Mouse solves maze researchers spent months building

[canuck31003]

Maybe it's because I work in a lab, but I thought this story was hilarious. Follow the link for the entire article.

Warning for mild profanity; I'm guessing the problem will be solved, here at least, but not if you follow the link.

IOWA CITY, IA—University of Iowa neuroscientists studying spatial learning and the effects of stress on memory announced Tuesday that a little son-of-a-***** mouse ruined an experiment on cognitive performance by effortlessly navigating a maze that researchers spent nearly a year designing and constructing. [...]

"It is regrettable to spend such a tremendous amount of money studying mammalian neuropathways, only to have some hotshot mouse ruin everything," Eng said. "However, we have compiled substantial data on this species's ability to breeze right in and destroy an entire postdoctoral legacy."

Repeated trials yielded similar results, with the mouse performing equally well despite added variables of Dr. Eng trying to "scoot" it back with a pen and Dr. Barret tipping the entire maze upward 45 degrees. Additional attempts to deceive the mouse by placing a reward of cheese in an impassable section of the maze were also unsuccessful.

"Taking into account my past successful experiments with chimpanzees, it is my final analysis that we are dealing with one smart little ****er," said team member Dr. Russell Sutton, who has already applied for an additional grant to study cognitive learning in the same mouse. "I wonder if he'll be so smart without a functioning hippocampus." -- The Onion.

UPDATE: Oops. The above link won't work because there's a certain word in the url. Follow this link for the main page of The Onion.

[jeriddian]

Maybe it's because I work in a lab, but I thought this story was hilarious. Follow the link for the entire article.

Warning for mild profanity; I'm guessing the problem will be solved, here at least, but not if you follow the link.

IOWA CITY, IA—University of Iowa neuroscientists studying spatial learning and the effects of stress on memory announced Tuesday that a little son-of-a-***** mouse ruined an experiment on cognitive performance by effortlessly navigating a maze that researchers spent nearly a year designing and constructing. [...]

"It is regrettable to spend such a tremendous amount of money studying mammalian neuropathways, only to have some hotshot mouse ruin everything," Eng said. "However, we have compiled substantial data on this species's ability to breeze right in and destroy an entire postdoctoral legacy."

Repeated trials yielded similar results, with the mouse performing equally well despite added variables of Dr. Eng trying to "scoot" it back with a pen and Dr. Barret tipping the entire maze upward 45 degrees. Additional attempts to deceive the mouse by placing a reward of cheese in an impassable section of the maze were also unsuccessful.

"Taking into account my past successful experiments with chimpanzees, it is my final analysis that we are dealing with one smart little ****er," said team member Dr. Russell Sutton, who has already applied for an additional grant to study cognitive learning in the same mouse. "I wonder if he'll be so smart without a functioning hippocampus." -- The Onion.

UPDATE: Oops. The above link won't work because there's a certain word in the url. Follow this link for the main page of The Onion.

Of course, one must realize that you are getting this report out of......The Onion.....which is famous for these farcical types of reports.:P

[Kwebs]

Maybe it's because I work in a lab, but I thought this story was hilarious. Follow the link for the entire article.

Warning for mild profanity; I'm guessing the problem will be solved, here at least, but not if you follow the link.

IOWA CITY, IA—University of Iowa neuroscientists studying spatial learning and the effects of stress on memory announced Tuesday that a little son-of-a-***** mouse ruined an experiment on cognitive performance by effortlessly navigating a maze that researchers spent nearly a year designing and constructing. [...]

"It is regrettable to spend such a tremendous amount of money studying mammalian neuropathways, only to have some hotshot mouse ruin everything," Eng said. "However, we have compiled substantial data on this species's ability to breeze right in and destroy an entire postdoctoral legacy."

Repeated trials yielded similar results, with the mouse performing equally well despite added variables of Dr. Eng trying to "scoot" it back with a pen and Dr. Barret tipping the entire maze upward 45 degrees. Additional attempts to deceive the mouse by placing a reward of cheese in an impassable section of the maze were also unsuccessful.

"Taking into account my past successful experiments with chimpanzees, it is my final analysis that we are dealing with one smart little ****er," said team member Dr. Russell Sutton, who has already applied for an additional grant to study cognitive learning in the same mouse. "I wonder if he'll be so smart without a functioning hippocampus." -- The Onion.

UPDATE: Oops. The above link won't work because there's a certain word in the url. Follow this link for the main page of The Onion.

Of course, one must realize that you are getting this report out of......The Onion.....which is famous for these farcical types of reports.:P

Even if it is a farce, still funny.

[Cody MacArthur Fett]

Maybe it's because I work in a lab, but I thought this story was hilarious. Follow the link for the entire article.

Warning for mild profanity; I'm guessing the problem will be solved, here at least, but not if you follow the link.

IOWA CITY, IA—University of Iowa neuroscientists studying spatial learning and the effects of stress on memory announced Tuesday that a little son-of-a-***** mouse ruined an experiment on cognitive performance by effortlessly navigating a maze that researchers spent nearly a year designing and constructing. [...]

"It is regrettable to spend such a tremendous amount of money studying mammalian neuropathways, only to have some hotshot mouse ruin everything," Eng said. "However, we have compiled substantial data on this species's ability to breeze right in and destroy an entire postdoctoral legacy."

Repeated trials yielded similar results, with the mouse performing equally well despite added variables of Dr. Eng trying to "scoot" it back with a pen and Dr. Barret tipping the entire maze upward 45 degrees. Additional attempts to deceive the mouse by placing a reward of cheese in an impassable section of the maze were also unsuccessful.

"Taking into account my past successful experiments with chimpanzees, it is my final analysis that we are dealing with one smart little ****er," said team member Dr. Russell Sutton, who has already applied for an additional grant to study cognitive learning in the same mouse. "I wonder if he'll be so smart without a functioning hippocampus." -- The Onion.

UPDATE: Oops. The above link won't work because there's a certain word in the url. Follow this link for the main page of The Onion.

Of course, one must realize that you are getting this report out of......The Onion.....which is famous for these farcical types of reports.:P

Even if it is a farce, still funny.

Indeed it is. Very funny indeed. After all, it's just so frustrating when some hot shot comes in and proves millions of dollars and thousands of hours of build time to be all for not.

[campy]

Mice can't be that smart if my cat Rowena can catch them. She doesn't even have her claws any more.

[TransWarpDrive]

When they tore down an office complex to make way for a new shopping mall near my buddy Mike's house, he told me they had mice who'd been displaced by the demolition finding their way into his basement. He said there were several occasions where he came home from work and found one of his cats playing with a mouse downstairs. Another time, the same cat gave Mike a rude awakening by placing a dead mouse on his pillow - just inches from Mike's nose - as a "gift." Mike said he levitated out of bed that morning.... :P