News: 0176653825

  ARM Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life (Terry Pratchett, Jingo)

Mice Give First Aid (thetimes.com)

(Sunday March 09, 2025 @11:34AM (EditorDavid) from the world's-smallest-doctor dept.)


Slashdot reader [1]databasecowgirl writes:

> [2]The Times is reporting an interesting study published [3]in Science in which mice demonstrated doing first aid. In the replicated study, an anaesthetised mouse is exposed to another mouse who recognises the distress and clears airway to revive the unconscious mouse.

>

> The mice had never seen an unconscious animal before, so the behaviour is thought to be instinctive.

[4]From the Times :

> Large social mammals have previously been documented [5]lending assistance to each other . Chimpanzees have been seen tending to [6]wounded companions , dolphins are known to push distressed pod members to the surface to help them breathe, and elephants have been observed assisting their ailing relatives. Never before, however, has such a meticulous, paws-on approach to first aid been recorded in a creature as small as a mouse.



[1] https://slashdot.org/~databasecowgirl

[2] https://www.thetimes.com/uk/science/article/mice-perform-first-aid-to-revive-their-stricken-companions-zqh8z38kf

[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39977520/

[4] https://www.thetimes.com/uk/science/article/mice-perform-first-aid-to-revive-their-stricken-companions-zqh8z38kf

[5] https://www.thetimes.com/article/where-did-kissing-come-from-new-theory-may-make-your-skin-crawl-rnspbnd6v

[6] https://www.thetimes.com/article/self-medicating-chimps-rub-insects-into-the-wound-vfmzkhgrn



Quick (Score:1)

by dcollins ( 135727 )

Get DOGE in to stop it, too much empathy

A man is crawling through the Sahara desert when he is approached by another
man riding on a camel. When the rider gets close enough, the crawling man
whispers through his sun-parched lips, "Water... please... can you give...
water..."
"I'm sorry," replies the man on the camel, "I don't have any water
with me. But I'd be delighted to sell you a necktie."
"Tie?" whispers the man. "I need *water*."
"They're only four dollars apiece."
"I need *water*."
"Okay, okay, say two for seven dollars."
"Please! I need *water*!", says the man.
"I don't have any water, all I have are ties," replies the salesman,
and he heads off into the distance.
The man, losing track of time, crawls for what seems like days.
Finally, nearly dead, sun-blind and with his skin peeling and blistering, he
sees a restaurant in the distance. Summoning the last of his strength he
staggers up to the door and confronts the head waiter.
"Water... can I get... water," the dying man manages to stammer.
"I'm sorry, sir, ties required."