Study Finds Evidence For Animals Having Imaginations

Study Finds Evidence For , Animals, Having Imaginations.
A new study suggests that rats may possess
the capacity for imaginative thought. .
'The Guardian' reports that researchers at the Howard
Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Campus claim
their study is the first to show that animals can imagine. .
This is a fundamental building
block of a specific type of imagination,
one that enables us to project
ourselves into the past or future,
within a certain scenario, Chongxi Lai, First author of the study, via 'The Guardian' .
The team found that rats could
navigate a space they had previously
explored with just their thoughts. .
The study used a brain-machine interface
that involved surgically implanting
electrodes into the brains of rats. .
The study used a brain-machine interface
that involved surgically implanting
electrodes into the brains of rats. .
Those rats were trained to run a virtual
maze on a 360 degree treadmill.
When the team took away the treadmill,
the rats were still able to navigate the
puzzle with just their brain activity. .
Rats were also reportedly able to solve "Jedi tasks,"
which tasked them with directing an on-screen
object to a goal with only their mind. .
Professor Tim Harris, study co-author,
points out that both imagination and memory
recall are tied to the hippocampus. .
To this end, it is fair to
say the rats do imagine, Professor Tim Harris, Study co-author, via 'The Guardian'