/oss/taxonomy/term/1406/all en /oss/article/medical-critical-thinking/loopy-science-stressed-rats-and-froot-loops <p>If you are a male rat and have to spend two hours every day in a polypropylene tube in which you cannot move, and want to preserve the integrity of your penis, you better stay away from eating Froot Loops. That would be the takeaway from a study published by Brazilian researchers in the peer-reviewed journal Heliyon. But if you are a man, I think this paper provides no useful information other than insinuating that Froot Loops do not exactly belong in the “health food” category, which would seem to be a self-evident truth.</p><p> </p> Wed, 12 Jul 2023 15:34:35 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9565 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-general-science/rats-dont-really-squeak <p>Despite what movies would have you think, rats barely ever make any sounds, at least those that humans are able to hear. Rat’s vocalizations <a href="https://www.metris.nl/media/documents/sonotrack/Rat_mice_USV.pdf">start at around 2 kHz and extend as far up as 100 kHz</a>. For reference, human’s can hear roughly 2-20 kHz, so the vast majority of rat noises made are well into the ultrasonic spectrum. Pet and wild rats alike will seem almost mute, unless put into extreme distress, when they will squeak or shriek audibly.</p> Tue, 30 May 2017 18:16:34 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 2501 at /oss /oss/article/health-history-you-asked/you-asked-it-true-hantavirus-infection-can-be-acquired-rodent-excreta <p>In 1993, a young Navajo woman arrived at an emergency room in New Mexico suffering from flu-like symptoms and shortness of breath. Despite such “minor” symptoms, she soon passed away. Ironically, this woman’s death would help scientists piece together the cause of the “1993 Four Corners” pulmonary illness outbreak.</p> Thu, 09 Jan 2014 20:30:35 +0000 Alexandra Pires-Ménard, OSS Intern 2064 at /oss /oss/article/environment-you-asked/can-you-remove-dead-mouse-smell-without-putting-holes-your-walls <p>Nobody likes the idea of live rodents scampering around the house, but dead rodents can be an even bigger problem. If they meet their demise inside a wall, as can easily happen, the “smell of death” can be absolutely nauseating. A mixture of decomposition products that include the appropriately named putrecine and cadaverine along with various sulphur compounds can turn the human stomach. What can you do if the carcass cannot be located or is inaccessible? Unfortunately not much.</p> Tue, 01 Jan 2013 18:59:55 +0000 Joe Schwarcz 1850 at /oss