Nature 438, 717 (8 December 2005) | doi:10.1038/438717bTV show gives research lobbyist a rat's-eye view of laboratory lifeTo counter animal-rights activists, UK lobby groups that support animal research have launched their own media campaign.
In one reality television show, called The Devil's Challenge, the director of one such group is caged and subjected to procedures used in animal labs.
Simon Festing, director of the Research Defence Society in London, agreed to do the show, which was designed to test his belief in animal experiments. "We need to face the fact this is how the media works," he says, "and it's a good way to get our arguments out there."
Kept in a cage proportional in size to those used to house lab mice, Festing was subjected to a number of experiments. One recreated a test for pain, where rats are placed on a hotplate and the time until their feet twitch is recorded. Another, investigating wind chill, involved a dousing in water and a wind machine.
Other challenges brought him face to face with animal-rights activists and sent him to a primary school, where he tried unsuccessfully to persuade children to donate their cats for animal research.
Festing admits the experiences were difficult. "It did make me think harder about the welfare of lab animals," he says. But nevertheless, he remains a firm believer in the need for animal research. The Devil's Challenge is broadcast on the UK digital channel More4 on 14 December.
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This is what I call the spirit of a true believer
