Althouse: "The history of the world according to rats."

January 18, 2025

"The history of the world according to rats."

From the video: "Today, rats are often regarded as the most successful invasive species in the world."

Meade: "I'd say humans...."

35 comments:

Narayanan said...: Commensal
refers to a symbiotic relationship in which one species benefits while the other is unaffected. It can be used as an adjective to describe two different species of plant or animal living in close association, such that one species benefits without harming the other. It can also be used as a noun to describe an organism participating in such a symbiotic relationship; 1/18/25, 6:21 AM
mezzrow said...: "all I knows is that since I started hearing that little whisper in my ear, everybody likes my cooking a lot better than they did before." - some rando in a kitchen; 1/18/25, 6:26 AM
Iman said...: Rat bastards…; 1/18/25, 6:38 AM
Dave Begley said...: We can’t get rid of rats, but we can stop global warming.; 1/18/25, 6:42 AM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: The Hellstrom Chronicle from 1971 made a huge impression on me when I was a little kid. Became a reference point. Decided to revisit it in my adulthood only to realize it was some kind of a joke.; 1/18/25, 7:06 AM
Randomizer said...: I've never heard of "The Hellstrom Chronicle", but now I want to watch it.

It was the movie, "Ben" from 1972 that creeped the shit out of me.; 1/18/25, 7:22 AM
gilbar said...: definitely humans!; 1/18/25, 7:43 AM
rehajm said...: Roaches beg to differ…; 1/18/25, 7:53 AM
Aggie said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/18/25, 7:59 AM
Aggie said...: Not to mention, 'Willard' - with Elsa Lanchester (Bride of Frankenstein), Sondra Locke, and Ernest Borgnine on the menu.; 1/18/25, 8:04 AM
Canadian Bumblepuppy said...: Rats give me the heebie-jeebies I'm sorry.; 1/18/25, 8:08 AM
Chokdeepremium said...: David Lat’s commentary on Tom Goldstein highlights the resilience of SCOTUSblog, which remains strong under Amy Howe’s leadership despite Goldstein's personal and legal troubles. While Goldstein’s life is marked by extraordinary achievements and dramatic controversies, his potential for redemption hinges on accountability, not shortcuts like a pardon. Lat emphasizes the enduring value of SCOTUSblog and its ability to outlast its founder’s challenges, making it a testament to institutional strength and professional dedication. Goldstein’s story serves as both a cautionary tale and a potential path for reinvention.; 1/18/25, 8:14 AM
Chokdeepremium said...: David Lat’s commentary on Tom Goldstein highlights the resilience of SCOTUSblog, which remains strong under Amy Howe’s leadership despite Goldstein's personal and legal troubles. While Goldstein’s life is marked by extraordinary achievements and dramatic controversies, his potential for redemption hinges on accountability, not shortcuts like a pardon. Lat emphasizes the enduring value of SCOTUSblog and its ability to outlast its founder’s challenges, making it a testament to institutional strength and professional dedication. Goldstein’s story serves as both a cautionary tale and a potential path for reinvention.

My Page: ถุงกระสอบพลาสติก สกรีนโลโก้; 1/18/25, 8:15 AM
Yancey Ward said...: Until a rat is found on a space station, humans still win.; 1/18/25, 8:47 AM
Big Mike said...: @Yancey, you’re sure they aren’t there already?; 1/18/25, 8:55 AM
Big Mike said...: Meade’s right, of course.; 1/18/25, 8:57 AM
Big Mike said...: But the hyper-invasive human subspecies known as “lawyers” has some utility as lab animals, [all together now] “because there are things that even rats won’t do.”; 1/18/25, 9:01 AM
RideSpaceMountain said...: Rat is surprisingly tasty. I've had it on two occassions, both in East Asia, and in some places (like Myanmar) they're raised specifically for food. If you've had squirrel it's very much the same, obviously. If ecological history is a guide, the best solution to any invasive species is to eat them.

Not humans though, or course.; 1/18/25, 9:04 AM
Gilbert Pinfold said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/18/25, 9:16 AM
Gilbert Pinfold said...: "Rats, Lice and History" by Hans Zissner is a brilliant history of typhus and disease ecology. Written in 1935, it remains a classic of commensal biology.; 1/18/25, 9:18 AM
Steve said...: Black Death has entered the chat; 1/18/25, 9:25 AM
Mazo Jeff said...: Wasn't there an SNL (when it was funny) skit about "Ricky Rat"? It was a satire on the Mickey Mouse Club!; 1/18/25, 9:48 AM
Rusty said...: Are rats common at either poles? If not I'd say humans are the most sucessful invasive species.; 1/18/25, 10:01 AM
Art in LA said...: Professor, when was the last time you posted a rat drawing?! I'm sure I could search and find it. I'll try the tag in a second, LOL. You should get back to drawing and doodling!; 1/18/25, 11:15 AM
baghdadbob said...: Art in rat infested LA wants more rat art in Madison.; 1/18/25, 12:04 PM
Yancey Ward said...: I don't but I also haven't heard that they found one either.; 1/18/25, 12:56 PM
loudogblog said...: Meade: "I'd say humans...."

It sounds like he hasn't personally done battle against them. I can say from personal experience that they are tremendously clever and very difficult, if not impossible, to erradicate. I've been fighting them for years at my house and still they keep coming back.; 1/18/25, 1:36 PM
Jon Ericson said...: Ralph Steadman's rats.
https://pixelsmerch.com/featured/animal-farm-p12-chapt-1-1995-drawing-ralph-steadman.html; 1/18/25, 1:37 PM
Narr said...: Rats on a stick?; 1/18/25, 3:06 PM
Aggie said...: Banksy's rats are better than Steadman's, IMO; 1/18/25, 3:43 PM
Craig Mc said...: Rats have had a recent starring role in video games - the Dishonored and Requiem series. Rats as pirañas, swarming and tearing at a victim until there's nothing but a red smear where they once were. Pretty striking the first time you see it.; 1/18/25, 4:15 PM
RideSpaceMountain said...: More like chopped-rat pad thai. Virtually undetectable until you look closely. Real Asian cuisine typically includes animals with things like heads and limbs with tiny feet still attached. I avoided those but the unsophisticated would've thought the remaining flesh was velveted beef. Not bad at all.; 1/18/25, 4:59 PM
Narr said...: Yummers.; 1/18/25, 6:41 PM
n.n said...: DemocRats in a Constitutional Republic that acknowledges individual rights and mitigates authoritarian progress, pro-Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness, are an invasive species? Here comes the piper.; 1/18/25, 7:04 PM
Snowdin said...: There are no rats in Alberta, Canada; 1/18/25, 9:38 PM