Utopia by Pangaea

This is a concept album about a series of experiments done on lab mice/rats, headed by Dr. John B. Calhoun. These experiments were known as the "Mouse Utopia" experiments.

The question Dr. Calhoun and his team of researchers attempted to answer was essentially this: "What happens when a species is given an endless supply of food, protected from all predation and disease, and is allowed to increase its population in the absence of environmental hindrances?"

In the first phase, "Strive," the population of mice dips slightly, as territories are established.

During the second phase, "Exploit," the mice become more familiar with one another, and live relatively peacefully. Feeding becomes less of a forage, and more of a social interaction, as the mice associate the ritual with the presence of others. The mice begin to mate with each other. The population grows steadily.

Hierarchies are developed among the mice. Although food and water was available equally throughout the living area, more food and water is consumed in certain nesting quadrants.

The third phase, "Equilibrium," happens when the population suddenly peaks, and stops growing.

During the Equilibrium phase, the social phenomenon Dr. Calhoun called, "Behavioral Sink" occurs.

Infant mortality, cannibalism, and same-sex mating occurs in excess.

Female mice become increasingly hostile toward male mice attempting to engage in mating rituals. The female mice reject the male mice, and abandon their young.

Brief flurries of violence happens among small groups of socially-rejected male mice. These flurries of violence do not seemed to be disputes over territory, mates, or food, but rather a release of pent-up frustration and confusion caused by constant rejection.

Other groups of male mice gather around females, but do not attempt to mate with them. Staying near them, perhaps as a strange form of guardianship, they do not engage in sexual rituals or assist with raising young generations of mice.

Certain mice do not leave their nests until the majority of mice are sleeping, and will only then come out to feed and socialize.

A select number of mice, known as "The Beautiful Ones" spend their time eating minimally, obsessively self-grooming, and sleeping. After individual exposure to mental stimulation, these mice were observed to be of very low-intelligence.

These behaviors foreshadow the fourth and final phase, "Die," in which the population sharply drops.

Eventually, all the mice lose interest in interacting and mating with each other, as well as raising their own young, and the entire mouse population is lead to extinction.

These tests were conducted multiple times, all with the same result.

Social Scientists have argued over the validity and integrity of these experiments, and have disregarded its findings for various reasons.

But there are skeptics who still believe that the theory of "Behavioral Sink" was a harrowing discovery, and serves as a forewarning to our species of what we may undergo in the relatively-near future.

Hi, my name is Anton.

This is my music project Pangaea.

I've been working on it since 2006, when I was 16.

I write all the songs, I play all the instruments, and I do all the recording/editing.

If you have the time, I'd appreciate you giving it a listen.

Thank you.

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