Housemates have been set their second shopping task, which will see them  split up in to ‘scientists’ and ‘lab rats’ for a series of experiments.

Over the next two days, the three housemates deemed the most intelligent will  become the scientists, and will hypothesise how their test subjects fare in  several challenges. The trials taking place today are:

Experiment 1: Food Wheel

A human size hamster wheel has been installed in the garden. To earn their  breakfast, lunch and dinner the Rats must walk in the wheel. This will reward  them with cheese based foods – but while the girls will get nice food, boys will  only be served nasty ‘rat feed.’ Can the Rats figure this out?

Experiment 2: Eyes On The Prize

The Rats will come in turn to the Large Task Room. Wearing special eye  tracking glasses, they must continually stare at a prize (sweets, time with  their dog, protein shakes etc.) on a plinth in the middle of the room. Big  Brother will introduce the following things to distract them:

• A 17ft snake carried by 4/5 handlers around the perimeter of the room
• A Justin Bieber lookalike singing Baby
• A Burlesque dancer performing a cheeky routine
• A Group of Superfans taking pictures and fawning over HM

Can the Rats keep their eyes on the prize?

Experiment 3: Carrot or Stick?

Two Rats will take part in a simple game in the garden in which they have to  throw a foam ball through a hole in a board. However, this is a question of ‘carrot or stick.’ Every time one Rat successfully gets the ball in the hole  they will be rewarded with a cheer from a cheer leading squad and offered nice  refreshment e.g. orange segments/cooling water – but every time they miss a  shot, the other Rats will have a bucket of gunge poured over their head. Who  will fare better – a Rat who is rewarded or a Rat who is punished?

The winner of the Carrot or Stick experiment will get a winner’s party in the  Diary Room to celebrate their victory. They will be given a party hat and  blower, some music and some snacks to enjoy. However, Experiment 4 is about to  take place….

Experiment 4: Conformity

While the winner of Carrot or Stick is in the Diary Room, Big Brother will  give the rest of the Rats an earpiece to wear, which they must keep secret. When  the winning Rat returns from in the Diary Room, all Rats will be called into the  Large Task Room. Sitting on chairs, they will all face a swirling hypnotic  spiral and listen to a soothing voice of a hypnotist. Big Brother will tell the  earpiece housemate to pretend that they have been hypnotised.

The Scientists (who are in another room) will then contact each Rat via the  earpiece and tell them different instructions for acting hypnotised, e.g. act  like Benedict in one of his movies. The test will be to see if the non-earpieced  Rat goes along with the rest of the group, or refuses to follow the crowd.

After the test, Big Brother may continue to have some fun at the Rats’ expenses by continuing to give them earpiece secret instructions.

Sleep Learning

In preparation for tomorrow’s Impossible Maze experiment, one Rat will spend  the night in the Large Task Room. While they are asleep Big Brother will play in  soothing, relaxing music with recorded dialogue over the top, saying encouraging  messages like “You are a smart intelligent rat,” “You are a successful rat” etc.

Will a night of Sleep Learning give the Rat a boost of confidence to win the  next experiment