Tareltonlives (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Elephants, as a rule, as freaked out by things they don't know or understand. Give a mouse and an elephant a few hours together and they just ignore each other. I think if you showed an elephant a remote control car, it'd be scared of that too

13loodLord (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

While this is a really interesting and fun experiment, I don't think that it is 100% sound on the part of science. Firstly, they never defined in detail what fear is so there is a lot of misinterpretation on the part of the viewer. Science is a precise thing with very thorough definitions, you can't really say surprise and try to pass that off as fear. If I was walking and I saw a mound of shit roll over and a mouse come from under it, I would walk around it too and not because I'm afraid.

ssornareik (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

@AtheistThatsATheist I'm very sure i'm right. Animals dont know about spreading of diseases.I also disagree about the genetic thing. Animals that are afraid of other animals is more of a "fear of the unknown"Dogs (and many more animals) are afraid of humans at first but after interaction, they can conclude we are not a threat. There's no proof of a gene (yet) that any animal carries a "fear gene" for other animals.Elephants are only afraid of squashing the mice. They do not want to hurt it

AtheistThatsATheist (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

@ssornareik I dont think its about squashing it. Remember in history mice and especially rats have been historic spreaders of disease(more deaths caused than all wars). I think its more of a genetic thing. Like some animals are genetically scared of humans. If you hide your shape and are sitting you wont scare them, but stand up and become recognisably human and you scare the shit out of him. Animals being scared of halks etc is another genetic fear.But theres still a chance youre right

mythbusters28 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

don't you mean ARE elephants afraid of mice? lol

xlcyruslx (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

is a mental state, no small enemies, is the same as a human be afraid of a cockroach, an insect-specific, or the same micewhy should it be different in animals, whether human beings are supposedly reasonable fear animals very small, that animals do not?

VonTavast (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

@suthrnreject Sooo much hate.

tsoikova (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

There is nothing strange, why some people are scared from spiders and etc.?

suthrnreject (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

@VonTavast - Hatred? Okay then, if you say so! Gee, you're good at this... There are plenty of nonviolent creatures that exist. Hmmm...how did that happen if violence is a requirement for existence?? You miss the point anyway, which is what I'd expect from the average nonthinking, incapable-of-critical-thought human. Whatever, you're boring the shit out of me now...

VonTavast (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

@suthrnreject Hatred? Yes. Not in our nature to be violent? I'll tell ya if we would never be violent, we would never even exist. Kings and dictators are made, but the people don't get to throw them off the ''throne'' do they?