Summary: Researchers have identified a cluster of neurons in mouse brains that encourage fear response to perceived threats. When an adjacent cluster of neurons is activated, boldness and courage behaviors are exhibited.
Source: Stanford Medicine.
Mice have to explore their environment for resources, just as humans do, although in a relatively simple and concrete manner. So an ambiguous stimulus can be perceived as threatening or as an opportunity, depending on the neuronal connections.
Very interesting...I sure hope I have lots of clusters!
But what causes what? Does the fear or courage cause the neuron activity or does the neuron activity cause fear or courage?
This experiment just epitomises the general unethical direction that so many scientific experiments seem to be going.
Mice were made fearful no doubt - but mice are still mice, not humans.