[ExI] John B. Calhoun’s Mouse Utopia Experiment and Reflections on the Welfare State

Tue Oct 13 15:37:48 UTC 2020

From: extropy-chat <extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org> On Behalf Of Dave Sill via extropy-chat
…

One of the more famous ethologists in recent decades was John B. Calhoun, best known for his mouse experiments in the 1960s. To what extent do the mouse utopia lessons apply to humans?

 <https://www.nps.gov/slbe/learn/nature/do-not-feed-the-bears.htm> The National Park Service’s website for Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan advises,

It transforms wild and healthy animals into habitual beggars. Studies have shown that panhandling animals have a shorter lifespan.

Thanks Dave.

I was on a hiking trip this weekend with friends in South Lake Tahoe.  A bear came in the night and was rooting around in the hotel dumpsters.  The next afternoon, he came back looking for more:

I was over on the other side of the street.  On his side, I saw a family coming along the other direction towards the bear with a baby stroller and a dog, so I ran down ahead, crossed and urged them to go back.  Mama, baby and dog did so, while the dad and I encouraged the bear to go on back into the wilderness, which he did.  My reasoning: I couldn’t outrun the bear, but I could likely outrun the other feller.

The bear came back in the night Sunday, for Monday morning the hotel trash cans were overturned and the rubbish strewn about in a most bearish manner.  It occurred to me that bear is a goner unless they can hit it with a dart and haul it out to where begging is not an option.

spike

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