Research on mice has shown an interesting response to panic in a crowded room that may point to improved design of emergency exit facilities. In a counter intuitive outcome it was discovered that a narrow doorway cleared more individuals in a certain period than a wider one.

Faced with a narrow exit the mice tended to queue and many exited successfully. By widening the opening the mice attempted to fit through more than one at a time clogging the exit and resulting in fewer mice exiting successfully. Similarly, multiple exits added an additional level of confusion. When one became clogged the mice went for another disrupting the flow of mice exiting.

Ethical dilemmas prevent scientists experimenting on humans in these situations and

like us, mice fleeing from life-threatening danger look for the exit and make for it, pushing others aside if necessary. What's more, like panicking humans, the animals tend to follow one another rather than assessing the best exit route.

This is an excellent example of why scientific research is so important. Objective research such as this by Caesar Saloma at the University of the Philippines shows the obvious solution is not always the best. By enabling better design of emergency exit facilities science can contribute to the prevention of tragedies such as the Hillsborough football stadium in Sheffield, UK, when 96 people were crushed to death.

Read more here.