Whereas human-rodent relations seems to have reached a Cold-War-like ceasefire, recent developments remind us that such a truce is unlikely to last forever.
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At present humans need rodents to fill their labs and rodents need humans to provide the waste that feeds their masses. But whereas this mutually beneficial agreement may be enough for now, social and technological changes may well yield unpredictable outcomes which may upset the balance.
Putting cats on radar
In one such technological advance, we heard this month that South Korean scientists have bred cats that glow red when exposed to ultraviolet light.
Some analysts fear that the glow-in-the-dark gene may proliferate, making most cats visible at night. This may in turn inhibit the ability of cats to catch mice, which may well trigger a massive spike in the rodent population.
It is feared that such an increase in the rodent population may leave human waste production incapable of feeding the rat masses, thus upsetting the fine balance in human-rodent relations.
The culture of fear
Another key element to the present peace is the culture of fear in rodent societies. Not only does fear help rodents avoid cats, it is also instrumental in helping them avoid confrontations with human beings. In fact, many will argue that it is exactly because rodents keep contact with humans to the minimum, that coexistence is at all possible.
Now, Japanese scientists have genetically engineered a batch of mice to have no fear. According to one of the researchers, the mice approached cats, "even snuggled up to them and played with them."
Some commentators fear that an increased prevalence of such fearless mice may lead to more human-rodent confrontations – which could in turn threaten the wider peace process.
Alternatively, some argue that the new fearless mice may lack the survival skills of fearful mice – something which could make them easy prey for cats and thereby decrease their numbers.
Controlling small minds
Apart from a general culture of fear, authorities are also looking into more direct means of mind-control.
US researchers this month reported that tik and ecstasy induce memory loss in rats. At higher doses the effects were similar to those seen in car accidents.
Whether such drugs will in future be used to induce a kind of mass rodent amnesia is doubtful, but experts are nevertheless concerned.
What is clear from all three examples though is that new technologies may have a major impact on human-rodent relations. Whether we have the necessary expertise to manage these future threats to stability remains an open question.
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