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xindha:

In a simple experiment, researchers at the University of Chicago sought to find out whether a rat would release a fellow rat from an unpleasantly restrictive cage if it could. The answer was yes.

The free rat, occasionally hearing distress calls from its compatriot, learned to open the cage and did so with greater efficiency over time. It would release the other animal even if there wasn’t the payoff of a reunion with it. Astonishingly, if given access to a small hoard of chocolate chips, the free rat would usually save at least one treat for the captive — which is a lot to expect of a rat.

The researchers came to the unavoidable conclusion that what they were seeing was empathy — and apparently selfless behavior driven by that mental state.

“A New Model of Empathy: The Rat” by David Brown, Washington Post

(via aubreysrnec)

Posted on December 11, 2011 via Myriad Musings with 27,603 notes

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  i wonder whats wrong with humans that they forgot how to do this
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  And this is why rats are some of my favorite pets.
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  omg this is so wonderful ;w; rats this is why i find people who say animals don’t have emotions, souls, etc to be really...
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