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“I taught rats to drive cars, but they taught me to enjoy the ride” #TEDTalks

What can happy rats teach us about human joy? Behavioral neuroscientist Kelly Lambert describes how her team trained rats to drive tiny cars to earn treats — and noticed something surprising about how effort and anticipation affect the brain. The experiment opens new questions about how reward, agency and “behaviorceuticals” might help build resilience and…

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What can happy rats teach us about human joy? Behavioral neuroscientist Kelly Lambert describes how her team trained rats to drive tiny cars to earn treats — and noticed something surprising about how effort and anticipation affect the brain. The experiment opens new questions about how reward, agency and “behaviorceuticals” might help build resilience and support mental health.

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15 Comments

15 Comments

  1. @Honeystraw

    May 20, 2026 at 5:11 pm

    I love how the lab tech jumps in excitement when the rat starts driving 😂

  2. @falnyiisaac6014

    May 20, 2026 at 5:17 pm

    WOW 😂

  3. @Reza_Ahmadi_Madeira

    May 20, 2026 at 5:19 pm

    Love to see we are not knowing everything as we keep repeating that we are the only creatures that are smart and enjoying things❤❤❤

  4. @projectRaMan

    May 20, 2026 at 5:21 pm

    Rat say, “hol’ up, lemme get in my whip”

  5. @Horace1993

    May 20, 2026 at 6:21 pm

    I now believe the Ratatouille movie is based on a true story.

  6. @evad7933

    May 20, 2026 at 7:04 pm

    Tis very common for monkeys to drive cars.

  7. @evad7933

    May 20, 2026 at 7:05 pm

    I wonder what she taught her husband to do.

    • @RPhTom

      May 21, 2026 at 2:28 am

      @evad7933 Simp 4 fruit loops.

  8. @labohemerenaissante461

    May 20, 2026 at 8:47 pm

    I want one of those cars. Or a rat driven boat for the sewer rats in my neighborhood.

  9. @MeenageTutantTinjaNurtle

    May 21, 2026 at 1:05 am

    The Mouse and the Motorcycle was real…

  10. @bigredhawkrunninwolf5034

    May 21, 2026 at 2:54 am

    The sad part is, it took rats to teach you this. Unfortunately, way to many Dr.’s and scientists are only book smart, and most are not very.
    Very few are actually common sense and emotionally intelligent.
    Probably why more Dr.’s and scientists have worked on, and invented, some of the most poisonous, destructive things which harm every single thing on Earth.
    And, if this TRUTH!ful comment upsets you, you are part of this destructive issue which perpetuates the lies your overlord, slave masters feed you constantly.
    That is as kind as I can put this TRUTH!

    We need better people to help run civilization.

  11. @classactsexpertiseandinspi4815

    May 21, 2026 at 8:28 am

    It never ceases to amaze me that human arrogance underestimates the intelligence and emotional sentience of species other than our own. Did it ever occur to this researcher that the Rat was Training the Humans………

  12. @oetjock

    May 21, 2026 at 11:33 am

    Oh no.
    While we’re worrying about AI takeover..
    This is another takeover threat nobody is talking about.
    They’re even out to steal joy from us

  13. @KeyrrisonParente

    May 21, 2026 at 3:20 pm

    Que inútil 🥰🥰

  14. @yoyofargo

    May 22, 2026 at 5:12 am

    The rat infestation doesn’t have to drive you crazy. Sometimes the rat infestation can just drive crazy.

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People & Blogs

How 180 Strangers Built a Library Together | Rebecca Toh | TED

Does the fix for a fragmented world begin with a shared bookshelf? Photographer Rebecca Toh traces how she joined with 180 other people to build a community-funded library where strangers rent shelves, fill them with their personal collections and forge something rare: real connection. (Recorded at TEDxSingapore on December 4, 2024) Join us in person…

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Does the fix for a fragmented world begin with a shared bookshelf? Photographer Rebecca Toh traces how she joined with 180 other people to build a community-funded library where strangers rent shelves, fill them with their personal collections and forge something rare: real connection. (Recorded at TEDxSingapore on December 4, 2024)

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The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less) — plus originals, podcasts and exclusive content. Look for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design as well as science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit for our entire library, transcripts, translations and personalized recommendations.

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#TED #TEDTalks #Books #TEDx

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The Shape-Shifting Sounds of the Accordion | Maria Telesheva | TED

Musician Maria Telesheva plays the accordion like a second set of lungs, showcasing this powerhouse instrument and its impressive 226 buttons — whether she’s playing Bach or the Beatles. In this talk and performance, she discusses how she fell in love with this musical acrobat and plays two beautiful songs. (Recorded at Play@TED on May…

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Musician Maria Telesheva plays the accordion like a second set of lungs, showcasing this powerhouse instrument and its impressive 226 buttons — whether she’s playing Bach or the Beatles. In this talk and performance, she discusses how she fell in love with this musical acrobat and plays two beautiful songs. (Recorded at Play@TED on May 14, 2026)

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The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less) — plus originals, podcasts and exclusive content. Look for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design as well as science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit for our entire library, transcripts, translations and personalized recommendations.

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TED videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with the TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a request at

#TED #TEDTalks #Music #Performance

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Life, like music, was never made to run in straight lines #TEDTalks

Grammy-winning musician Jacob Collier has a name for the feeling that moves through a great piece of music: the wiggle. Watch him break down the idea into its three parts — melody, rhythm and harmony — with nothing but his own voice, a grand piano and Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” Turns out life,…

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Grammy-winning musician Jacob Collier has a name for the feeling that moves through a great piece of music: the wiggle. Watch him break down the idea into its three parts — melody, rhythm and harmony — with nothing but his own voice, a grand piano and Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” Turns out life, like music, was never made to run in straight lines.

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