From Beverly Cleary’sRalphS.MousetoStuartLittleby E.B. White , the idea of adorable , heroic rodents doing miniaturized variation of human things has enthralled generations of kids . And then you haveMrs . Frisby and the bum of NIMH , which should in reality be classified as a repulsion story .
Robert C. O’Brien , a diary keeper forNational Geographic , wasinspiredto write the 1971 narration about Mrs. Frisby ’s seeking after reading a study conducted by behavioral science research worker John Calhoun .
Dr. Calhoun spent the better part of a 40 - yr calling work out at the National Institute of Mental Health , or NIMH , direct various experiments and studies on mouse to see what would encounter when their universe acquire too bighearted for their environment .
His most famous experiment point four pairs of mice into a mouse universe of discourse he called “ Universe 25 , ” a 9 - infantry - by-9 - foot metal penitentiary with tunnels , nesting loge , and food and water dispenser . The population double up every match of month , until it reached 620 mice on twenty-four hours 315 . By day 560 , there were2,200 micecrammed into that 9x9 space — and things got pretty unworthy .
Yoichi R Okamoto , WikimediaCommons//Public Domain
Mother mice kick their infant out of the nest before the young were quick . Other mouse wounded and kill the babies . Males lose the power to protect their females . Fighting and cannibalism break out amongst non - predominant males . rife males draw back into themselves , preferring to spend their time feeding , drink , and groom . Calhoun called these guys “ the Beautiful Ones . ” finally , the mice stopped reproducing all , and the mouse societycame to an end .
Now , here ’s the scary part . Calhounbelievedthat the results of his studies on mice overpopulation directly predicted what would eventually take place with humans . He start out his paper withthis :
So … mean aboutthatthe next meter you break outMrs . Frisbyfor a bedtime story .
