Feb 21, 2020
Cute Rats being taught to drive deserve a lil animation
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Cute Rats being taught to drive deserve a lil animation
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Researchers Teach Rats to Drive
Researchers have trained rats to drive “rodent operated vehicles.” The rats were able to navigate the vehicle in unique ways and utilized novel steering patterns to find rewards. The findings reveal rats’ brains are more flexible than previously thought. Exploring how rats perform complex tasks may shed light on a range of mental health conditions and cognitive impairments.
The Lambert Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory at the University of Richmond has trained rats to drive miniature motorized cars to reach food. They taught rats how to drive.
rat driving
RAT DRIVING
RAT DRIVING
Good Monday-before-Hallowe’en morning, my friends! Not only is this the Monday before Hallowe’en, but it is also the last Monday in the U.S. before the end of Daylight Savings Time (DST), and this time next week, darkness will fall even earlier. On the other side of the pond, the time changed this past weekend. You know what this all means, right? Winter is coming. Snow. Shoveling. Slippery roads. Sweaters. Socks. Shoes. Sigh. Hey … I just realized … everything to do with winter starts with the letter ‘S’. Yes, yes, my mind does work in odd ways, but we all knew that. Anyway, to start this week out right, let’s have a little snack, a warm drink, and see about finding something to bring a smile to our faces on this cold, dark winter morn … (Sorry guys … no bacon today … I ran out!)
Teeny tiny rats driving teeny tiny cars
Scientists at University of Richmond in Virginia have taught rats how to drive! Now, the scientists claim this research is going to help them better understand human anxiety and depression … I’m not sure what the connection is, but the rats driving their little specially-made cars are too adorable!
They claim it proves that little rat brains are much more capable of performing complicated tasks than previously realized. The scientists also claim that driving appeared to reduce the rats’ stress … hmmmm … quite the opposite effect than it has on humans. But then again, the rats weren’t driving on the Interstate highway with 10,000 other rats trying to get ahead of everyone else!
Take a look …
Parking sticker shock …
A week or so ago, we had the occasion to go into the city. Now, I avoid going into the city like the plague … for one thing, I almost always get lost downtown, and for another, I just don’t like crowds and tall buildings, much prefer trees and wide open spaces. But, in this case, it was something that needed to be done for a friend, so we braved it. We were parked in one of the many underground parking garages for less than three hours, and when we left, I got the shock of my life … $14! Not only that, but to get out, you couldn’t pay cash, but had to use a credit or debit card! Luckily, daughter Chris had hers handy! But, if you think that was bad …
Johnny Cheung Shun-yee owned a parking space in front of the 73-story office tower The Center, in Hong Kong. Take a wild guess what someone was willing to pay for the spot, one of only 40 in front of the building? Nope … nope, more than that. The equivalent of $969,000 USD!!! That’s almost one million dollars for a bloomin’ parking space! Turns out, it is also more than three times the average home price in Hong Kong! And we thought the cost of living here was high!
‘Tis the season … for zombies???
In Key West, Florida, they hold an annual ZombieFest Street Party this time of year. Some 11,000 zombies are expected to show up, riding bicycles down Duval Street, joined by a smattering of other creatures such as skeletons, evil clowns, witches and the like.
Hmmm … I know a few people who would fit in well there!
Now THAT’s scary!
We’ve all been, at one time or another, in those Hallowe’en haunted houses, right? Personally, I don’t care much for them, for there is always something that reaches out and touches you in the eerie darkness, and I’m trying hard not to die of heart failure just yet. But, there is a haunted house in Summertown, Tennessee, that must really be the haunted house to top all others!
Just to give you an idea, in order to even enter McKamey Manor, one must first complete a sports physical, sign a 40-page waiver, pass a drug test, provide proof of medical insurance, and prove they are at least 21 years old. If you meet all those criteria, you must then watch a 2-hour video called And Then There Were None, which features footage of every visitor from July 2017 and August 2019 quitting before the end of the experience. Visitors leave by uttering the code phrase, “You really don’t want to do this.”
The owner of the house, Russ McKamey, says admission is cheap … a bag of dog food to help feed his five dogs, and the prize for finishing? A cool $20,000. Thing is, nobody has ever finished! McKamey claims that the key to inspiring terror is a “mind game” that relies on hypnotism to have visitors tricked by their own minds. He said each experience is video recorded to prove to visitors — and authorities — that nothing illegal took place.
“When I use the hypnosis I can put you in a kitty pool with a couple inches of water and tell you there’s a great white shark in there, and you’re gonna think there’s a shark in there. And so, when you have that kind of power over people, and have them do and see things that you want them to see, then they can leave here thinking it really happened, and they’ll go to the authorities and say, ‘oh, whatever,’ and I have to come back and show the footage and say, ‘it didn’t go that way at all.”
Um … I don’t know about you guys, but I won’t be heading to Summertown, Tennessee, any time soon!
Let’s wrap up with some ‘toons …
And a few funny signs …
And, what would Jolly Monday be without a cute animal video?
That’s a wrap, folks, for we all have things we need to be doing. Please, please, remember to share those gorgeous smiles you’re wearing … I know from my own experience how much it can help sometimes just to have someone smile and say “Hey … how ya doin’?” Keep safe and have a great week! Love ‘n hugs from Filosofa and Jolly!
Howly Jolly Monday! Good Monday-before-Hallowe’en morning, my friends! Not only is this the Monday before Hallowe’en, but it is also the last Monday in the U.S.