A
What happened
A 1960s experiment by John B. Calhoun, involving mice in a controlled environment, predicted dire consequences for human behavior and societal structure when exposed to overpopulation and resource saturation.
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Key insights
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1
The Experiment Setup
Calhoun created a 'mouse utopia' with unlimited food, water, and bedding for the rodents, predicting that the population would grow exponentially until overcrowding occurred.
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Behavioral Sink
The term 'behavioral sink' was coined from this experiment, describing the collapse in social behaviors and the rise in aggression, social withdrawal, and reproductive issues as the population density increased.
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Parallels to Human Society
Calhoun's findings suggested that similar patterns could emerge in human societies as urban populations grow and social structures become strained, leading to potential societal breakdown.