What happens when you create a utopian environment for rats with unlimited food and water? The answer may surprise you.

Let's set up the initial conditions of the experiment. A large tank housed the population with dimensions of 101 inches square and walls 54 inches high. Plentiful food, water and ample bedding was provided and none of the natural predators of rats would reside inside of the tank. However, despite these "perfect" conditions, the population was completely wiped out within two years.

This led researcher John Calhoun to coin the phrase "Behavioral sink" to describe the inevitable collapse of an overpopulated society. Interestingly, the rat population divided itself into two classes: the beautiful ones and the savage ones. The savage ones participated in strange behaviors as despite unlimited food, many of them resorted to cannibalism and unnecessary violence, even bullying targeted individuals. Some unfortunate mice had been repeatedly attacked and had visibly damaged or chewed up tails. The more unique case involves the beautiful ones, in which this party didn't fight or breed, only spending the majority of their time eating, sleeping, and grooming. This secluded group did not care for normal social behaviors and lost the desire to interact with others. Newborns of either faction suffered the most as they had to fight for previously claimed territory and were often rejected from the social circles. Thus, with these poor social behaviors, the population peaked at 2,200 despite the fact that the entire closure could easily house 3,000.

There has been heavy criticism on whether or not these types of behaviors would be shown in humans, as it can be said that humans are more complex, self-aware creatures that could possibly avoid this catastrophe.

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