What does your 2024 bingo card look like so far? Does it say “rats enjoy driving”? Because the scientists who taught rats to drive are back, and their latest research suggests that rats enjoy the open road as much as we do, with a new video showing the engine of his small car revving in anticipation of a joyride.
Kelly Lambert, the University of Richmond neuroscientist who developed the first experiment, conducted new tests to determine whether rats performed a task (e.g., driving a car) purely for a physical reward (e.g., Froot Loop) or for an emotional reward (e.g., happiness ). .
In the original university study, the lab rats learned the absolute basics, such as getting into the vehicle and grabbing a wire that acted as an accelerator. The ‘car’ was equally simple, made from a plastic grain container. That rudimentary rat car eventually evolved with steering via three brass bars indicating left, center and right steering. The reward, however, was always the sweet crunch of a Froot Loop.
The catalyst for the updated cognitive test was the rats’ behavior, which resembled eagerness and anticipation when Lambert arrived at the lab. In an essay written for The conversationLambert writes, “The three row-trained rats eagerly ran to the side of the cage and jumped up like my dog does when asked if he wants to go for a walk.”
For the new tests, the rats were given a new car: Rat Car II. Courtesy of the university’s robotics department, the redesigned rat-operated vehicle, or ROV, featured rat-resistant wiring and tires, as well as ergonomic driving levers. Lambert said the small electric vehicles were “akin to a rodent version of Tesla’s Cybertruck.”
According to Lambert, the rats had already supported the idea of neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to continually adapt and change in response to life experiences. After all, driving requires more brain activity and complex thought processes than wandering through a maze. Trial and error will eventually get you to the snackies, but driving requires extra skill and anticipation.
As for the updated test, the rats were given a choice: a short or long route to the Froot Loop. The rats could rush to sweetness, which was a much shorter journey, or they could travel the long way by car. To the team’s surprise, two of the three rats took the scenic route. Not only that, but in other tests the rats jumped into the car and immediately accelerated before placing the vehicle back on the ground.
“This response suggests that the rats enjoy both the journey and the rewarding destination,” Lambert said. Recognizable.
The rats’ raised tails were also an indicator of excitement, similar to a dog happily wagging its tail. Lambert contacted other neuroscientists about the lifted rattails. Apparently, the S-shaped curl displayed by Lambert’s rats resembled a “softer form” of what is known as the Straub stares. The response was typical of rodents given opioids and was associated with increased dopamine levels.
Lambert says studying positive experiences and how they shape the brain is just as important as examining negative emotions, where we often focus on minimizing rather than increasing them. Emotions such as anger, fear and stress.
“In a world of instant gratification, these rats provide insight into the neural principles that govern everyday behavior,” Lambert concluded. “Rather than pressing buttons for immediate rewards, they remind us that planning, anticipating and enjoying the ride can be the key to a healthy brain.”
That’s a rat race I can get behind.