Scientists trained rats to drive tiny cars. It could have huge implications for our mental health.
Category: Health, Science & Technology
Via: perrie-halpern • 5 years ago • 30 commentsRats have learned how to jump through hoops, solve mazes, and even play hide and seek. Now they can drive cars. Researchers at the University of Richmond in Virginia taught rats to drive a tiny car made of a plastic food container as part of a study on mental health.
I bred and kept rats as part of my science lab in my classroom and they always amazed me how smart and how much like people they were like. I know they get a bad rap, but to know them is to see a little bit of us, so the fact that rats like to drive is not a shocker.
Might make you think twice about our little furry co-inhabitors.
Excellent Dude. Now give yourself to our savior!
I knew a lady who raised them for show. Yes, there are actually rat shows. I loved playing with them while she cleaned the cages. But the first time I saw her hairless ones, it was a little startling. I picked one up and fell in love with how soft it was and felt like I was stoking velvet.
I have a college friend who has pet rats, and she has become just a bit obsessed with them.
So has her cat
But they are pretty cute, and they do seem to have their own personalities. Not sure I'd want one, but I can see the appeal.
I loved my rat brothers, Might Max and Moe (no I didn't name them.. my students did). They were so loving!
I had a beautiful rat (Bennie) when I was a kid. One day it peed on my mother and no more Bennie.
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.
I told her not to take it personally. Bennie peed on everyone lol.
Next thing to expect could be that the scientists will make rats big enough to drive real cars......
I have to agree with you Buzz. It seemed at least they could have made an oval track. Looked so frustrating.
You know, of course, that I was unable to see the video...
I am not so sure. From looking at news reports they haven't really trained people how to drive cars yet.
LOL
rats is not the word i'm looking for after somehow erasing and or losing something i actually invested some time and effort in
frustrating isn't the word either
I can think of a couple, but that kind of language is discouraged here.
write you are Buzz, cause i don't often invest that much time and effort to write in creative fashion, as i just blurt out what i thought i think, and computer squids out ink, like spots i blotter basically like Acid, like on why tripping on a trip i took for granite just because it was hard for me to ever duplicate that which i blurt, and that is the truth.
oh well
ratz the way it goes sometimes
What the story didn't say, of course, is that the rat immediately souped up the car so that it could go 0-60 in 4.5 seconds.
haha..The Ratmobile
hahahahhaha Another good one!
Da da da da da! Ratman! (My apologies to the Batman theme song)
In the Wind in the Willows, wasn't it Toad who was the crazy driver? Not Rat?
Indeeedy Kairx!
There have been reports of tiny cars driven by rats street racing.
You know what Paula I thought I heard that a few nights ago, but it turned out to be hamsters
LMAO TTGA! Good One!
Those Richmond rats are fast.