Training a monkey to press a switch

Technicians at Oregon National Primate Research Center use positive reinforcement to teach monkeys to press a switch. The next step will be training them to offer a foot for blood samples. This makes animal testing much easier, and helps research adhere to the 3 Rs (especially "Refinement").

Find out more:
www.speakingofresearch.org

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• animal
• training
• testing
• research
• peta
• oregon
• primate
• monkey
• monkeys
• primates
• speaking
• laboratory
• ONPRC
• OHSU
• animals

[oxyTV]

okay hey animal testing is not nice. but everyone tries to keep it as nice as possible. because animal testing and research is necessary for both human and also veterinarian medicine. And don't say that there are alternatives. if there were any, why would scientists use animals? because they're sadists? no. because it's cheaper? No, the labs are really expensive! the reason why there are animals used is because there aren't any alternatives.

[SyeraMiktayee]

Animal rights activists will take videos of the worst places they can find. Even if what they film is an exception, they'll treat it as though it's the norm.

There has been more than one occasion where ARAs have actually instructed people to commit acts of cruelty so they could take the footage they wanted.

Does that explain it well enough for you?

[Fleefles]

@liberationi I hope you don't live in a house (animals have to be forcefully evicted from theirs for yours to be built) or else you have benefitted from animal suffering. :(

[SyeraMiktayee]

@liberationi AFAIK, nobody is saying there are no alternatives. However, I've seen animal rights activists claim that *everything* can be replaced with a non-animal model, which not true.

Also, scientists are required by law to use alternatives whenever they are available.

[liberationi]

Think harder. That is all I need to say for that one.

[LondonProphet]

They have found replacements for a few individual bits of animal research, but there is much research that can be done no other way - for instance how would you study the effect of a certain gene, or indeed identify a certain gene, responsible for a genetic disease - you can't start making genetically modified children to test your theories.

[liberationi]

Anyone who says there are not alternatives to animal research and testing is a liar, confused or not. There are, in fact, alternatives, and the alternatives need to be used, as opposed to animal models. I support the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

There is simply no need to inflict suffering on animals for the so-called benefit of human beings.

It needs to end!

[UKdoc85]

electroejaculation is used in humans. I agree it sounds horrible, but it is actually a pain free way of stimulating ejaculation.

[pinkhazey]

seems like a happy monkey to me.