People & Blogs

“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…

Published

on

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.

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.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending

Exit mobile version