In the experiments, Calhoun and his researchers created a series of "rat utopias" [2] – enclosed spaces where rats were given unlimited access to food and water, enabling unfettered …

Dec 20, 2024 · To drive home that complexity, he also ran experiments in rats that would tinker with rodent culture and cooperation, and in so doing, defuse a potential ticking population bomb.

Aug 8, 2024 · Working with rats between 1958 and 1962, and with mice from 1968 to 1972, Calhoun set up experimental rodent enclosures at the National Institute of Mental Health’s …

May 28, 2024 · In 1968, Calhoun had started the experiment by introducing four mouse couples into a specially designed pen—a veritable rodent Garden of Eden—with numerous …

Sep 14, 2016 · On July 9th, 1968, eight white mice were placed into a strange box at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Maybe “box” isn’t the right word for it; the space was …

May 27, 2024 · Ever since the original "Universe 25" rodent utopia experiment took place, countless people have discussed the study and its findings, with some suggesting it could be …

May 17, 2022 · Calhoun set up his first utopia, involving Norway rats, in the woods behind his house to monitor rodents over time and figure out what factors drove their population growth.

With no predators and with exposure to disease kept at a minimum, Calhoun described his experimental universes as "rat utopia," "mouse paradise." With all their visible needs met, the …

May 13, 2025 · Conducted by American researcher John B. Calhoun in the 1960s, the experiment aimed to explore the effects of overpopulation and social breakdown, not just in animals but as …

Calhoun began his experimental research on rodents in 1947 when he studied an enclosed group of Norway rats at a barn in Rockville, Maryland. Supplying the critters with unlimited food and …