MIT Researchers Explore How Rats Think

Ant writes "A Nature News article explains that, after running a maze, rats mentally replay their actions backwards." From the article: "As the rats ran along the track, the nerve cells fired in a very specific sequence. This is not surprising, because certain cells in this region are known to be triggered when an animal passes through a particular spot in a space. But the researchers were taken aback by what they saw when the rats were resting. Then, the same brain cells replayed the sequence of electrical firing over and over, but in reverse and speeded up. 'It's absolutely original; no one has ever seen this before at all,' says Edvard Moser, who studies memory at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim."

Comments

Move over CS grads

[hobotron]

If a rat knows the difference between a Stack and a Queue, you better start updating your resume.

How they think?

[neoform]

It's pretty simple, once they get the juice on someone, they squeal to the nearest narc.. obviously.

Never Before Has There Been A Comment Like This

[Doomedsnowball]

"It's absolutely original; no one has ever seen this before at all," says Edvard Moser.

Except for the rats, of course.

Real political science.

[www.sorehands.com]

MIT is studying politicians. They use rats since the rats won't pick the scientist's when they turn their backs.

Interestingly enough....

[ChrisGilliard]

The researchers found that some of the rats thought more about the maze than others. Here's a picture of two mice. The one on the left thought much more about his performance than the one on the right.

Re:brain == computer

[Ithika]

No, but when you die Netcraft confirms it.