Listen to rats laughing...

Make 427
Turns out rats are ticklish, and they laugh... It might even work using a bat detector like the one we showed you how to construct here @ MAKE... I supposed you could potentially tune in to the rat giggling...

Aristotle declared that humans are the only animal to laugh, but then, he never saw this video of Jaak Panksepp tickling rats.

When you play it, you'll hear the tickled rats chirping -- an ultrasonic noise that's audible thanks to the special equipment that enabled Dr. Panksepp and his colleagues to discover this phenomenon. Young rats make the same chirp when they chase and play with one another, and they like to hang out with other rats who chirp at this frequency (50 kHz). It seems to be a happy sound: rats will run mazes and press levers in order to be tickled, and they'll emit the same chirp when the dopamine reward circuits in the brain are stimulated.


What Happens When You Tickle a Lab Rat? See for Yourself - TierneyLab - Science - New York Times Blog - [via] Link & video (MOV).

Related:
237870331 524Ae12767

  • Ultrasonic Bat Detector - Link.
  • Weekend Projects - Batometer - Link.


Posted by Phillip Torrone | Mar 21, 2007 03:21 AM
Science | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email This | Bookmark and Share | Digg this!


Recent Entries

Comments

Oldest comments listed first.

Posted by: kryten007 on March 21, 2007 at 2:58 PM

"The name's Jaak: rat tickler."


Reply to this comment

Leave a comment


Subscribe to MAKE!Subscribe to MAKE Magazine!

Subscribe today, save 42% and get web access to MAKE free. MAKE Digital Edition is available only to subscribers.

$34.95 / 1 year
(4 Quarterly Issues)

Subscribe now


Void your warranty, violate a user agreement, fry a circuit, blow a fuse, poke an eye out. Make: The risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things... Welcome to Make: Online!


CRAFT Maker Shed Maker Faire MAKE television
Holiday Gift Guides from MAKE
Gifts for Dads
Science and Chemistry
Gifts Under $20
More guides: Santa Claus Machines, Geek Toys for Grown Up Girls & Boys


Check out all of the episodes of Make: television

Alex Rider Dream Gadget Contest
Make: Science Room

Connect with MAKE

Be a MAKE fan on Facebook MAKE on Facebook
Visit our Facebook page and become a fan of MAKE!
MAKE on Twitter MAKE on Twitter
Follow our MAKE tweets!
MAKE Flickr Pool MAKE on Flickr
Join our MAKE Flickr Pool!

Tweet a Tip

    make_tips on Twitter




    Maker SHED

    Advertise here with FM.

    Why advertise on MAKE?
    Read what folks are saying about us!

    Click here to advertise on MAKE!



    Subscribe to MAKE Magazine!

    Make: Online authors!

    Gareth BranwynGareth Branwyn
    Senior Editor


    Phillip TorronePhillip Torrone
    Senior Editor
    | AIM | Twitter


    Becky SternBecky Stern
    Associate Editor
    | AIM | Twitter


    Marc de VinckMarc de Vinck
    Contributing Writer
    | AIM | Twitter


    John ParkJohn Park
    Contributing Writer
    | Twitter


    Sean RaganSean Ragan
    Contributing Writer
    | Twitter


    Matt MetsMatt Mets
    Contributing Writer
    | AIM | Twitter


    Dale DoughertyDale Dougherty
    Editor & Publisher
    | Twitter


    Shawn ConnallyShawn Connally
    Managing Editor
    | Twitter


    Goli MohammadiGoli Mohammadi
    Associate Managing Editor

    Kip KayKip Kay
    Weekend Projects
    | AIM | Twitter


    Collin CunninghamCollin Cunningham
    Contributing Writer
    | AIM | Twitter

    Adam FlahertyAdam Flaherty
    Contributing Writer
    | AIM | Twitter



    More contributors: Mark Frauenfelder (Editor-in-Chief, MAKE magazine), Kipp Bradford (Technical Consultant/Writer), Chris Connors (Education), Diana Eng (Guest Author), Peter Horvath (Intern), Brian Jepson (O'Reilly Media), Robert Bruce Thompson (Science Room)

    Suggest a Site!

    Current Podcast

    itunesdl.gif Weekend Project: Beetlebot Simple robot from your parts bin that avoids obstacles. Thanks go to Jerome Demers for the original article in MAKE, Volume 12. To download the Beetlebot video, click here or subscribe in iTunes. Check out the complete Beetlebot article... More...

    Get the Make: Online sent via email
    Enter your email to receive Make: Online each day:



    MAKE Fascination video series brought to you by Dow

    Make: Education
    MAKE: en Español MAKE: Japan
    Important please read

    Make Categories

    www.flickr.com
    photos in MAKE More photos in MAKE Flickr Pool

    Make Archives

    www.flickr.com
    photos in Craft More photos in Craft Flickr Pool


    Subscribe to MAKE Magazine!

    Recent Posts from the Craft: Blog