Japanese scientists have genetically engineered mice that show no fear of felines. Does this mean that fear is programmed, not learned? Or both?
Scientists at Tokyo University successfully switched off a mouse's typical reaction, to cower at the smell or presence of cats. Showing either that fear is (a) genetically hardwired and not learned through experience, as commonly believed, or (b) learned fear can be overridden, or (c) the ability to have no fear anything at all can be artificially produced.
Mice are naturally terrified of cats, and usually panic or flee at the smell of one. But mice with certain nasal cells removed through genetic engineering didn't display any fear.
The altered mice approached cats, even snuggled up to them and played with them.
