For many people, the concept of "life in paradise" is firmly associated with the biblical existence of Adam and Eve: an abundance of food and casting, a warm climate, no enemies, and, most importantly, there is no need to engage in physical labor. For most people, the form of such an existence seems ideal, but few have any idea how it all can end.
Complete comfort
More than forty years ago, American researcher John Calhoun decided to test the concept of "heavenly life" and organized a series of experiments, which he called the "Universe". The essence of the experiments carried out on rodents was as follows.
First, an ideal dwelling for mice was built - a huge container. The most comfortable temperature for rodents (20 degrees Celsius) was constantly maintained in it; "Paradise" was regularly and abundantly supplied with the purest drinking water and selected food; inside, many cozy corners were organized - nests for pregnant females or dwellings for single males to choose from.
A group of sewers cleaned up the waste of the rodents, and a special team of doctors monitored the health of the inhabitants of the "paradise", treated them in case of illness and controlled the number of animals, so that everyone had enough of everything.
The appearance of predators or infections was ruled out. "Paradise" was designed for the comfortable and comfortable existence of nine and a half thousand mice at the same time, but in reality, over the entire existence of the colony, a little over two thousand of them lived there.
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First settlers
So the experiment began. Four males and four females were the first to enter their domain. According to Calhoun's gradation, this was stage "A" - the period of the development of unfamiliar territory. Stage "B" soon came - the inhabitants appreciated the luxurious living conditions and began to actively reproduce - the number of mice doubled every 55 days.
But after ten months, despite the fact that there was still ample space, and water and food were still abundant, stage "C" came - the growth of the population significantly decreased. The population was now doubling every 145 days. At the time of the onset of stage "C" in "paradise" lived about 600 mice.
The beginning of the fall
In the third stage, “paradise” was a clearly delineated hierarchy. There were overlord mice in the best spots along the walls, and exiled mice were driven into the middle. The outcasts were distinguished by a shabby appearance, scratches and bruises - their compatriots constantly attacked them, and this despite the abundance of water, food, females and cozy dwellings.
Thanks to the efforts of doctors, the lifespan of rodents increased by a third, while the "elders" became more and more aggressive, it was they who provoked attacks on young people.
The females have also changed a lot. They began to refuse to mate, and many simply devoured their offspring and went to rookeries far from the main colony, where no one else was allowed. Despite the fact that the "paradise" was not even half full, the mouse population began to gradually decline.
"Beautiful" and "independent"
And soon came the last stage "D" - the stage of death. The surviving young mice behaved like slaves, their psyche was broken by frequent attacks. Usually they hid in some secluded place, not even trying to defend themselves from aggressive "old" males and females, who tried to capture as much as possible of essentially unnecessary territory to anyone.
Females drove away everyone in a row, in every possible way preventing reproduction. As early as the D stage, a new population of male mice developed in the colony, which scientists called "beautiful."
These mice practiced homosexuality, doing nothing but eating, drinking, sleeping, and cleaning their skin. No one attacked them, but they did not show any activity in life, did not fight for females and for territory. Soon in the mouse "paradise" the majority of the population was made up of "beautiful" homosexual rodents and "lonely and independent" females living in the far corners, who did not want to reproduce.
End of the colony
By the time of the onset of stage "D" the average age of the mice was 776 days, that is, 200 days higher than the upper limit of reproductive age. The mortality rate of young animals was 100 percent, and the number of pregnancies approached zero.
At the same time, despite the abundance of food, cannibalism flourished with might and main, homosexuality was practiced between the males, and the few pregnant females refused to raise their young and simply killed them. On the 1780th day after the start of the experiment, the last inhabitant of "paradise" died.
Shortly before such a sad end, John Calhoun took from the colony several groups of "beautiful" males and "lonely and independent" females and moved them to a separate "paradise" with the same ideal living conditions, where there was, however, even more space.
Scientists hoped that mice, once in an uninhabited area, would begin to behave in the same way as the first settlers, that is, to actively reproduce. But the miracle did not happen - "beautiful" and single females refused to create families and soon died of old age.
Two deaths
Based on the results of the experiment, John Calhoun created the theory of two deaths. The first is the death of the spirit, when, despite unlimited resources, young people cannot find a place for themselves in life. "Beautiful" males and "lonely and independent" females, according to Calhoun, are a direct analogy of people who, living under pressure and stress, simply refuse to struggle to continue their kind.
Such people reduce their lives to doing routine work and the simplest existence, which includes solely caring for themselves.
Moreover, having forever abandoned the struggle for anything, “handsome men” very quickly lose any ability for strong behavior, that is, they cease to be men in the literal and figurative sense of the word. Well, after the death of the spirit, physical death is inevitable and comes very quickly.
John Calhoun conducted 25 such experiments, and they all ended the same way. People have something to think about.
Konstantin Karelov
