Apparently rats find driving to be relaxing, just let that sink in. University of Richmond scientists taught rats to drive a tiny car in order to get food. The cars were made of clear plastic food containers with aluminum floors and three copper bars functioning as a steering wheel. When a rate stood on the aluminum floor and gripped the copper bars with their paws, they completed the electrical circuit that made the car move forward, and they could touch different bars to make it move in different directions.
The animals were rewarded with pieces of cereal each time they moved forward. Also, learning to drive seemed to relax the rats, which researchers learned by checking out the animals’ hormone levels. Previous research has shown rats are less stressed after mastering a difficult task, so it could be that they get the same kind of satisfaction as we get when we perfect a new skill.
