12 years ago I gave this talk at the University of California about the history of international trade. It's amazing how much new history has been made since then—COVID supply chain snarls, tariffs, trade wars, Houthi's cutting off the Red Sea, port strikes. Guess I'll have to make a follow up video...
Vietnam has crazy energy right now. 8% economic growth will do that for a place. At this rate in 9 years they’ll be making twice as much as they are today. That gets people pumped!
I posted this video about my trip to Vietnam for the @flexport team yesterday.
The Mouse Utopia Experiment, also known as Universe 25, was a series of studies conducted by American ethologist John B. Calhoun in the mid-20th century to explore the effects of overpopulation on social behavior. In these experiments, Calhoun created environments for rodents that provided abundant resources—such as unlimited food, water, and shelter—while eliminating predators and disease. The primary variable was space, which was limited to observe how population density would impact behavior.
Key Findings:
• Population Growth and Decline: Initially, the rodent populations grew rapidly, doubling approximately every 55 days. However, as space became limited, growth rates slowed, and eventually, the populations began to decline. In the Universe 25 experiment, the population peaked at 2,200 mice, despite the habitat being designed to support up to 4,000. After reaching this peak, the population began to decrease and eventually faced extinction.
• Behavioral Aberrations: As density increased, the mice exhibited various abnormal behaviors, including:
• Social Withdrawal: Some mice, termed “the beautiful ones,” isolated themselves, focusing solely on self-grooming and avoiding social interactions.
• Aggression and Violence: Increased instances of random violence and aggression were observed among the mice.
• Reproductive Decline: Females became less attentive to their young, leading to higher infant mortality rates. Mating behaviors decreased significantly, contributing to the population decline.
Implications and Interpretations:
Calhoun interpreted these findings as a warning about the potential consequences of overpopulation and social crowding in human societies. He coined the term “behavioral sink” to describe the collapse in behavior resulting from overcrowding. However, it’s important to note that while these experiments provided insights into the effects of high-density living on rodents, direct extrapolation to human societies is debated among scholars. Factors such as human cultural complexities, social structures, and adaptability differ significantly from those of rodents.