Home » Uncategorized » In an experiment that trained rats to drive tiny cars by giving treats as a reward, rats ended up loving driving so much they’d do it without a reward

In an experiment that trained rats to drive tiny cars by giving treats as a reward, rats ended up loving driving so much they’d do it without a reward

Rats love driving tiny cars, even when they don’t get treats

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Rats that learn to drive are more able to cope with stress. That might sound like the fever-dream of a former scientist-turned-car writer, but it’s actually one of the results of a new study from the University of Richmond. The aim of the research was to see what effect the environment a rat was raised in had on its ability to learn new tasks. Although that kind of thing has been studied in the past, the tests haven’t been particularly complicated. Anyone who has spent time around rats will know they’re actually quite resourceful. So the team, led by Professor Kelly Lambert, came up this time with something a little more involved than navigating a maze: driving.

If you’re going to teach rats to drive, first … Continue Reading (3 minute read)

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