The truth about the story of 'boiled frog'

According to scientific experiments, the story that frogs do not recognize danger and do not run away when slowly heated is incorrect .

"Boiled Frog" is a famous story. Accordingly, if you put a frog directly into a pot of boiling water, it will immediately jump out. But if you put it in a pot of cold water and slowly increase the heat, the frog will not notice and will remain in the pot until it is boiled. This story is often used to remind people when they have become accustomed to an unusual situation and do not realize the danger they are facing, or by businessmen to illustrate strategies for introducing change. Change slowly if you want to succeed.

Scientists have performed many frog boiling experiments. (Photo: James Lee/Flickr)

However, how accurate is the boiled frog story? In the 19th century, scientists tried to answer this question.

In 1869, German physiologist Freidrich Leopold Goltz studied the reactions of healthy and brainless frogs when dropped into boiling water. He removed the frog's cerebral hemisphere, leaving only a small portion intact. These frogs will react when poked, swim when placed in water, and sit upright when placed on their backs.

As Goltz slowly increased the temperature, healthy frogs tried to jump out of the water at 42 degrees Celsius but were still boiled because the experimental setup did not allow them to escape. Meanwhile, the brainless animals remained in the water, moving very little until the water reached a temperature of 56 degrees Celsius. At this time, they began to have convulsive movements.

In 1872, researcher Heinzmann performed another experiment. He placed the frogs on a small platform so they were partially submerged and still able to escape. He found that in many cases, it was possible to gradually heat up to 37.5 degrees Celsius without the frog jumping away. Heinzmann did not raise the temperature above this mark because previous experiments led him to believe that this was the temperature at which frogs became paralyzed before being boiled to death.

Several other researchers also performed similar experiments, but the results varied depending on the rate at which the water heated up. This does not mean boiled frog syndrome is correct. The experimental setup may have prevented the frogs from escaping, or the water temperature may have increased so rapidly that the frogs were unable to make any effective escape attempts.

Modern experiments have given more scientifically accurate results. " The story is absolutely not true . The "critical maximum temperature" of many frog species has been determined by researchers. During this process, water is gradually heated at a rate of about 1 degree Celsius per minute. As the water temperature gradually increases, frogs will become more and more active in their attempts to escape the hot water. If the size and opening of the container allows the frogs to jump out, they will do so," said Victor Hutchinson, professor of biology at the University of Oklahoma, said in 2007.