Male Scent Molecules May Be Compromising Biomedical Research

sciencehabit (1205606) writes "Scientists have found that mice feel 36% less pain when a male researcher is in the room, versus a female researcher. The rodents are also less stressed out. The effect appears to be due to scent molecules that male mammals (including humans, dogs, and cats) have been emitting for eons. The finding could help explain why some labs have trouble replicating the results of others, and it could cause a reevaluation of decades of animal experiments: everything from the effectiveness of experimental drugs to the ability of monkeys to do math. Male odor could even influence human clinical trials."

Also, this means...

[Anonymous Coward]

No more need to wear deodorant. My naturally musky smell will make everyone feel more at ease.

Captain Obvoius

[coinreturn]

Women are intimidating and cause stress. Film at 11.

Re:Showing pain, not feeling pain

[Anonymous Coward]

Further testing showed that the rodents exposed to male odors were actually feeling less pain, rather than simply hiding the pain they were in.

The article then continues to support your reason for less pain response. That the potential presence of a lone male predator is a threat and it is not safe spending excess time responding to minor injuries.
Also, the line right after the above quote indicates that the summary has it backward (as surprise to no one) about the part of test-rats getting stressed.

The male aroma ramped up their stress levels, which deadened the hurt.

This also indicates that lions figured out how to cheat the system.
Male: "Every one of those tasty herbivores gets so flighty when I get close."
Female: "Well, you're also scaring off the hyenas and other critters we don't want near the cubs. You stay here and act scary, I'll go get some dinner."

Re:Actually MORE stressed.

[DMUTPeregrine]

Congratulations! You win another year of editors who don't edit!

Re:Why Male?

[camperdave]

I suspect that the animals *expect* to be tortured when males are around, so they steel themselves against it and thus feel pain less. However, when females are administering the pain, it is unexpected, and thus more intense.

Re:Captain Obvoius

[king neckbeard]

I think you grossly underestimate how low the standards of many men actually are. The requirements are pretty much just a pulse, and even that has some wiggle room.

Re:interesting how so many

[Jeremiah Cornelius]

The labs have to stop using gay rats.

Re:Written by a Woman?

[Anonymous Coward]

Bzzt. Oh, so sorry. The correct response was "Wow, I was a total dumbass for not reading the article. My idiotic knee-jerk rejection of this study based on the first stupid thought to cross my mind was completely wrong. I apologize for being a know-nothing smart-ass and promise not to do it again." Better luck next time!

Quantum Uncertainty

[DarthVain]

Rats react to women the same as if their was no observer?
Maybe we should she if women can observe things without changing states!

This would explain a lot of male confusion when women say two diametrically opposed things in the same sentence... They can just observe more quantum states than we can and can't understand why we cannot. :)

Re:Why Male?

[alta]

As a married man, I agree.

Re:Also, this means...

[boristdog]

How much do you have to drink to get this effect?

Re:Also, this means...

[Maxo-Texas]

It varies but it also improves my dancing and my kung fu skills.

Re:Captain Obvoius

[budgenator]

Sex in the dark is boring.

Never thought I'd see sex and boring in the same sentence on slashdot.

Re:Quantum Uncertainty

[Anonymous Coward]

So the preservation of quantum state by a female observer also extends to a male observer if a female is present

I got lost when you said the female removed her shirt.