This is part 2 of my write up on the Mouse Utopia. Read the first part here. In short, do I believe this study is "good" for human based interpolations? Yes and No.

My thoughts as "No".

First off, my "No, these cannot be translate-able to human" points as follows:

1. Lack of natural cycles. Weathers and/or seasons dictate changes of hormonal repercussions. Just as seasons predetermine and affect food production and growth. Observational & association studies seem to suggest depression is linked to sun exposure or vitamin D alone. Sources - see here, here, and on older population study - see here. 
2. Lack of nutritive-input variety. In general, animal based studies are somewhat met with skepticism (see review study). Further, biological timeframe differences - mice and rats lives on average of two years, however some species can range as far as between five to twenty-eight! years (see study). How each of these species differences may confounds/play into physiological and sociological evolutions through time; may prove noteworthy to consider. Also, consider what the mice eats - it was "Ground Corn Cob" (Page 82). Nothing else. 
3. Nil bacterial / viral threats / invasions. Calhoun and colleagues seemed confident at ensuring no viral or bacterial contaminations. All litters and faeces were removed every 4-8 weeks (page 82), that's a global sanitation miracle - pretty much a new "toilet" cleaned periodically for all over the world. But in human reality we have had diseases. Tuberculosis, spanish flu, black death, to name a few.
4. Nil predatory dangers (also sharing to reason#1 & #3). Universe 25 seems  too good to be true.We've long evolved to have survived against lions, tigers, wolves, vultures and killer eagles.. Just to name a few.  
5. ....There is no "labour", No "employment", No "slavery".  Last but not least, when there is no concept or notion of "servitude", it's very difficult how this would translate to human civilisation....   

My thoughts as "Yes".

Despite all the above I nevertheless to represent for nuanced thoughts - how Universe 25 may nevertheless be indirectly relatable.

1/4

"The Beautiful Ones"; what are our's (and mine's) human signs?

Japanese men are isolating themselves away from both the pedestrian race for conventional archetype ~ Marriage, and raising of traditional families. More visible signs of Gynocentrism 2.0. More men going their own way. Single parenthood on the rise; further straining economies around the world.

A legitimate big concern? Sperm counts have been reportedly on steady decline for many decades. See study here and here.

I remained back then to this day - wary and cautious for any excess social "inclusivity". I take every chance to examine ~ costs versus benefits analysis.

First of all, primal admission here. Sex and beautiful women ~ is ingrained as biological directive. Any man, rational to his testosterone would never disagree.

And I do find that inability to reproduce, out of awkwardness as witnessed by "Beautiful Ones" is downright concerning.

Yet in spite all of this one must question inevitably back to the self, "So what?". If there is no inflicting of physical harm (to another) despite insistence for not participating....Then what else matter? Life must go on. Let it "be".

If we leave each other be, and that if we let all interactivity "be" through choice and consents ~ then nothing is imposed, stolen or taken away.

Everything depends from individual assessment of the collective, first and foremost.

I think, therefore I am.

Tj-Holowaychuk @ Unsplash

2/4

The Mouse Utopia study at least remind us one reality - there is no God.

In grave danger there is only one of two possibilities. Sink or swim. 

There is no God to save anyone; nor is there a "God" ~ as tangible organism or entity ~ for us to "save". There is no such thing as divine intervention. Only human (or inhuman) intervention.

"God" is only a cosmetic, sensationalised affirmation of the impossible that which we are forever condemned were we to question them.

Can we actually "see" God?  We only see personification. And from this, affirms our believe that "He" (somehow with a pronoun) is special than and amongst us mere mortals. And that "He" exists at creating things out of nothing. Also ~ why should superhuman or "omnipotent" as they call it ~ as "God" ~ be assigned with a gender, anyway?

Sure, everything in Universe 25 is full of miracles. Food. Water. Perfect climate, and no predators. I bet the mice interpreted John Calhoun as THEIR "GOD". At least, we know for a fact that they can see him. 

Very well.....Suppose he was indeed a "God" yet what happened? The experiment ended a total nightmare. 

Nature is too complicated for us all anyway. Hence, should we all just keep believing that God exists anyway, or anyhow?

Photo by CloudVisual on Unsplash

My answer? Is a solid "NO".

Why? Because there are biological markers and precursors to behaviour. This precursors ownership.

You own your body, behaviours included,  altogether compartmentalising you as "you". Inside, we are composed of numerous complex systems - organs, hormones, neurotransmitters, included to ably keep us all individually alive amidst starvation and abundance. In this initiative I conceptualized them as "Abilities Ecosystems". Abilities because all these organs and molecules - serve as instruments to ably-maintain life as its function.

Irrespective, all beings die. Does "God" therefore have a "rightful say" in all of this? No. Does God speak our language? No. Because there is simply no tangible "person" whom we could interpret, or interact with, from such a "God" at all in the first place, anyway.  

Likewise if there is a "Bible", a "Gospel" or the Quran for us Humans - what would those be for mice? Is there a moral "Bible" for mice? If not, then why not?

Should "God" therefore rightfully intervenes or acts on our physiological behalf ~ without our consenting - our conscience over what is real, tangible as that of our senses?

Should "God" therefore owns all of your actions? Should God therefore owns your senses?

My answer? "No". That I shall emphasize with a pronoun. I think, therefore I am. I act, and interact. Therefore I feel.

Vernon Ho @ Stocksnap.io

3/4

We are more alike to each other than previously thought.

The fate of a human being may also be decidedly ended - by another human. When there is next to no predatorial threats - the only enemies we make is that of our fellow selves. We can both reason and kill each other. Period.

Giving a woman a gun is the same as desire for twisting every words to win a divorce court case (for maximum child support + alimony + bigger homes + bigger wardrobe). Until of course - the male resort to the most rational decision. Suicides.  

Given some right frame of time, some right frame of social circumstance / arrangement, some right frame of hormonal profiling ~ anybody is neither benign or harmless. Everybody is innocent, violent and repulsive. Perhaps not at the same time. But without exceptions ~ we all have to justify our own to keep living.

Andrew Gook @ Unsplash

4/4

Loss of meaning of "work". Biology as “purpose”.
Material as “reward.”

The Universe 25 taught us the need to reconcile what is purpose and what is reward. Work is "Life" for most people . At least for most of us - "work" consumes a significant chunk of our biological clock.

...Unless of course - if you are amongst the top 1%. Your interpretation of "Work" is likely received to be less biologically implicating or exerting. But rather likely expressed to be more as vain or privilege amongst those who sees you at the directorial helm.

All the mice living within Universe 25 were confined such that their perception of ‘meaningfulness’ is reduced to a simpleton. "Nothing", effectively speaking.  Survival incentives were already provided for to just sustain life and nothing more, beyond that realm.

A heaven without progressive incentives unless introduced from another realm does almost sound - like a routinely and orderly - prison.

Sounds familiar?

Even if we do not (yet) live in an accessibly infinite resource abundance - we are still living in an age of ever-perpetual conflict/s which concern two overlapping things.

1 - the Seeking for meaningful things, and 2 - the reciprocal preaching / influencing - of such meaningful things.

Hence, we should more than ever, discuss the meaningfulness of our daily motions. At least in context of frivolous, Bullshit Jobs.

It was not until I learn much about ourselves through physiology and nutrition (as I learned much of that through sustaining myself away from institutionalised dietary "guidelines")  - that having a biological purpose of meaning far outweighs - the value - of material meaning.

So the question here is, what constitutes meaningfulness? Hint: it depends much on how we can or cannot ~ rechannel what seems frivolous and what is not  ~ back to our own selves. We shall leave this in the next section.

Summary

Not without their glaring flaws, Universe 25 nevertheless warrants food for thoughts. Whether or not we may translate such an experiment to human models - is yet another crisis of conscience and trust upon "who" shall orchestrate it all. "Who" ~ in my humble opinion? Anyone but "God".

Indeed, Universe 25 mirrors many analogues to problems of today. Battle of the sexes. MGTOW, etc. But one thing for sure, human nature is part of "nature". We have to somehow work with it including imperfections, not against it. The toughest of all problem is how to allow individuality amidst all these excessive tug of wars. This takes a meaningful enquiring. And that - remains back to self-enquiring.

So yes, there is "hope" nonetheless, as however pessimistic Universe 25 suggests.

Click here to the third and final part of my feature write up.