New Scientist Podcasts
Weekly: Life-saving mice perform first aid; tiny lab-grown human brains; making skyscrapers and hair condition from wood
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Mice exhibit advanced empathy by performing CPR-like actions on unconscious mates, highlighting the evolutionary importance of such pro-social behaviors.
- Researchers are developing multi-region lab-grown human brain organoids for studying neurological disorders, raising significant ethical questions about consciousness and sensory awareness.
Deep dives
Pro-social Behavior in Mice
Mice have been observed exhibiting remarkable pro-social behaviors, including performing CPR on an unconscious cage mate. Researchers found that when one mouse was anesthetized, its cage mate engaged in a series of escalating interactions, such as grooming and biting, ultimately pulling the anesthetized mouse's tongue to clear its airways. This behavior challenges the common perception that only larger mammals demonstrate empathy and social awareness, highlighting the evolutionary significance of such actions for social cohesion among rodent populations. The study suggests that this innate behavior may have evolved because saving a nestmate can be crucial for genetic survival, leading to a deeper understanding of compassion across various species.
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