The following story is so brilliantly bizarre that one may have to adjust their thinking now in order to take it all in. Imagine if you will the human brain. Not hard to do at all. Now, imagine a rat’s brain. Do you think there are any similarities between the two? Most people would be scream to scream, “No!” But scientists have another theory on this.
In order to study gambling addictions in people, those masked and coated lab techs are exploring the grey matter of some of the rodent world’s finest specimens. How do they plan on doing this, you ask? They’ve recreated human gambling, so to speak, in animals.
It’s all been downhill since they cloned that sheep. And don’t get the scientists wrong; they mean well. But many gamblers are fearful that they’ll be labeled as disease carriers – dirty rats.
The experiments are taking place in Vancouver, British Columbia. UBC researchers claim to have successfully created the first animal laboratory in the world that can model human gambling behavior. For those who do have legitimate gambling issues, the hope is to discover a line of treatment for the addiction.
Researchers claim that the rats are able to “play the odds,” making informed decisions on what gives them the best change to “win.” Drugs are already being developed to counteract this rational thought in the rats. By affecting the dopamine and serotonin levels in the brains of the test subjects, researchers conclude that the rats show more moderate behavior; whereas the rats not on drugs continue to push the envelope.
It’s all about impulse control, claim the scientists. Not only will this be effective against gambling, but other impulse urges like violence, excessive drinking and drug use, and a host of other conditions.
I’m not sure if rats need a cure for gambling, but I’m sure everyone would like to know how they can afford to gamble so regularly in this economy.
On a serious note, the study should help people with gambling problems keep their lives under control. But in the end, it’s just another drug for another syndrome that will cost an arm and a leg to take. You have to ask yourself who’s worse, the mafia-like drug industry or the casinos?
