Gasoline Vapors | Family Learning Center

The weird science of rats and the smell of road rage

November 29th, 2009

The weird science of rats and the smell of road rage

Rats get road rage via gasoline, find unleaded stressful: Maybe some of the erratic behavior we see on the roads can be ascribed to people who’ve breathed a bit too deeply while filling the tank. Rats made to inhale gasoline vapors experienced significant changes in neurotransmitter levels, and a corresponding increase in aggression. Unleaded gasoline apparently induced biochemical changes suggestive of oxidative stress, as well, although this effect wasn’t seen when leaded was inhaled.

Drug users know their stuff better than legislators: It’s fairly apparent that our system of drug laws is more the product of historical accident than rational analysis, as harmful, addictive substances like alcohol and tobacco are relatively unregulated. A team of researchers based in London has now found that drug users’ ratings of hazardous substances place alcohol, tobacco, and solvents among the top-ten most dangerous substances. Ironically, the ratings provided by drug users more closely match those of addiction experts than the UK’s drug laws do.