this post was submitted on 09 Nov 2024
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Science Memes

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Asshole Lab Rat (mander.xyz)
submitted 2 weeks ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to c/science_memes@mander.xyz
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[–] chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 26 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

In this story the researcher's problem was that they let the rat live and used it across multiple experiments

[–] NaevaTheRat@vegantheoryclub.org 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I am not sure if you're being deliberately contrarian to protect cognitive dissonance, or just wildly ignorant of how studies are conducted.

In the most literal sense a study is made of a battery of experiments that are each run across a series of tests. This is also just "an experiment" colloquially since they're all testing the same area. They do not take rats from say a maze solving study, then give them diabetes for a different study, then give them a brain tumor before putting them in the decapicone (a real product).

I have stolen lab rats marked for death, I know what I'm talking about.

[–] chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

They do not take rats from say a maze solving study, then give them diabetes for a different study, then give them a brain tumor before putting them in the decapicone (a real product).

I figured, but in the meme story this is pretty explicitly what is happening.

[–] NaevaTheRat@vegantheoryclub.org -1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

They're probably studying effects of diet on cognitive function.

[–] chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

The diet experiment is presented as present tense. The cat smell experiment is described with "I once ran an experiment", part of the speaker's "thesis", which is in the past. They are clearly keeping #42 alive to be used in totally separate research, in this fictional The Onion esque scenario.

[–] NaevaTheRat@vegantheoryclub.org 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It could be made up. Probably really.

[–] chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 2 weeks ago

I found a source that includes the second half which makes it more obvious:

Dr. Macho believes #42’s behavior is intentional and aimed specifically at him. “I caught him laughing at me once while I was trying to sort data he’d fucked up. I know what you’re thinking, ‘Can rats even laugh? And what would it look like?’ Trust me, when a rat laughs at you, you’ll know.”

When asked why he doesn’t simply exchange #42 for a less malicious rat, Dr. Macho explained, “You can’t just use an infinite number of lab rats. They start to think you’re a psycho if you keep asking for more.” Dr. Macho sighed. “I feel like I’m living in an annoying Pixar movie where I’m the bad guy – oh, wait….I’m the bad guy. I’m the evil scientist performing experiments on a sassy, smart rat. And my name is Dr. Stu Macho? Oof, yeah, I’m the wrong one here.”

Just behind Dr. Macho, #42 winked and walked directly into his food bowl.

[–] NaevaTheRat@vegantheoryclub.org 2 points 2 weeks ago

huh, this story is really old and of dubious origin but afaict the original websites are down and I can't be bothered going into archives.