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
…
SCIENCE: It’s official — even a RAT has more morals than a Republican
The Grand Ol’ Teaparty could learn a lesson from rats:
- House Republicans Again Delay Payroll Tax Cut Vote, May Resort To Procedural Gimmicks – Think Progress
- Have you heard about the sweet deal Romney got from Bain Capital (and all the people he helped lay off in the process)? Think Progress
- Jeb Bush wrote a WSJ op-ed today extolling the magic of capitalism over the “stagnant” welfare state. What Jeb Bush failed to do, however, was point out how he’s a big beneficiary of corporate welfare — Mother Jones
- “Our nation needs to stop doing for people what they can and should do for themselves. Self reliance means, if anyone will not work, neither should he eat.” — Michele Bachmann
- “… I believe that Iraq should pay the families that lost a loved one several million dollars per life, I think at minimum.” — Michele Bachmann
- “Don’t try to stop the foreclosure process. Let it run its course and hit the bottom…” – Mitt Romney
- “I should tell my story. I’m also unemployed.” Mitt Romney chuckled.
- “Really poor children in really poor neighborhoods have no habits of working and nobody around them who works. So they literally have no habit of showing up on Monday. They have no habit of staying all day. They have no habit of ‘I do this and you give me cash,’ unless it’s illegal.” — Newt Gingrich
- “But why should we hear about body bags and deaths, and how many, what day it’s gonna happen, and how many this or that or what do you suppose? Or, I mean, it’s not relevant. So, why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that, and watch him (George H. W. Bush) suffer?”– Barbara Bush addressing how much news she watches, two days before Iraq invasion, 03/18/03
Notes
-
iputtheowintiao reblogged this from lamauvaisethoughts
-
lamauvaisethoughts reblogged this from lamauvaisethoughts
-
applejuiceandglowsticks liked this
-
gabespfweeaboodomain liked this
-
inablackmirror reblogged this from chetivepoupeesouffreteuse
-
chetivepoupeesouffreteuse reblogged this from yourbloodykiss
-
no-thisisfifa liked this
-
stilettohigh-hopes reblogged this from phobetor
-
dreamhopeloveinspire reblogged this from patrick-notpat
-
seize-the-seas liked this
-
lock-ravin reblogged this from sassymarauders and added:
he saved him a chocolate chip :”’)
-
make-tonight reblogged this from ltjohn21
-
ltjohn21 reblogged this from patrick-notpat
-
dooblidoo liked this
-
remusmeetsholden liked this
-
sassymarauders reblogged this from sassyrobertpattinson
-
geaux-homeaux liked this
-
patrick-notpat reblogged this from meesheen and added:
If rats are able to show empathy and compassion, why can’t humans?
-
imabagginsofbagend liked this
-
supahhero reblogged this from meesheen
-
sassyrobertpattinson reblogged this from runintoyourheart
-
gurooujisama liked this
-
onefancyfucker liked this
-
other-worlds reblogged this from exhibitintuition
-
exhibitintuition reblogged this from tarafuckingzilla
-
rainbowbritebeatdown reblogged this from theland-ofmakebelieve
-
katzehund liked this
-
patrick-notpat liked this
-
meesheen reblogged this from officialad
-
officialad reblogged this from runintoyourheart
-
nancyyiscool reblogged this from itsewhatyoudidthere
-
itsewhatyoudidthere reblogged this from xindha and added:
Oh my god. Lies. Do this again.
-
guessika liked this
-
laughingfreely liked this
-
tarafuckingzilla reblogged this from insideabubblethatsomeoneblew
-
nodiggityok liked this
-
whatthundersoundslike reblogged this from familiarexcuses
-
theland-ofmakebelieve reblogged this from fucking-danni
-
feurety reblogged this from fucking-danni and added:
Rats are extremely smart and stinkin’ cute!
-
sayingitpoetically reblogged this from runintoyourheart
-
sayingitpoetically liked this
-
familiarexcuses reblogged this from fucking-danni
-
fucking-danni reblogged this from runintoyourheart
-
itsrachaelbr0 liked this
-
itsrachaelbr0 reblogged this from i-love-1d-and-btr
-
i-love-1d-and-btr liked this
-
i-love-1d-and-btr reblogged this from runintoyourheart
-
insideabubblethatsomeoneblew reblogged this from phobetor
-
runintoyourheart reblogged this from phobetor
-
alittleolive liked this
- Show more notes
