New research on Norway lobsters adds to a growing body of evidence that these crustaceans feel pain — something scientists have long suspected and even inspired David Foster Wallace's famous 2004 essay "Consider the Lobster."
In a study published April 13 in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers found that two drugs used for pain relief in humans — aspirin and lidocaine — significantly reduced the escape responses of Norway lobsters (Nephrops norvegicus) when they were electrically shocked. The researchers argue that the medicines were muting the animals' pain processing and that the tail flip is therefore a pain reflex, rather than a simple stress reaction.
