(December 14, 2007)--Mighty Mouse might become a reality.
With a little genetic altering, scientists appear to have changed the dynamic in one of cartoondom's favorite pairings.
Experts in Japan say they've genetically engineered mice that show no fear of cats.
In an experiment, rather than run squeaking for the nearest mouse hole, mice would scurry up to cats, even snuggle and play with them.
They say they were able to switch off the instinct that makes a mouse cower at the first smell of a cat.
The development suggests fear is genetically hardwired, and not learned through experience.
The head researcher says the findings, published in the journal Nature, should help scientists decode how the brain processes information about the outside world.
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