Rats learned to drive
Overall Reaction and Humor
- Many find the rat-driving experiment adorable and delightful; the joy of both rats and researcher is highlighted.
- Thread is full of jokes: “ratonomous vehicles,” rats as chauffeurs, literal “rat race,” rat casinos, and racing rats as a spectator sport.
- Some riff on self-driving vs “rat-driving” cars, with light jabs at Full Self-Driving and human drivers.
Other Animals Driving and Playing
- Users share examples of orangutans driving golf carts, dogs and turtles skateboarding, onewheels, and a parrot “driving” a toy car.
- These examples are used to emphasize animal curiosity, coordination, and apparent enjoyment of movement.
- A goldfish “driving” rig is discussed; some accept it as evidence of navigation, others argue it’s just stimulus-response toward food.
Joy, Anticipation, and Movement
- Several connect the rats’ enthusiasm to a broader pattern: many animals (including humans) seem to enjoy effortless or efficient movement.
- Runners and observers of birds/gliding species echo that sustained, low-effort motion can feel intrinsically rewarding.
- The article’s idea that anticipation of fun reshapes behavior and well-being resonates; “behavioral pharmaceuticals” are mentioned approvingly.
Skepticism and Limits
- Some doubt that certain animal driving demos (golf-cart orangutan, goldfish rigs) involve deep cognition or abstraction, suggesting imitation or simple conditioning instead.
- Concerns raised about whether fish or insects truly “understand” their environment when steering vehicles.
Ethics, Lifestyles, and Use of Animals
- Debate over people dedicating homes and time to pet rats: one side calls it “unnatural” or “lost,” others defend it as a valid, joyful hobby no stranger than careerist grind.
- Users mention rats used to detect landmines and people under rubble, praising them as “unexpected heroes.”
Communication and Behavior
- Discussion of rat tail posture similar to cats’ tails as a potential shared “tail language” across species; curiosity about a broader “tail gesture embedding space,” but details remain unclear.