Reprinted from The Lab Rat Chronicles: A Neuroscientist Reveals Life Lessons from the Planet’s Most Successful Mammals, by Kelly Lambert, Ph.D., by arrangement with Perigee, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., Copyright © 2011 by Kelly Lambert.

In the reality television shows The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, 25 potential mates vie for a desirable male or female during a series of artificial encounters and interactions. The most attractive candidates are given a rose each week, a gesture indicating their special standing among the others. These shows are saturated with cultural icons representing romance and desire: physically beautiful people, bikinis, hot tubs, gourmet meals, adventure dates, champagne.

6 Comments

1. 1. BlueRoses 08:56 AM 9/30/11

   Rats are not mice and the terms are not interchangeable.

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2. 2. edromar 10:38 AM 10/1/11

   Sure hope the scientists were better at identifying rats than your photographers were. Maybe guinea pigs are not that different from rats when it comes to sex behavior, but its back to the drawing board or rat and guinea pig cages for now!

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3. 3. edromar 10:39 AM 10/1/11

   I'll bet the rts ans guinea pigs know the difference!

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4. 4. edromar 07:41 PM 10/1/11

   I'll bet the rts ans guinea pigs know the difference!

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5. 5. BlueRoses 08:33 PM 10/4/11

   The image above is of two fancy pet rats, not guinea pigs.

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6. 6. verdai 06:29 PM 10/7/11

   Right.
   hmmmm, ha ha tee hee ha

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