Mice with no fear of cats (video included)

Japanese scientists create mice with no fear of cats

Tom and Jerry just wouldn't have been the same if it had featured one of Ko Kobayakawa's mice.

The Tokyo University professor has just unveiled mutant mice that have lost their innate fear of cats.

Rather than flee or freeze when confronted with their feline enemy, the mice sniffed and even played with them, blissfully unaware of the potential dangers.

Kobayakawa developed the fearless mice by shutting down receptors in their olfactory bulb - the area of the brain that processes information about smells - which would normally induce panic as soon as they get so much as a whiff of a cat....

[url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/japan/story/0,,2226236,00.html]>Read more HERE and watch the mouse video

Yes, so awesome what they're doing in labs these days

I don't see what the big deal is here. In the building I live in, I've heard stories of the basement dwelling rodents of unusual size that actually show no fear of the men and women who use the laundry room. I've been fortunate enough to never see them (not sure if they've been eradicated) but I was told by a rather large man that he was down there doing laundry on more than one occasion and the beasts not only came right out and wandered around, seemingly unafraid of the human activity in the room but they actually approached him and he said he left the room like "a scared little mouse."

Originally posted by Shar_Chi
Yes, so awesome what they're doing in labs these days

I guess that was sarcastic. I hate animal testing, but a rodent is vermin and I'd rather a vermin be tested on than a human. Anyway this could develop into a "well the mouse has feelings" episode and I think that's for another time folks.

...and what's the goal of making a fearless mouse???

sorry, but the mouse has an excuse for being dumb, man made him that way....wonder what the cat's excuse is???

hey, I can think of one good purpose for this research if the genetic change is dominant....

ummm...let them lose in the wild, and well, soon, all the mice will lose their fear of cats....my kitty won't have to work so hard to catch one!!!

Originally posted by dawnstar
hey, I can think of one good purpose for this research if the genetic change is dominant....

One thing I thought of was making fearless soldiers or something? Every nation wants the upper hand in a war and what's better than having 100% no scared soldiers. Surely that makes them ruthless and cold? Although this might cloud a humans judgement of what is best and what's wrong. If they were fearless, they'd walk out into heavy gunfire and get mowed down.

Reminds me of a film that I can't quite remember the name of.

yea... there are big rats and they do not fear human or cat... so what
read this thread to see the big rat
link

yea... there are big rats and they do not fear human or cat... so what
read this thread to see the big rat
link

yea... there are big rats and they do not fear human or cat... so what
read this thread to see the big rat
link