Humans and rodents have similar brain structures that regulate empathy, suggesting the behavior is deeply rooted in mammal evolution.
Rats are social creatures who seem to be very empathic towards each other, and in this way they share many traits with us.
You can train a rat to pull a lever which will administer a sweet, but if it is set it up so that it also gives an electric shock to another rat, many rats will stop pulling the lever. Sadly, though, they have bit too much in common with us because if you offer them enough sweets many will go back and start pulling the lever again. But they can also experience regret, so maybe after they have had a belly load of sweets they might start to feel a bit bad about it.
Rats also love being trickled, and there's a good video showing this in the article. Stop tickling them and they will chase your hand for more. We can't hear them laughing at their frequency 50Khz, but they appear to do so, and the scientists have slowed down the sound they make for you to hear it.
National Geographic
Rats avoid harming other rats. The finding may help us understand sociopaths.
You can train a rat to pull a lever which will administer a sweet, but if it is set it up so that it also gives an electric shock to another rat, many rats will stop pulling the lever. Sadly, though, they have bit too much in common with us because if you offer them enough sweets many will go back and start pulling the lever again. But they can also experience regret, so maybe after they have had a belly load of sweets they might start to feel a bit bad about it.
Rats also love being trickled, and there's a good video showing this in the article. Stop tickling them and they will chase your hand for more. We can't hear them laughing at their frequency 50Khz, but they appear to do so, and the scientists have slowed down the sound they make for you to hear it.
National Geographic
Rats avoid harming other rats. The finding may help us understand sociopaths.
2 comments:
I wonder if some of the researchers are sociopaths. PETA certainly would.
Yes, the research can be very cruel. One pharmaceutical company has banned the swim test.
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