The Universe 25 Mouse Experiment

In 1972, John B. Calhoun built an utopia for mice. Every aspect of Universe 25, as this particular model was called, was designed to cater for the well-being of its rodent residents, increase their lifespan, and allow them to mate. It was not the first time the ethologist had built a world for rodents. Colhoun had been creating utopian environments for rats and mice since the 1940s, with consistent results: overpopulation leads to explosive violence and hypersexual activity, followed by asexuality, self-destruction, and extinction.

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COLLABORATORS
Script: Edmund Ramsden & Jon Adams
Editor: Will Wiles, a London-based author and journalist
Screenplay: Jonas Koblin
Artist: Pascal Gaggelli
Voice: Matt Abbott
Coloring: Nalin
Editing: Peera Lertsukittipongsa
Sound Design: Miguel Ojeda
Fact Checking: Ludovico Saint Amour di Chanaz
Production: Selina Bador

SOUNDTRACKS
Toys Are Alive - Studio Le Bus
Terror Avenue - Jack Pierce
Divine Masquerade - Jack Pierce

DIG DEEPER with these top videos, games and resources:
Watch Soylent Green, 1973. The film depicts a futuristic society in which overpopulation is so catastrophic and food in such short supply that the populace survives on rations of the titular food product, which turns out to be made from processed human flesh.

Watch Snowpiercer (Netflix, 2020) depicting a society in a train where population has to be controlled and the ecosystem rests on a very thin equilibrium.

Read about Behavioral Sink on Longreads

Read about the life and work of John B Calhoun

SOURCES

The Behavioral Sink, the mouse universes of John B. Calhoun by Will Wiles

Death Squared: The Explosive Growth and Demise of a Population

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
Visit our website to learn more on suggested activity for a classroom on this topic!

CHAPTER
00:00 Introduction
00:11 Universe 25 experiment
00:51 Beginning of experiment
01:18 Population growth
02:25 Population peaks
02:59 The last conception
04:10 Behavioral sink
04:56 What do you think?
05:26 Patrons credits
05:35 Ending

#sproutsschools, #universe25, #behavior, #utopia

[supertron]

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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[Shalnark]

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.

[NinjaMan]

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.

[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.

[rphb]

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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[MrTeff]

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.

[BlackGold]

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

[jackjones]

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

[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...

[VitaInDC]

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

[beekeeper]

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

[neolee]

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.