What happens if you put a bunch of rats in an enclosure and provision them with unlimited food and water? Researcher John B. Calhoun was committed to finding out. Results from Calhoun’s “rat utopia” experiments from the mid-20th century revealed a behavioral dark side that emerged as space grew increasingly limited, ultimately leading to complete population collapse. As headlines conveyed dire warnings about global overpopulation, Calhoun’s work served to reinforce those fears and shape our understanding of the importance of personal space. In this week’s TPWKY book club episode, Jon Adams and Edmund Ramsden join me to discuss their book, Rat City: Overcrowding and Urban Derangement in the Rodent Universes of John B. Calhoun. Tune in for a fascinating a tour through Calhoun’s bizarre and influential research, which even inspired a beloved (if a little creepy) children’s book and movie, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.

Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu

<p>What happens if you put a bunch of rats in an enclosure and provision them with unlimited food and water? Researcher John B. Calhoun was committed to finding out. Results from Calhoun&rsquo;s &ldquo;rat utopia&rdquo; experiments from the mid-20th century revealed a behavioral dark side that emerged as space grew increasingly limited, ultimately leading to complete population collapse. As headlines conveyed dire warnings about global overpopulation, Calhoun&rsquo;s work served to reinforce those fears and shape our understanding of the importance of personal space. In this week&rsquo;s TPWKY book club episode, Jon Adams and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/history/people//academic-staff/profiles/ramsdenedmund.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.qmul.ac.uk/history/people//academic-staff/profiles/ramsdenedmund.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1770833137833000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2F3TlDOXntSbv9gwVtBHlL">Edmund Ramsden</a>&nbsp;join me to discuss their book,&nbsp;<a href="https://bookshop.org/a/3175/9781685890995" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bookshop.org/a/3175/9781685890995&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1770833137833000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0qfgKSeYgD6m-fUgU7wKtR">Rat City: Overcrowding and Urban Derangement in the Rodent Universes of John B. Calhoun</a>. Tune in for a fascinating a tour through Calhoun&rsquo;s bizarre and influential research, which even inspired a beloved (if a little creepy) children&rsquo;s book and movie, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.</p>
<p>Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: <a href="https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu">https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu</a></p>

This podcast might not actually kill you, but Erin Welsh and Erin Allmann Updyke cover so many things that can. In each episode, they tackle a different topic, teaching listeners about the biology, history, and epidemiology of a different disease or medical mystery. They do the scientific research, so you don’t have to.
 
Since 2017, Erin and Erin have explored chronic and infectious diseases, medications, poisons, viruses, bacteria and scientific discoveries. They’ve researched public health subjects including plague, Zika, COVID-19, lupus, asbestos, endometriosis and more.

Each episode is accompanied by a creative quarantini cocktail recipe and a non-alcoholic placeborita.

Erin Welsh, Ph.D. is a co-host of the This Podcast Will Kill You. She is a disease ecologist and epidemiologist and works full-time as a science communicator through her work on the podcast. Erin Allmann Updyke, MD, Ph.D. is a co-host of This Podcast Will Kill You. She’s an epidemiologist and disease ecologist currently in the final stretch of her family medicine residency program.

This Podcast Will Kill You is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including science, true crime, comedic interviews, news, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, Buried Bones, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast and more.

This Podcast Will Kill You

This podcast might not actually kill you, but Erin Welsh and Erin Allmann Updyke cover so many things that can. In each episode, they tackle a different topic, teaching listeners about the biology, history, and epidemiology of a different disease or medical mystery. They do the scientific research, so you don’t have to.
 
Since 2017, Erin and Erin have explored chronic and infectious diseases, medications, poisons, viruses, bacteria and scientific discoveries. They’ve researched public health subjects including plague, Zika, COVID-19, lupus, asbestos, endometriosis and more.

Each episode is accompanied by a creative quarantini cocktail recipe and a non-alcoholic placeborita.

Erin Welsh, Ph.D. is a co-host of the This Podcast Will Kill You. She is a disease ecologist and epidemiologist and works full-time as a science communicator through her work on the podcast. Erin Allmann Updyke, MD, Ph.D. is a co-host of This Podcast Will Kill You. She’s an epidemiologist and disease ecologist currently in the final stretch of her family medicine residency program.

This Podcast Will Kill You is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including science, true crime, comedic interviews, news, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, Buried Bones, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast and more.

Special Episode: Jon Adams and Edmund Ramsden & Rat City

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/50acaac0-3d3f-4410-af5a-b3ed01518bcf/transcript