He has mastered it. He clearly understands the concept of roads vs sidewalks. He can drive using one hand. And most importantly, he obviously has a great time doing that.
Just now scientists are finding out driving is fun, when we're just about ready to ban it!
Mind you, I don't think the rats would enjoy it as much if they had to share the road with the kind of rats I share it with, and if the penalty for crashing (or being crashed into) was as high.
Really enjoyed this article. Longevity and health increasingly seems to be intrinsically tied to planning for better things, hoping for better things and enjoying the process.
I'm reminded of the YouTube vids in which someone places a small toy finger skateboard underneath a turtle. The turtle quickly learned to propel itself with its legs and, having acquired a taste for speed, uses its newfound ability to harass the cats. Cowabunga!
>>> Surprisingly, it doesn't take the fish a long time to learn how to drive the vehicle. They're confused at first. They don't know what's going on. But they're very quick to realize that there is a correlation between their movement and the movement of the machine that they're in.
My armchair biologist thought is to wonder if there's a common thread of balancing (on water currents, air currents, slippery surfaces, etc) that translates into fairly easily understanding how to direct vehicles.
This reminded me of the orangutan driving a golf cart: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DJsn1QivbKM
He has mastered it. He clearly understands the concept of roads vs sidewalks. He can drive using one hand. And most importantly, he obviously has a great time doing that.
Or dogs skateboarding, leaning into the curve of the roads.
https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=dog+skating&iax=videos&ia=v...
Maybe skateboards are just instinctual. Anyways, here's a tiny turtle on a skateboard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVbtAYPSapw
Instinctual is not the description I'd personally agree on, I mean just look at this
https://m.youtube.com/shorts/rEwpaMJLgTI
For those who haven't seen The Sopranos, here is what that video is based off of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJpNmYeooQE
I don't think we've evolved very far from apes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHODo_jIPo4
Humans and apes are equally evolved
Humans are apes.
Depends on what the meaning of "is" is.
Watching him go by that tiger has given me so much joy tonight thank you.
The subtle smile at the end of the Tiger's enclosure!
That is hilarious. He drives better than a lot of people I see on the road.
So chill!
Just wait till the apes learn to say "no".
Just now scientists are finding out driving is fun, when we're just about ready to ban it!
Mind you, I don't think the rats would enjoy it as much if they had to share the road with the kind of rats I share it with, and if the penalty for crashing (or being crashed into) was as high.
Full video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08G8u7sk2Jo
A different one, in a home environment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYHMc3-f3v8
Really enjoyed this article. Longevity and health increasingly seems to be intrinsically tied to planning for better things, hoping for better things and enjoying the process.
Dozens of videos from TikTok of rats driving cars very similar to the ones in the article: (not a joke link)
https://www.tiktok.com/@emperorsofmischief
reminds me of this classic
https://www.amazon.com/Mouse-Motorcycle-Ralph-Book-ebook/dp/...
Maybe it is hard coded in sentient beings to enjoy moving at speed with very little energy expenditure. To quote C.S. Lewis in the The Last Battle-
“If one could run without getting tired, I don’t think one would often want to do anytrung else?”
As a runner, I agree. :)
Birds who can soar for hours on end with thermals won evolution as far as I’m concerned (they have befriended the spirals)
I do regular running, and sometimes it's just pure joy.
I'm reminded of the YouTube vids in which someone places a small toy finger skateboard underneath a turtle. The turtle quickly learned to propel itself with its legs and, having acquired a taste for speed, uses its newfound ability to harass the cats. Cowabunga!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UIe8Y0k-QDw
I had no idea a turtle could be so playful
I have an idea for a "self" driving car company.
I'm curious if they could do better than software. We'd all start keeping pet rats as chauffeurs.
This is the cutest thing I've seen all day
The researcher jumping for joy in the last video is almost as cute as the rats. Everyone is having a good time!
When can we teach them how to sail or drive motor boats
Ratmo?
Fish can drive cars too.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/goldfish-driving-1.6309485
>>> Surprisingly, it doesn't take the fish a long time to learn how to drive the vehicle. They're confused at first. They don't know what's going on. But they're very quick to realize that there is a correlation between their movement and the movement of the machine that they're in.
My armchair biologist thought is to wonder if there's a common thread of balancing (on water currents, air currents, slippery surfaces, etc) that translates into fairly easily understanding how to direct vehicles.
Wait til they make a rat bicycle, that'll break the Internet.
Seriously though, I wonder if they drive to please the researchers (to any degree).
Amazing! And these rats look just like our boys which really... drives this home.
literal rat race when?
You should check out micromouse, it's a robo rat race.
Now someone tell me how to teach 'en not to drink and drive - plain English wouldn't work I guess.
We still haven't figured out how to teach humans, in their own native languages, how to not drink and drive.
But maybe the rats will be smarter.
This is the beginning of a research that will ultimately make humans enjoy their rush hour commutes.