This can't be good...

[mr_j]

Japanese scientists develop "fearless" mice

[Dutch]

The premise of their argument seems fallacious on the basis of the features of the experiment. Anyone else?

[monet2u]

bet they won't be so fearless when face to face with the glowing satan kitty!

[squeezle]

i think that if they want to prove that fear of cats is genetic they would need to be able to prove that the mice only lost their fear of cats but not the ability to experience fear in other situations. otherwise, all they have done is switched of the general fear (fight or flight) mechanism. they need to see what these little guys do if they are exposed to other scary situations like mouse traps or electical shocks or something else mice find scary.

[Dutch]

i think that if they want to prove that fear of cats is genetic they would need to be able to prove that the mice only lost their fear of cats but not the ability to experience fear in other situations. otherwise, all they have done is switched of the general fear (fight or flight) mechanism. they need to see what these little guys do if they are exposed to other scary situations like mouse traps or electical shocks or something else mice find scary.

I agree. All they did was make it so the mice couldn't sense that the cats were there by they mechanism to which they most accustomed to using to do so. <---awkward sentence, I know. Sue me.

It's harder to be afraid of something you're unaware of.

[mr_j]

i keep thinking

"we've secretly switched kitty's regular mouse with this new, fearless mouse"


mr "wonder if kitty can taste the fearlessness" j

or

mr "i can't believe it's fearless!" j

[aquaphase]

i keep thinking

"we've secretly switched kitty's regular mouse with this new, fearless mouse"


mr "wonder if kitty can taste the fearlessness" j

or

mr "i can't believe it's fearless!" j

I just think the mice (and probably the scientists) have been freebasing Foldgers Crystals.

[mr_j]

"GOUDA, PUSSYCAT!!! KILL!!! KILL!!!!!"