Here's What Happens When Fish Get Drunk

Let it be known: Humans are not the only ones whose egos are bolstered by booze. A recent study suggests the humble zebrafish becomes a more confident leader when intoxicated.

How does one get a zebrafish drunk, you ask? A team of researchers led by Maurizio Porfiri, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and director of the NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering’s Dynamical Systems Laboratory, did so by letting them swim in a solution of ethanol. The solution ranged in alcohol concentration (0.00, 0.25, 0.50, and 1.00 percent ethanol) and some fish got stronger solutions than others. After a fish marinated in the sauce for five minutes, researchers dropped it into fresh water with a school of sober fish and monitored their response to their boozed up buddy.

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