How would a mousetrap for use in space work? Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar Manara Planned maintenance scheduled April 17/18, 2019 at 00:00UTC (8:00pm US/Eastern)If mice escaped on the International Space Station, could they live and thrive?How will Robotic Refueling Mission-3's liquid methane tank remain full for six months without any boil off?Can fish really live in microgravity without water?What are the procedures aboard the ISS in the eventuality of a loss of a crew member?Where should I look in ISS to find mouldy food?What would happen if a mutiny occurred on the International Space Station?Have any animals that have been studied onboard the ISS come back alive?Why aren't the ISS's nor Space Shuttle's radiators black?Will the Neumann drive start testing aboard the ISS some time in 2018?Is microgravity “known to” increase bacteria's tendency to acquire foreign genetic material and become metal & antibiotic-resistant?How will Robotic Refueling Mission-3's liquid methane tank remain full for six months without any boil off?If mice escaped on the International Space Station, could they live and thrive?
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How would a mousetrap for use in space work?
Can you use the Shield Master feat to shove someone before you make an attack by using a Readied action?
How would a mousetrap for use in space work?
Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar Manara
Planned maintenance scheduled April 17/18, 2019 at 00:00UTC (8:00pm US/Eastern)If mice escaped on the International Space Station, could they live and thrive?How will Robotic Refueling Mission-3's liquid methane tank remain full for six months without any boil off?Can fish really live in microgravity without water?What are the procedures aboard the ISS in the eventuality of a loss of a crew member?Where should I look in ISS to find mouldy food?What would happen if a mutiny occurred on the International Space Station?Have any animals that have been studied onboard the ISS come back alive?Why aren't the ISS's nor Space Shuttle's radiators black?Will the Neumann drive start testing aboard the ISS some time in 2018?Is microgravity “known to” increase bacteria's tendency to acquire foreign genetic material and become metal & antibiotic-resistant?How will Robotic Refueling Mission-3's liquid methane tank remain full for six months without any boil off?If mice escaped on the International Space Station, could they live and thrive?
$begingroup$
To the question If mice escaped on the International Space Station, could they live and thrive? both the answer and comments point out that while mice escaped from an experiment might survive a while if they could find food and water, their chewing on insulation and and seals could cause tremendous problems and endanger the lives of the crew.
It would then be absolutely critical to capture the mice as soon as possible.
How might a mousetrap for use in space work? How might it differ from terrestrial 1 g mousetraps?
"Mousetrap" may be generalized somewhat. Remember that the goal is to rid the station of the dangers posed by the mice.
Screenshot from Mice aboard the International Space Station
iss animals emergency
asked 12 hours ago
uhohuhoh
41.1k18154517
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
To the question If mice escaped on the International Space Station, could they live and thrive? both the answer and comments point out that while mice escaped from an experiment might survive a while if they could find food and water, their chewing on insulation and and seals could cause tremendous problems and endanger the lives of the crew.
It would then be absolutely critical to capture the mice as soon as possible.
How might a mousetrap for use in space work? How might it differ from terrestrial 1 g mousetraps?
"Mousetrap" may be generalized somewhat. Remember that the goal is to rid the station of the dangers posed by the mice.
Screenshot from Mice aboard the International Space Station
iss animals emergency
asked 12 hours ago
uhohuhoh
41.1k18154517
$endgroup$
3
$begingroup$
Is it possible to seal off a section & pump enough air out to suffocate them?
$endgroup$
– Dan Pichelman
12 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
@DanPichelman I recommend posting that as an answer. I'll clarify the question to allow for non-conventional solutions.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
11 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
A great variation on "build a better mousetrap"
$endgroup$
– ben
6 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
To the question If mice escaped on the International Space Station, could they live and thrive? both the answer and comments point out that while mice escaped from an experiment might survive a while if they could find food and water, their chewing on insulation and and seals could cause tremendous problems and endanger the lives of the crew.
It would then be absolutely critical to capture the mice as soon as possible.
How might a mousetrap for use in space work? How might it differ from terrestrial 1 g mousetraps?
"Mousetrap" may be generalized somewhat. Remember that the goal is to rid the station of the dangers posed by the mice.
Screenshot from Mice aboard the International Space Station
iss animals emergency
asked 12 hours ago
uhohuhoh
41.1k18154517
$endgroup$
To the question If mice escaped on the International Space Station, could they live and thrive? both the answer and comments point out that while mice escaped from an experiment might survive a while if they could find food and water, their chewing on insulation and and seals could cause tremendous problems and endanger the lives of the crew.
It would then be absolutely critical to capture the mice as soon as possible.
How might a mousetrap for use in space work? How might it differ from terrestrial 1 g mousetraps?
"Mousetrap" may be generalized somewhat. Remember that the goal is to rid the station of the dangers posed by the mice.
Screenshot from Mice aboard the International Space Station
iss animals emergency
iss animals emergency
asked 12 hours ago
uhohuhoh
41.1k18154517
asked 12 hours ago
uhohuhoh
41.1k18154517
edited 11 hours ago
uhoh
asked 12 hours ago
uhohuhoh
41.1k18154517
asked 12 hours ago
uhohuhoh
41.1k18154517
asked 12 hours ago
uhohuhoh
41.1k18154517
41.1k18154517
3
$begingroup$
Is it possible to seal off a section & pump enough air out to suffocate them?
$endgroup$
– Dan Pichelman
12 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
@DanPichelman I recommend posting that as an answer. I'll clarify the question to allow for non-conventional solutions.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
11 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
A great variation on "build a better mousetrap"
$endgroup$
– ben
6 hours ago
add a comment |
3
$begingroup$
Is it possible to seal off a section & pump enough air out to suffocate them?
$endgroup$
– Dan Pichelman
12 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
@DanPichelman I recommend posting that as an answer. I'll clarify the question to allow for non-conventional solutions.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
11 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
A great variation on "build a better mousetrap"
$endgroup$
– ben
6 hours ago
3
3
$begingroup$
Is it possible to seal off a section & pump enough air out to suffocate them?
$endgroup$
– Dan Pichelman
12 hours ago
$begingroup$
Is it possible to seal off a section & pump enough air out to suffocate them?
$endgroup$
– Dan Pichelman
12 hours ago
1
1
$begingroup$
@DanPichelman I recommend posting that as an answer. I'll clarify the question to allow for non-conventional solutions.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
11 hours ago
$begingroup$
@DanPichelman I recommend posting that as an answer. I'll clarify the question to allow for non-conventional solutions.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
11 hours ago
1
1
$begingroup$
A great variation on "build a better mousetrap"
$endgroup$
– ben
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
A great variation on "build a better mousetrap"
$endgroup$
– ben
6 hours ago
add a comment |
5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
There are many types of mousetraps, the traditional "snap trap" is unlikely to work well because it is dependent on pressure. Lethal traps like snap traps would be undesirable:
- Humane concerns
- Dead mice are a health concern in a closed environment
- You want the mice alive for experimentation
So that leaves you with non-lethal traps, the two that come to mind are:
Catch and Release traps:
These traps are all variations on a theme, mice come in to get the bait and the door closes behind them. There are simple mechanical ones and electronic ones, I'd assume the electric ones are better again because you don't want to be reliant on pressure sensing.
Glue traps: these are really just sheets of very sticky glue with bait in the middle. A mouse gets stuck to the glue, it's that simple. These aren't perfect as it can be difficult to get the mouse off in one piece, and you'd be introducing solvents into the atmosphere from the glue. But, they'd be useful for some hard to reach places.
answered 11 hours ago
GdDGdD
9,95833245
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
It does, in my answer I say an electronic one with a sensor would be better @JCRM, I just couldn't find a decent picture of one.
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
No probs @JCRM.
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
$begingroup$
Another concern with snap traps is that the mechanism can cut into the neck of the mouse, causing wounds and spraying blood. Bad enough in a one g environment, far worse in zero g.
$endgroup$
– jwenting
13 mins ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Other suggestions here for trap mechanisms may have incorporated consideration of zero gravity on the operation of the trap, but not upon the mouse itself. In zero gravity, searching for a mouse is no longer an effectively 2-dimensional search of and behind surfaces. The moment a mouse escaped its enclosure and tried to walk along a surface, the very act of locomotion (by exerting force upon the surface) would propel its small mass away from the surface and into the three dimensional volume of the station.
One wouldn't need to be searching hiding places for the mouse, but simply scanning the air space. Catching it would be a simple manual process of plucking it out of the air. No matter how fast it tried running, its legs would be cycling uselessly and it would simply be drifting at relatively constant velocity until it collided with another surface, whereupon it would very quickly unintentionally launch itself back into the air.
answered 5 hours ago
Michael MacAskillMichael MacAskill
1613
New contributor
Michael MacAskill is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
Note that here on Earth, mice don't live on a 2-dimensional floor, they almost always move along the 1-dimensional line that joins the floor and wall. A trap in the middle of a floor, or even only a foot away from a wall, will seldom catch anything. To be effective, traps have to be placed perpendicular to the wall, with the bait end touching the wall. So even with 3 dimensions to work with, mice will still try to stay at the edges of any room. (How successful they'll be I don't know. It would make an interesting experiment though.
$endgroup$
– Ray Butterworth
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
@RayButterworth Yes, that's a nice way to characterise constraints on their behaviour in their natural terrestrial environment. I think they would instinctively try to do the same thing in a large microgravity environment, but fail to do so (because they would need to use a strategy of using their paws in an alternating fashion to grasp surfaces rather than use standard quadripedal locomotion). They would lack a human's cognitive ability to use alternate forms of movement strategy (e.g. using handgrips, or propelling oneself intentionally through the air to a destination).
$endgroup$
– Michael MacAskill
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
Exactly what I was thinking. Mice ARE very intelligent, but it's so foreign, I think you'd have quite a while while they're floating around helplessly.
$endgroup$
– user27163
1 hour ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
A solution that comes to mind is to seal off one section of the ISS at a time and depressurize it.
Finding and removing dead mice may be somewhat easier than finding and removing live ones that are actively avoiding capture.
(I fully agree with the comments - removing the dead mice would be a major problem)
answered 11 hours ago
Dan PichelmanDan Pichelman
2,2723716
$endgroup$
3
$begingroup$
I have to disagree with that fundamentally, mice are amazing at working their way into things, you don't want a rotting mouse corpse stuck behind a console where the crew can't reach!
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
2
$begingroup$
@GdD Agreed. I once had a mouse die in the heating vents of my car, and the car was old enough where taking it apart to find it would've exceeded the value of the car. Even with the windows open it stank for months.
$endgroup$
– ceejayoz
11 hours ago
2
$begingroup$
That's nasty @ceejayoz! I had one die behind a range once, couldn't get the landlord to send someone to get it out and I wasn't allowed to move it contractually. Pretty unpleasant!
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I believe that funnel traps should work in zero-gravity. They are not active, do not use gravity or springs. Gravity may help the mouse fall in for those with opening at the top but imho that is not strictly needed as other designs use openings on the sides.
Image source Little Green Shop
answered 8 hours ago
jkavalikjkavalik
3,86711338
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
I like this one.
$endgroup$
– Organic Marble
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
ah, those ones. We had those in our chicken coops when I was little. Couldn't use regular mouse traps as the chickens would step on them and trigger the mechanism with their feet.
$endgroup$
– jwenting
12 mins ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I would think that a mousetrap on the ISS would work the same as one on earth, but secured to the sides of the station
answered 12 hours ago
Random9Random9
282
$endgroup$
4
$begingroup$
All the traps I can think of use gravity in one way or another. admittedly I've only used four different methods.
$endgroup$
– JCRM
11 hours ago
add a comment |
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5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
There are many types of mousetraps, the traditional "snap trap" is unlikely to work well because it is dependent on pressure. Lethal traps like snap traps would be undesirable:
- Humane concerns
- Dead mice are a health concern in a closed environment
- You want the mice alive for experimentation
So that leaves you with non-lethal traps, the two that come to mind are:
Catch and Release traps:
These traps are all variations on a theme, mice come in to get the bait and the door closes behind them. There are simple mechanical ones and electronic ones, I'd assume the electric ones are better again because you don't want to be reliant on pressure sensing.
Glue traps: these are really just sheets of very sticky glue with bait in the middle. A mouse gets stuck to the glue, it's that simple. These aren't perfect as it can be difficult to get the mouse off in one piece, and you'd be introducing solvents into the atmosphere from the glue. But, they'd be useful for some hard to reach places.
answered 11 hours ago
GdDGdD
9,95833245
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
It does, in my answer I say an electronic one with a sensor would be better @JCRM, I just couldn't find a decent picture of one.
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
No probs @JCRM.
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
$begingroup$
Another concern with snap traps is that the mechanism can cut into the neck of the mouse, causing wounds and spraying blood. Bad enough in a one g environment, far worse in zero g.
$endgroup$
– jwenting
13 mins ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
There are many types of mousetraps, the traditional "snap trap" is unlikely to work well because it is dependent on pressure. Lethal traps like snap traps would be undesirable:
- Humane concerns
- Dead mice are a health concern in a closed environment
- You want the mice alive for experimentation
So that leaves you with non-lethal traps, the two that come to mind are:
Catch and Release traps:
These traps are all variations on a theme, mice come in to get the bait and the door closes behind them. There are simple mechanical ones and electronic ones, I'd assume the electric ones are better again because you don't want to be reliant on pressure sensing.
Glue traps: these are really just sheets of very sticky glue with bait in the middle. A mouse gets stuck to the glue, it's that simple. These aren't perfect as it can be difficult to get the mouse off in one piece, and you'd be introducing solvents into the atmosphere from the glue. But, they'd be useful for some hard to reach places.
answered 11 hours ago
GdDGdD
9,95833245
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
It does, in my answer I say an electronic one with a sensor would be better @JCRM, I just couldn't find a decent picture of one.
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
No probs @JCRM.
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
$begingroup$
Another concern with snap traps is that the mechanism can cut into the neck of the mouse, causing wounds and spraying blood. Bad enough in a one g environment, far worse in zero g.
$endgroup$
– jwenting
13 mins ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
There are many types of mousetraps, the traditional "snap trap" is unlikely to work well because it is dependent on pressure. Lethal traps like snap traps would be undesirable:
- Humane concerns
- Dead mice are a health concern in a closed environment
- You want the mice alive for experimentation
So that leaves you with non-lethal traps, the two that come to mind are:
Catch and Release traps:
These traps are all variations on a theme, mice come in to get the bait and the door closes behind them. There are simple mechanical ones and electronic ones, I'd assume the electric ones are better again because you don't want to be reliant on pressure sensing.
Glue traps: these are really just sheets of very sticky glue with bait in the middle. A mouse gets stuck to the glue, it's that simple. These aren't perfect as it can be difficult to get the mouse off in one piece, and you'd be introducing solvents into the atmosphere from the glue. But, they'd be useful for some hard to reach places.
answered 11 hours ago
GdDGdD
9,95833245
$endgroup$
There are many types of mousetraps, the traditional "snap trap" is unlikely to work well because it is dependent on pressure. Lethal traps like snap traps would be undesirable:
- Humane concerns
- Dead mice are a health concern in a closed environment
- You want the mice alive for experimentation
So that leaves you with non-lethal traps, the two that come to mind are:
Catch and Release traps:
These traps are all variations on a theme, mice come in to get the bait and the door closes behind them. There are simple mechanical ones and electronic ones, I'd assume the electric ones are better again because you don't want to be reliant on pressure sensing.
Glue traps: these are really just sheets of very sticky glue with bait in the middle. A mouse gets stuck to the glue, it's that simple. These aren't perfect as it can be difficult to get the mouse off in one piece, and you'd be introducing solvents into the atmosphere from the glue. But, they'd be useful for some hard to reach places.
answered 11 hours ago
GdDGdD
9,95833245
answered 11 hours ago
GdDGdD
9,95833245
answered 11 hours ago
GdDGdD
9,95833245
answered 11 hours ago
GdDGdD
9,95833245
9,95833245
1
$begingroup$
It does, in my answer I say an electronic one with a sensor would be better @JCRM, I just couldn't find a decent picture of one.
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
No probs @JCRM.
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
$begingroup$
Another concern with snap traps is that the mechanism can cut into the neck of the mouse, causing wounds and spraying blood. Bad enough in a one g environment, far worse in zero g.
$endgroup$
– jwenting
13 mins ago
add a comment |
1
$begingroup$
It does, in my answer I say an electronic one with a sensor would be better @JCRM, I just couldn't find a decent picture of one.
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
No probs @JCRM.
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
$begingroup$
Another concern with snap traps is that the mechanism can cut into the neck of the mouse, causing wounds and spraying blood. Bad enough in a one g environment, far worse in zero g.
$endgroup$
– jwenting
13 mins ago
1
1
$begingroup$
It does, in my answer I say an electronic one with a sensor would be better @JCRM, I just couldn't find a decent picture of one.
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
$begingroup$
It does, in my answer I say an electronic one with a sensor would be better @JCRM, I just couldn't find a decent picture of one.
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
1
1
$begingroup$
No probs @JCRM.
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
$begingroup$
No probs @JCRM.
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
$begingroup$
Another concern with snap traps is that the mechanism can cut into the neck of the mouse, causing wounds and spraying blood. Bad enough in a one g environment, far worse in zero g.
$endgroup$
– jwenting
13 mins ago
$begingroup$
Another concern with snap traps is that the mechanism can cut into the neck of the mouse, causing wounds and spraying blood. Bad enough in a one g environment, far worse in zero g.
$endgroup$
– jwenting
13 mins ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Other suggestions here for trap mechanisms may have incorporated consideration of zero gravity on the operation of the trap, but not upon the mouse itself. In zero gravity, searching for a mouse is no longer an effectively 2-dimensional search of and behind surfaces. The moment a mouse escaped its enclosure and tried to walk along a surface, the very act of locomotion (by exerting force upon the surface) would propel its small mass away from the surface and into the three dimensional volume of the station.
One wouldn't need to be searching hiding places for the mouse, but simply scanning the air space. Catching it would be a simple manual process of plucking it out of the air. No matter how fast it tried running, its legs would be cycling uselessly and it would simply be drifting at relatively constant velocity until it collided with another surface, whereupon it would very quickly unintentionally launch itself back into the air.
answered 5 hours ago
Michael MacAskillMichael MacAskill
1613
New contributor
Michael MacAskill is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
Note that here on Earth, mice don't live on a 2-dimensional floor, they almost always move along the 1-dimensional line that joins the floor and wall. A trap in the middle of a floor, or even only a foot away from a wall, will seldom catch anything. To be effective, traps have to be placed perpendicular to the wall, with the bait end touching the wall. So even with 3 dimensions to work with, mice will still try to stay at the edges of any room. (How successful they'll be I don't know. It would make an interesting experiment though.
$endgroup$
– Ray Butterworth
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
@RayButterworth Yes, that's a nice way to characterise constraints on their behaviour in their natural terrestrial environment. I think they would instinctively try to do the same thing in a large microgravity environment, but fail to do so (because they would need to use a strategy of using their paws in an alternating fashion to grasp surfaces rather than use standard quadripedal locomotion). They would lack a human's cognitive ability to use alternate forms of movement strategy (e.g. using handgrips, or propelling oneself intentionally through the air to a destination).
$endgroup$
– Michael MacAskill
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
Exactly what I was thinking. Mice ARE very intelligent, but it's so foreign, I think you'd have quite a while while they're floating around helplessly.
$endgroup$
– user27163
1 hour ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Other suggestions here for trap mechanisms may have incorporated consideration of zero gravity on the operation of the trap, but not upon the mouse itself. In zero gravity, searching for a mouse is no longer an effectively 2-dimensional search of and behind surfaces. The moment a mouse escaped its enclosure and tried to walk along a surface, the very act of locomotion (by exerting force upon the surface) would propel its small mass away from the surface and into the three dimensional volume of the station.
One wouldn't need to be searching hiding places for the mouse, but simply scanning the air space. Catching it would be a simple manual process of plucking it out of the air. No matter how fast it tried running, its legs would be cycling uselessly and it would simply be drifting at relatively constant velocity until it collided with another surface, whereupon it would very quickly unintentionally launch itself back into the air.
answered 5 hours ago
Michael MacAskillMichael MacAskill
1613
New contributor
Michael MacAskill is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
Note that here on Earth, mice don't live on a 2-dimensional floor, they almost always move along the 1-dimensional line that joins the floor and wall. A trap in the middle of a floor, or even only a foot away from a wall, will seldom catch anything. To be effective, traps have to be placed perpendicular to the wall, with the bait end touching the wall. So even with 3 dimensions to work with, mice will still try to stay at the edges of any room. (How successful they'll be I don't know. It would make an interesting experiment though.
$endgroup$
– Ray Butterworth
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
@RayButterworth Yes, that's a nice way to characterise constraints on their behaviour in their natural terrestrial environment. I think they would instinctively try to do the same thing in a large microgravity environment, but fail to do so (because they would need to use a strategy of using their paws in an alternating fashion to grasp surfaces rather than use standard quadripedal locomotion). They would lack a human's cognitive ability to use alternate forms of movement strategy (e.g. using handgrips, or propelling oneself intentionally through the air to a destination).
$endgroup$
– Michael MacAskill
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
Exactly what I was thinking. Mice ARE very intelligent, but it's so foreign, I think you'd have quite a while while they're floating around helplessly.
$endgroup$
– user27163
1 hour ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Other suggestions here for trap mechanisms may have incorporated consideration of zero gravity on the operation of the trap, but not upon the mouse itself. In zero gravity, searching for a mouse is no longer an effectively 2-dimensional search of and behind surfaces. The moment a mouse escaped its enclosure and tried to walk along a surface, the very act of locomotion (by exerting force upon the surface) would propel its small mass away from the surface and into the three dimensional volume of the station.
One wouldn't need to be searching hiding places for the mouse, but simply scanning the air space. Catching it would be a simple manual process of plucking it out of the air. No matter how fast it tried running, its legs would be cycling uselessly and it would simply be drifting at relatively constant velocity until it collided with another surface, whereupon it would very quickly unintentionally launch itself back into the air.
answered 5 hours ago
Michael MacAskillMichael MacAskill
1613
New contributor
Michael MacAskill is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$endgroup$
Other suggestions here for trap mechanisms may have incorporated consideration of zero gravity on the operation of the trap, but not upon the mouse itself. In zero gravity, searching for a mouse is no longer an effectively 2-dimensional search of and behind surfaces. The moment a mouse escaped its enclosure and tried to walk along a surface, the very act of locomotion (by exerting force upon the surface) would propel its small mass away from the surface and into the three dimensional volume of the station.
One wouldn't need to be searching hiding places for the mouse, but simply scanning the air space. Catching it would be a simple manual process of plucking it out of the air. No matter how fast it tried running, its legs would be cycling uselessly and it would simply be drifting at relatively constant velocity until it collided with another surface, whereupon it would very quickly unintentionally launch itself back into the air.
answered 5 hours ago
Michael MacAskillMichael MacAskill
1613
New contributor
Michael MacAskill is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
answered 5 hours ago
Michael MacAskillMichael MacAskill
1613
New contributor
Michael MacAskill is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
answered 5 hours ago
Michael MacAskillMichael MacAskill
1613
answered 5 hours ago
Michael MacAskillMichael MacAskill
1613
1613
New contributor
Michael MacAskill is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Michael MacAskill is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Michael MacAskill is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
$begingroup$
Note that here on Earth, mice don't live on a 2-dimensional floor, they almost always move along the 1-dimensional line that joins the floor and wall. A trap in the middle of a floor, or even only a foot away from a wall, will seldom catch anything. To be effective, traps have to be placed perpendicular to the wall, with the bait end touching the wall. So even with 3 dimensions to work with, mice will still try to stay at the edges of any room. (How successful they'll be I don't know. It would make an interesting experiment though.
$endgroup$
– Ray Butterworth
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
@RayButterworth Yes, that's a nice way to characterise constraints on their behaviour in their natural terrestrial environment. I think they would instinctively try to do the same thing in a large microgravity environment, but fail to do so (because they would need to use a strategy of using their paws in an alternating fashion to grasp surfaces rather than use standard quadripedal locomotion). They would lack a human's cognitive ability to use alternate forms of movement strategy (e.g. using handgrips, or propelling oneself intentionally through the air to a destination).
$endgroup$
– Michael MacAskill
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
Exactly what I was thinking. Mice ARE very intelligent, but it's so foreign, I think you'd have quite a while while they're floating around helplessly.
$endgroup$
– user27163
1 hour ago
add a comment |
1
$begingroup$
Note that here on Earth, mice don't live on a 2-dimensional floor, they almost always move along the 1-dimensional line that joins the floor and wall. A trap in the middle of a floor, or even only a foot away from a wall, will seldom catch anything. To be effective, traps have to be placed perpendicular to the wall, with the bait end touching the wall. So even with 3 dimensions to work with, mice will still try to stay at the edges of any room. (How successful they'll be I don't know. It would make an interesting experiment though.
$endgroup$
– Ray Butterworth
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
@RayButterworth Yes, that's a nice way to characterise constraints on their behaviour in their natural terrestrial environment. I think they would instinctively try to do the same thing in a large microgravity environment, but fail to do so (because they would need to use a strategy of using their paws in an alternating fashion to grasp surfaces rather than use standard quadripedal locomotion). They would lack a human's cognitive ability to use alternate forms of movement strategy (e.g. using handgrips, or propelling oneself intentionally through the air to a destination).
$endgroup$
– Michael MacAskill
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
Exactly what I was thinking. Mice ARE very intelligent, but it's so foreign, I think you'd have quite a while while they're floating around helplessly.
$endgroup$
– user27163
1 hour ago
1
1
$begingroup$
Note that here on Earth, mice don't live on a 2-dimensional floor, they almost always move along the 1-dimensional line that joins the floor and wall. A trap in the middle of a floor, or even only a foot away from a wall, will seldom catch anything. To be effective, traps have to be placed perpendicular to the wall, with the bait end touching the wall. So even with 3 dimensions to work with, mice will still try to stay at the edges of any room. (How successful they'll be I don't know. It would make an interesting experiment though.
$endgroup$
– Ray Butterworth
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
Note that here on Earth, mice don't live on a 2-dimensional floor, they almost always move along the 1-dimensional line that joins the floor and wall. A trap in the middle of a floor, or even only a foot away from a wall, will seldom catch anything. To be effective, traps have to be placed perpendicular to the wall, with the bait end touching the wall. So even with 3 dimensions to work with, mice will still try to stay at the edges of any room. (How successful they'll be I don't know. It would make an interesting experiment though.
$endgroup$
– Ray Butterworth
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
@RayButterworth Yes, that's a nice way to characterise constraints on their behaviour in their natural terrestrial environment. I think they would instinctively try to do the same thing in a large microgravity environment, but fail to do so (because they would need to use a strategy of using their paws in an alternating fashion to grasp surfaces rather than use standard quadripedal locomotion). They would lack a human's cognitive ability to use alternate forms of movement strategy (e.g. using handgrips, or propelling oneself intentionally through the air to a destination).
$endgroup$
– Michael MacAskill
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
@RayButterworth Yes, that's a nice way to characterise constraints on their behaviour in their natural terrestrial environment. I think they would instinctively try to do the same thing in a large microgravity environment, but fail to do so (because they would need to use a strategy of using their paws in an alternating fashion to grasp surfaces rather than use standard quadripedal locomotion). They would lack a human's cognitive ability to use alternate forms of movement strategy (e.g. using handgrips, or propelling oneself intentionally through the air to a destination).
$endgroup$
– Michael MacAskill
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
Exactly what I was thinking. Mice ARE very intelligent, but it's so foreign, I think you'd have quite a while while they're floating around helplessly.
$endgroup$
– user27163
1 hour ago
$begingroup$
Exactly what I was thinking. Mice ARE very intelligent, but it's so foreign, I think you'd have quite a while while they're floating around helplessly.
$endgroup$
– user27163
1 hour ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
A solution that comes to mind is to seal off one section of the ISS at a time and depressurize it.
Finding and removing dead mice may be somewhat easier than finding and removing live ones that are actively avoiding capture.
(I fully agree with the comments - removing the dead mice would be a major problem)
answered 11 hours ago
Dan PichelmanDan Pichelman
2,2723716
$endgroup$
3
$begingroup$
I have to disagree with that fundamentally, mice are amazing at working their way into things, you don't want a rotting mouse corpse stuck behind a console where the crew can't reach!
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
2
$begingroup$
@GdD Agreed. I once had a mouse die in the heating vents of my car, and the car was old enough where taking it apart to find it would've exceeded the value of the car. Even with the windows open it stank for months.
$endgroup$
– ceejayoz
11 hours ago
2
$begingroup$
That's nasty @ceejayoz! I had one die behind a range once, couldn't get the landlord to send someone to get it out and I wasn't allowed to move it contractually. Pretty unpleasant!
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
A solution that comes to mind is to seal off one section of the ISS at a time and depressurize it.
Finding and removing dead mice may be somewhat easier than finding and removing live ones that are actively avoiding capture.
(I fully agree with the comments - removing the dead mice would be a major problem)
answered 11 hours ago
Dan PichelmanDan Pichelman
2,2723716
$endgroup$
3
$begingroup$
I have to disagree with that fundamentally, mice are amazing at working their way into things, you don't want a rotting mouse corpse stuck behind a console where the crew can't reach!
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
2
$begingroup$
@GdD Agreed. I once had a mouse die in the heating vents of my car, and the car was old enough where taking it apart to find it would've exceeded the value of the car. Even with the windows open it stank for months.
$endgroup$
– ceejayoz
11 hours ago
2
$begingroup$
That's nasty @ceejayoz! I had one die behind a range once, couldn't get the landlord to send someone to get it out and I wasn't allowed to move it contractually. Pretty unpleasant!
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
A solution that comes to mind is to seal off one section of the ISS at a time and depressurize it.
Finding and removing dead mice may be somewhat easier than finding and removing live ones that are actively avoiding capture.
(I fully agree with the comments - removing the dead mice would be a major problem)
answered 11 hours ago
Dan PichelmanDan Pichelman
2,2723716
$endgroup$
A solution that comes to mind is to seal off one section of the ISS at a time and depressurize it.
Finding and removing dead mice may be somewhat easier than finding and removing live ones that are actively avoiding capture.
(I fully agree with the comments - removing the dead mice would be a major problem)
answered 11 hours ago
Dan PichelmanDan Pichelman
2,2723716
edited 11 hours ago
answered 11 hours ago
Dan PichelmanDan Pichelman
2,2723716
answered 11 hours ago
Dan PichelmanDan Pichelman
2,2723716
answered 11 hours ago
Dan PichelmanDan Pichelman
2,2723716
2,2723716
3
$begingroup$
I have to disagree with that fundamentally, mice are amazing at working their way into things, you don't want a rotting mouse corpse stuck behind a console where the crew can't reach!
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
2
$begingroup$
@GdD Agreed. I once had a mouse die in the heating vents of my car, and the car was old enough where taking it apart to find it would've exceeded the value of the car. Even with the windows open it stank for months.
$endgroup$
– ceejayoz
11 hours ago
2
$begingroup$
That's nasty @ceejayoz! I had one die behind a range once, couldn't get the landlord to send someone to get it out and I wasn't allowed to move it contractually. Pretty unpleasant!
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
add a comment |
3
$begingroup$
I have to disagree with that fundamentally, mice are amazing at working their way into things, you don't want a rotting mouse corpse stuck behind a console where the crew can't reach!
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
2
$begingroup$
@GdD Agreed. I once had a mouse die in the heating vents of my car, and the car was old enough where taking it apart to find it would've exceeded the value of the car. Even with the windows open it stank for months.
$endgroup$
– ceejayoz
11 hours ago
2
$begingroup$
That's nasty @ceejayoz! I had one die behind a range once, couldn't get the landlord to send someone to get it out and I wasn't allowed to move it contractually. Pretty unpleasant!
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
3
3
$begingroup$
I have to disagree with that fundamentally, mice are amazing at working their way into things, you don't want a rotting mouse corpse stuck behind a console where the crew can't reach!
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
$begingroup$
I have to disagree with that fundamentally, mice are amazing at working their way into things, you don't want a rotting mouse corpse stuck behind a console where the crew can't reach!
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
2
2
$begingroup$
@GdD Agreed. I once had a mouse die in the heating vents of my car, and the car was old enough where taking it apart to find it would've exceeded the value of the car. Even with the windows open it stank for months.
$endgroup$
– ceejayoz
11 hours ago
$begingroup$
@GdD Agreed. I once had a mouse die in the heating vents of my car, and the car was old enough where taking it apart to find it would've exceeded the value of the car. Even with the windows open it stank for months.
$endgroup$
– ceejayoz
11 hours ago
2
2
$begingroup$
That's nasty @ceejayoz! I had one die behind a range once, couldn't get the landlord to send someone to get it out and I wasn't allowed to move it contractually. Pretty unpleasant!
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
$begingroup$
That's nasty @ceejayoz! I had one die behind a range once, couldn't get the landlord to send someone to get it out and I wasn't allowed to move it contractually. Pretty unpleasant!
$endgroup$
– GdD
11 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I believe that funnel traps should work in zero-gravity. They are not active, do not use gravity or springs. Gravity may help the mouse fall in for those with opening at the top but imho that is not strictly needed as other designs use openings on the sides.
Image source Little Green Shop
answered 8 hours ago
jkavalikjkavalik
3,86711338
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
I like this one.
$endgroup$
– Organic Marble
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
ah, those ones. We had those in our chicken coops when I was little. Couldn't use regular mouse traps as the chickens would step on them and trigger the mechanism with their feet.
$endgroup$
– jwenting
12 mins ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I believe that funnel traps should work in zero-gravity. They are not active, do not use gravity or springs. Gravity may help the mouse fall in for those with opening at the top but imho that is not strictly needed as other designs use openings on the sides.
Image source Little Green Shop
answered 8 hours ago
jkavalikjkavalik
3,86711338
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
I like this one.
$endgroup$
– Organic Marble
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
ah, those ones. We had those in our chicken coops when I was little. Couldn't use regular mouse traps as the chickens would step on them and trigger the mechanism with their feet.
$endgroup$
– jwenting
12 mins ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I believe that funnel traps should work in zero-gravity. They are not active, do not use gravity or springs. Gravity may help the mouse fall in for those with opening at the top but imho that is not strictly needed as other designs use openings on the sides.
Image source Little Green Shop
answered 8 hours ago
jkavalikjkavalik
3,86711338
$endgroup$
I believe that funnel traps should work in zero-gravity. They are not active, do not use gravity or springs. Gravity may help the mouse fall in for those with opening at the top but imho that is not strictly needed as other designs use openings on the sides.
Image source Little Green Shop
answered 8 hours ago
jkavalikjkavalik
3,86711338
answered 8 hours ago
jkavalikjkavalik
3,86711338
answered 8 hours ago
jkavalikjkavalik
3,86711338
answered 8 hours ago
jkavalikjkavalik
3,86711338
3,86711338
1
$begingroup$
I like this one.
$endgroup$
– Organic Marble
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
ah, those ones. We had those in our chicken coops when I was little. Couldn't use regular mouse traps as the chickens would step on them and trigger the mechanism with their feet.
$endgroup$
– jwenting
12 mins ago
add a comment |
1
$begingroup$
I like this one.
$endgroup$
– Organic Marble
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
ah, those ones. We had those in our chicken coops when I was little. Couldn't use regular mouse traps as the chickens would step on them and trigger the mechanism with their feet.
$endgroup$
– jwenting
12 mins ago
1
1
$begingroup$
I like this one.
$endgroup$
– Organic Marble
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
I like this one.
$endgroup$
– Organic Marble
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
ah, those ones. We had those in our chicken coops when I was little. Couldn't use regular mouse traps as the chickens would step on them and trigger the mechanism with their feet.
$endgroup$
– jwenting
12 mins ago
$begingroup$
ah, those ones. We had those in our chicken coops when I was little. Couldn't use regular mouse traps as the chickens would step on them and trigger the mechanism with their feet.
$endgroup$
– jwenting
12 mins ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I would think that a mousetrap on the ISS would work the same as one on earth, but secured to the sides of the station
answered 12 hours ago
Random9Random9
282
$endgroup$
4
$begingroup$
All the traps I can think of use gravity in one way or another. admittedly I've only used four different methods.
$endgroup$
– JCRM
11 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I would think that a mousetrap on the ISS would work the same as one on earth, but secured to the sides of the station
answered 12 hours ago
Random9Random9
282
$endgroup$
4
$begingroup$
All the traps I can think of use gravity in one way or another. admittedly I've only used four different methods.
$endgroup$
– JCRM
11 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I would think that a mousetrap on the ISS would work the same as one on earth, but secured to the sides of the station
answered 12 hours ago
Random9Random9
282
$endgroup$
I would think that a mousetrap on the ISS would work the same as one on earth, but secured to the sides of the station
answered 12 hours ago
Random9Random9
282
answered 12 hours ago
Random9Random9
282
answered 12 hours ago
Random9Random9
282
answered 12 hours ago
Random9Random9
282
282
4
$begingroup$
All the traps I can think of use gravity in one way or another. admittedly I've only used four different methods.
$endgroup$
– JCRM
11 hours ago
add a comment |
4
$begingroup$
All the traps I can think of use gravity in one way or another. admittedly I've only used four different methods.
$endgroup$
– JCRM
11 hours ago
4
4
$begingroup$
All the traps I can think of use gravity in one way or another. admittedly I've only used four different methods.
$endgroup$
– JCRM
11 hours ago
$begingroup$
All the traps I can think of use gravity in one way or another. admittedly I've only used four different methods.
$endgroup$
– JCRM
11 hours ago
add a comment |
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3
$begingroup$
Is it possible to seal off a section & pump enough air out to suffocate them?
$endgroup$
– Dan Pichelman
12 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
@DanPichelman I recommend posting that as an answer. I'll clarify the question to allow for non-conventional solutions.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
11 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
A great variation on "build a better mousetrap"
$endgroup$
– ben
6 hours ago