdonanSit cant be a cycle, we just reached the point to provide necessary setup. Neither tech nor population was at this point at any point of history, maybe except some very few examples. But still, it is unlikely be as fatal as this for us.

[@Tekeu_Saith]

This is a scary experiment, let alone it's happening to humanity right now, it may not be the same pace as the rats/mice but we are walking in the same path.

[@Bullet-Tooth-Tony-]

Sums up the Western world today.

[@dtk12l]

No

[@Metal_Master_YT]

I feel like I know some places in the real world following this pattern...

[@NullNoxproduction]

I heard about that experiment in full already and I don’t think humanity will follow that path. Remember animals have limitations to their plans of the future.

[@thomasmaughan4798]

"Remember animals have limitations to their plans of the future." And you don't?

[@HighNovice]

​@@thomasmaughan4798 Most other animals can't even plan out their future for 1 year but we can plan ours out for centuries.

[@thomasmaughan4798]

@@HighNovice "but we can plan ours out for centuries." There is no We. My daughter plans her future a few days in advance. Most animals plan for the winter. I'm good for about a decade.

[@HighNovice]

@@thomasmaughan4798 I'm talking about countries...

[@HighNovice]

@@thomasmaughan4798 Also this experiment has a couple flaws since well we are very different from those rodents since we humans are always looking for improvement and we always are looking for a challenge. Like if we were in their situation a lot of us will try to break out of the utopia and go out and explore.

[@Giggles_iJest]

When you suddenly deprive a creature of its natural circumstances, you're messing with its instincts. Thus, they will find a way to quell those instinctual drives even if they find themselves in paradise. Nature, nurture

[@AFlemPen]

Always learn something new here

[@sprouts]

Yayayay!! :)

[@chrislee176]

Apparently Calhoun failed to control for inbreeding depression, the loss of a fitness over generations due to lack of genetic variation.

[@markjenkins2192]

I recall seeing information about a repeat experiment where the population recovered when the "beautiful ones" were removed. The claim was that they were releasing pheromones that put the rest of the population into a panicked state (perhaps akin to the moral panic fostered by social and main-stream media?).

[@randomdude8202]

I doubt it was pheromones.

[@someguy5977]

How does removing the beautiful ones make the population recover? The beautiful ones don't interact with anyone. Sounds dumb.

[@TheSpiffiest1]

Part of this doesn't make sense to me. It said things broke down when the population numbers exceed the number of roles needed. When how are the number of roles or even "need" calculated? Why does it not stabilize as the population decreased?

[@JuandelaCruz001]

Overcrowding was merely a consequence. If we were squarely to put the blame on it, that would be like putting the cart before the horse. It was brought about by an environment that was so conducive to reproduction and good living. Calhoun's mouse utopia did its job. . . a little too well in fact. The mice faced no meaningful challenges and enjoyed very favorable conditions that made them *congregate* (i.e. - sink) into these areas because life was so good. We need in our existence a certain level of struggle to give our lives some of *meaningful accomplishment* to aspire to, or at the very least, the satisfaction of acquiring the bare necessities of survival. If everything was easy and we all concentrate our population there, that would be the start of the inevitable spiritual/psychical collapse to the latter actual physical collapse.

[@FruityHachi]

then how come people who struggle still become highly individualistic, and aggressive or withdrawn?

[@JuandelaCruz001]

@@FruityHachi What is the level of struggle/chaos of said given society? There is a point of NO RETURN. During that point, individual reactions will now be revealed (i.e. - the "beautiful ones" just worked on themselves knowing that the decline is happening and they can't do anything about it)

[@FruityHachi]

@@JuandelaCruz001 economic struggle, where do you live that you're not affected financially? "the beautiful ones" are like the big corporations and politicians, only caring about their own pockets and screw the rest

[@JuandelaCruz001]

@@FruityHachi Eeeeeeh? Hmmmm... oh man! I don't think I can go on discussing with you if you just compared a large, sophisticated macro-system like a corporation to the "beautiful ones" (i.e. - individuals).

[@FruityHachi]

@@JuandelaCruz001 no worries, you did me a favor by showing you cannot discuss things like an adult have a nice weekend