Listen "HBM050: The Scientist is not the Angel of Death"
Episode Synopsis
What's a life worth? About $25, before shipping. At least, that's the case if you want a high-quality inbred lab mouse, like the C57BL/6J (in the biz, they just call them "black mice"). In this episode of Here Be Monsters, Jeff Emtman joins "The Scientist," an unnamed cancer researcher, for an after-hours trip to his lab, where they visit the hundreds of lab mice that he tends to. The Scientist's job is to inject his mice with cancer cells, then attempt to cure them using experimental treatments. After the cancers become too large, he kills the mice. The Scientist says that he is not a satanist, despite the satanic art that covers much of his body. Instead, he considers himself a utilitarian, someone who believes that sacrifices must be made to promote the most good for the most beings (human or otherwise). And "sacrifice" is actually the technical term he and others use for killing the mice. The Scientist admits that it is a euphemistic word, but defends it because "from their sacrifice, you gain knowledge."In his lab, the death comes via carbon dioxide, which is often thought to be the most painless option (though it has critics). Other labs use cervical dislocation--though generally there's a requirement that the animal must be unconscious first. After the lab, Jeff and The Scientist sit out on a porch drinking beer, discussing the path to becoming a scientist, The Scientist's admiration of Neil Degrasse Tyson, and the beautiful French animated film, Fantastic Planet.Music: Lucky Dragons, The Black Spot, Flowers
More episodes of the podcast Here Be Monsters
HBM159: Final Haircuts
19/02/2025
The Thaw & Die Grenze
09/12/2024
HBM158: An Illusion
14/12/2022
HBM157: The Raw Whatever
28/11/2022
HBM156: Heavy Load-Bearing Body
09/11/2022
The HBM Art Exchange is Back!
24/10/2022
HBM155: Ghosts Aliens Burritos
24/08/2022
HBM154: Ancient Roman Recipes
22/06/2022
The Straight and Narrow
02/06/2022
HBM153: Klänge from Berlin
04/05/2022