In the 1960s, many people were afraid of overpopulation or Malthusianism. This idea of overpopulation was brought about by an 18th-century demographer, Thomas Malthus. In theory, he proposed that humanity’s population would grow at an alarming rate that would grow steadily quicker than the speed of food production. With his theory, he also came up with the idea that, eventually, there would not be enough food, shelter, or clean water to sustain the entire human population. Unfortunately, there were also many other similar claims around the theory of Malthusianism, which only worsened the fear of overpopulation.
However, an animal behavioralist named John Calhoun had other ideas about the theory of Malthusianism. In the 1960s, Calhoun developed the experiment called “Universe 25,” where he would study the effects of overpopulation in a mouse utopia where he would provide all the necessities to survive: food, clean water, and protection from diseases & predators. As he conducted research, he consistently noticed abnormal behaviors of the mice population throughout the entire experiment. For example, he saw that many pregnant mice began to have trouble raising their children. Furthermore, he noticed that a large portion of the mice were secluded from society and that another fraction of the population was very active in society. Although, within the experiment, the gap between the secluded and active mice gradually became larger. At a certain point, mice began to fight and cannibalize each other over territory.
This experiment demonstrated the effects of overpopulation and how more is not always better. Even in a utopia, mice had gangs, territorial wars, and issues within their paradise. As we continue to face many issues with overproduction and overpopulation, Universe 25 sets a mental reminder that we must sustain a balance of our population and the production of products within our world.
Related Stories:
https://www.snopes.com/articles/466960/john-calhoun-universe-25/
https://www.the-scientist.com/universe-25-1968-1973-69941
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavioral_sink
https://www.iflscience.com/universe-25-how-a-mouse-utopia-experiment-ended-in-a-nightmare-71186
