A Nero scientist explains that when tickled, domesticated rats can be heard laughing through high frequencies.
Thinking over it and watching it a couple times, I can't decide whether I'm skeptical or not.
Your thoughts?
A Nero scientist explains that when tickled, domesticated rats can be heard laughing through high frequencies.
Thinking over it and watching it a couple times, I can't decide whether I'm skeptical or not.
Your thoughts?
They're horny. They like being touched.
That's my take on it.
I knew mice sing to attract mates, but I didn't know rats could laugh.
My question: why would you want to tickle a rat, or touch it in the first place?
Aw how cute~
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@Pass:
My question: why would you want to tickle a rat, or touch it in the first place?
Humans are the only things that I can think of that laugh. It's interesting to see if other creatures have their own way of "laughing."
I don't know about laughing…it's the way certain animals react to being touched in certain places (boy that sounds...dodgy).
Like a cat purring when you pet it or a dog...er...panting when you scratch it behind its ears...
Still extremely cute though!
Well, there's no proof that it is laughter, though it is likely.
Wow. They spent years of their lives trying to figure out if rats could laugh. Good job gentlemen, you've just made the world a better place.
(EXTREME sarcasm)
Wow. They spent years of their lives trying to figure out if rats could laugh. Good job gentlemen, you've just made the world a better place.
(EXTREME sarcasm)
Yes, while you spent your time earning a doctorate and then researched cures for cancer. Good job, you just made the world a better place.
(EXTREME sarcasm)
–-
I always cringe at the general comments lambasting research due to either its simplicity (simple does not mean studies shouldn't be done, because anecdotes are not science until they are actually researched) or its perceived utility. Like if average joe really knows more about an abstract field than MDs and PhDs, without even reading the actual data and reports.
Maybe instead of brushing off animals as insignificant, people should realize that humans share an incredible amount of genetic similarity (rats are used in research for this very reason) and even psychological similarity. This type of research can benefit humans, especially in the areas of psychology and neurology, e.g. depression. But even then, information should be expanded upon despite no direct association to perceived benefit. Researchers research what they find interesting, unique, or important.
My apologies if you really are a cancer researcher, but I highly doubt it.
@Roz:
Humans are the only things that I can think of that laugh. It's interesting to see if other creatures have their own way of "laughing."
Hyenas.
I'm not really sure if the laughing hyena really laughs. I've heard both yes and no. odd. I'll have to look it up.
As for mice, that's awesome. Considering Animals share certain parts, like Mice are similar enough to be able to test things on before used on humans, and still be pretty accurate, and apes are close to us, etc, I don't find it so unbelievable it's possible, nor that it hasn't been done before. Listening to a specific type of a species(domesticated, IE they are not "wild") for a certain frequency of sounds is a bit rare, since there's billions of species alone, not to mention off-shoots and such.
My apologies if you really are a cancer researcher, but I highly doubt it.
I'm on a Folding at Home team, does that count? (Sure it does!)
I knew someone would bring up hyenas. I don't know what the stimulus causing the "laugh" is, though. I'd kind of like to know, because the mouse/rat "laugh" seems to be more like a human laugh than what a hyena probably does. I could be wrong because I don't know crap about hyenas, though.
@Roz:
I'm on a Folding at Home team, does that count? (Sure it does!)
I knew someone would bring up hyenas. I don't know what the stimulus causing the "laugh" is, though. I'd kind of like to know, because the mouse/rat "laugh" seems to be more like a human laugh than what a hyena probably does. I could be wrong because I don't know crap about hyenas, though.
Hyenas use their barking for long distance communication. As far as I know, their laughter would probably sound more like a dog's laughter, which is barely audible.
Yes, while you spent your time earning a doctorate and then researched cures for cancer. Good job, you just made the world a better place.
(EXTREME sarcasm)
–-
I always cringe at the general comments lambasting research due to either its simplicity (simple does not mean studies shouldn't be done, because anecdotes are not science until they are actually researched) or its perceived utility. Like if average joe really knows more about an abstract field than MDs and PhDs, without even reading the actual data and reports.
Maybe instead of brushing off animals as insignificant, people should realize that humans share an incredible amount of genetic similarity (rats are used in research for this very reason) and even psychological similarity. This type of research can benefit humans, especially in the areas of psychology and neurology, e.g. depression. But even then, information should be expanded upon despite no direct association to perceived benefit. Researchers research what they find interesting, unique, or important.My apologies if you really are a cancer researcher, but I highly doubt it.
Whoa there, no need to get so defensive. I never said that animals were insignificant. You are just assuming that. I'm nearly saying that they spent years seeing if rats could laugh. Sure, this could let scientist to study how other drugs affect their mood, and what not, but they just spent years seeing if rats could laugh. They said nothing about any of that. They just said that they have possibly found out that rats could laugh. Lets calm down a little bit.