Lab mice are subjected to countless horrors during their short lives, from being injected with cancerous cells to getting exposed to microplastics or ending up dosed with cocaine. Beyond the positive effects of having lab mice live healthier lives, scientists suggest the data gleaned from them might become more reliable and generalizable. In an experiment, the Cornell team introduced lab mice to the maze before releasing them into the field. “One of the things that could be causing a rise in anxiety in young people is that they’re living more sheltered lives,” Sheehan explained. “There are conversations around modernity and our own lives that are echoed in this research that make it really interesting.”More on lab mice: Lab Mice Exposed to Microplastics Show Signs of Dementia