May 11, 2005 -- As part of his research, Dr. Jeff Mogil scoops up lab mice, one at a time, into specially designed cardboard and cloth pockets and holds each of them over a vat of hot water.
The mice don't seem to have a problem getting in the pockets, Mogil said. "It's dark and smelly in there."
But the pockets aren't quite big enough to hold the entire mouse. The tail hangs outside — allowing Mogil to dip the tail into the 120-degree Fahrenheit water. Then he measures how long it takes for the mouse to flick its tail out.