Speaking of Cults...What Mice Teach Us about Our Purpose

This week we take a dive into the work of ethnologist John B. Calhoun and the very unexpected results of his experiments, and most importantly what this means to us personally. It's a big-picture look, but that's what we do here, so enjoy!

Here is the full script of the episode:

Hello and welcome back to the Speaking of Cults podcast. I am your host, Chris Shelton. Usually on my podcast we circle around obvious cultic behavior and interviews with former cult members but lately we’ve been taking some deeper looks at aspects of society and our lives that may not have obvious cult connections but which in fact help us understand the cult problem in entirely different ways. Good science sheds light on all sorts of things that it may or may not have been intended for, just as common sense can sometimes help us make decisions in uncommon situations. So today we’re exploring an experiment that has intrigued scientists, philosophers, and futurists for decades: John B. Calhoun’s Universe 25.

Given that it was called Universe 25, we know there were actually many studies conducted over many years leading up to this one. They were conducted with mice but were more than just an investigation into animal behavior. Universe 25 and its results served as a chilling allegory for human societal collapse. So who was John B. Calhoun? What exactly was the Universe 25 experiment? And what lessons can we draw from it today? Let’s dive in.

To understand the Universe 25 experiment, we first need to know a bit about the man behind it. John B. Calhoun was an American ethologist and behavioral researcher who focused on the effects of population density on behavior. Born in 1917, Calhoun earned his Ph.D. in zoology from Northwestern University. Over his career, he became known for his pioneering work in the study of animal populations, and his insights have influenced fields ranging from urban planning to psychology.

Calhoun’s interest in population density began in the 1940s when he worked at the National Institute of Mental Health. He was fascinated by the idea that overpopulation could significantly alter the social and behavioral dynamics of a species. This led him to design a series of experiments with rodents, culminating in his most famous study: Universe 25.

The Universe 25 experiment was conducted in 1972 and was intended to simulate the effects of overpopulation on behavior. Calhoun created a so-called "mouse utopia"—a sealed enclosure that provided an ideal environment for mice. The habitat was meticulously designed: it was clean, climate-controlled, and stocked with unlimited food and water. There were no predators, and disease was minimized. The space was divided into small chambers connected by ramps and tunnels, providing ample room for the mice to explore.

Calhoun started with just four pairs of mice. These founding members thrived in their new environment, and their population began to grow exponentially. By Day 315, the population peaked at around 2,200 mice. But then, something strange happened.

Despite the abundance of resources, social structures began to break down. Calhoun observed a series of alarming behavioral changes, which he categorized into distinct phases. Let’s examine these phases in detail.

During the early days of the experiment, in what you might consider Phase 1 of the experiment, the mice were in what Calhoun called the "strive phase." The population grew rapidly as the original pairs of mice reproduced. Social hierarchies naturally formed, and the mice engaged in typical behaviors such as nesting, grooming, and rearing their young. During this phase, the mice’s behavior was relatively normal, and their environment appeared harmonious.

As the population grew, it entered Phase 2, the "exploit phase." Competition for space and social status began to emerge. Dominant males became more aggressive, often fighting to secure territories and mating rights