2023-11-02 22:07:32
After encoding the rats’ mental map, the scientists trained them to move virtually from one location to another to seek out rewards, while remaining still. Lukas Fischer/CC License
American scientists have succeeded in training rodents to move mentally from one point to another, using an adapted virtual reality device.
Rats are empathetic, ticklish, they like to play hide and seek, are able to drive small cars (and this reduces their stress) and learn from their mistakes… In addition to giving rise to funny videos on the internet, the Scientific research on rodents allows us to better understand the functioning of the animal, and therefore human, brain. After the publication of the magazine Science from this Thursday, November 2, one line can be added to this list of murine skills: rats have an imagination. A study carried out by researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Boston shows that rodents can mentally visualize their movement, or even the movement of an object, from one point to another.
Also readResearchers taught rats to play hide and seek
« Succeeding in demonstrating the spatial abstraction capacity of rats is both a technical feat and a result eagerly awaited by scientists in the field. »comments Karim Benchenane, researcher (CNRS) at the Higher School of Physics and Chemistry…
This article is reserved for subscribers. You have 77% left to discover.
Do you want to read more?
Unlock all items immediately.
Already subscribed? Log in
#Rats #visual #imagination