The Physics Police

The Physics Police

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Mice Like it Hot

Mice like it hot. According to an article in Nature, they prefer 30°C to room temperature (21 °C).

In a recent study, tumor growth was faster and immune responses to cancer were suppressed in rats housed at room temperature compared to those housed at 30 °C.
Oh no, cold causes cancer!!! Tell Obama to ban ice cubes and short shorts!
Hold it right there, crazy voice in my head! The Inuit people are famous for their low incidence of cancer, and they look pretty cold to me.

Inuit dude is chillin' like a villin'.

Kathleen Kokolus, co-author of the study says that warmer animals also produce smaller litters.
Oh no, heat causes infertility!!! Tell Obama to ban water heaters and wool underpants!
Not so fast, crazy voice in my head! The multiple birth rate is 3.457% in humans, so litter size isn't much of an issue. Being one of the hottest countries in the world has not stopped the Niger from having a total fertility rate of 7.16 (average births per woman).

Lady is perspiring in Bondoukou, Niger.

Not everything that happens to mice in the lab has profound implications for humans.

No comments:

Post a Comment