What's a blog for if it isn't about bringing recondite websites to a (in all probability, very slightly) wider audience. In that spirit, here's Rodent Respect courtesy of my colleague Alan Reid.
A website created for scientists and students working with rodents has won an award from the lobby group Understanding Animal Research. Rodent Respect is a mix of poetry, folk tales, quotes and scientific papers, and is apparently devoted to “mankind’s most constant companions on the road toward a healthier future.” The treasure trove also includes “fun plague facts”, details of the Mouse Oracle of Africa and the insight that Japanese researchers often perform annual memorial ceremonies in honour of the animals used in their work. Long overdue, we say. Big up to all mice and rats out there, the unsung heroes of scientific progress!
Indeed.
Responses
Delighted that they have a reference to Doctor Rat by William Kotzwinkle, which proved to have a considerable and disturbing influence during my formative years. The Clockwork Mouse by Russell Hoban is, however, sadly overlooked