I taught rats to drive a car, and it may help us lead happier lives
BBCI taught rats to drive a car, and it may help us lead happier lives University of Richmond Teaching rats to drive a tiny car around a laboratory had some far-reaching effects – it taught scientists a lot about the benefits of anticipating the joy brought by the things we love. We dubbed this new line of study Upers – Unpredictable Positive Experience Responses – where rats were trained to wait for rewards. We found that the rats trained to anticipate positive experiences were more likely to hold their tails high than untrained rats It wasn't just the effects of anticipation on rat behaviour that caught our attention. Getty Images Rats who were in low-stress environments retuned their brain's reward circuits, making them respond more positively to new experiences Natural forms of opiates and dopamine – key players in brain pathways that diminish pain and enhance reward – seem to be tell-tale ingredients of the elevated tails in our anticipation training programme.
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Scientists taught rats to drive – now they love getting behind the wheel
The Independent
These Rats Learned to Drive—and They Love It
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