Added: Sep 7, 2008

From: FreeScienceLectures

Duration: 1:31

http://www.FreeScienceLectures.comScientists listened to animals playing and they noticed something that appeared to them to be laughter. They studied this behavior for couple of years before acturally realizing that it is laughter.Soon they got a device which transformed higher frequency sounds to frequencies our auditory system can hear.So they developed a way to ask these rats if they liked being tickled and the answer was definite yes!---It's Never too Late to Study:http://www.FreeScienceLectures.com---Notice: This video is copyright by its respectful owners.The website address on the video does not mean anything.---

Channel: Howto

Tags: frequency  laugh  laughing  laughter  rat  rats  scientist  sound  tickle  tickling 

Rating: 4.85 (105 ratings)    Views: 58498' favoriteCount='205    Comments: 76

psychoticxmemory Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - Haha its so cute! ^__^

neuronstorm Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - Interesting vid - but how about some more descriptive tags for uploads of science vids like these? In particular - it'd be nice to see the names of the researcher & institution(Dr Jaak Panksepp, Neuroscientist, Bowling Green State University) in the description box.

DeimosSaturn Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - So now we can scientifically prove Carlos Mencia is not funny...not that there isn't plenty of epistemological proof. Brilliant!

Ihaveapsp Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - KOOL!

MeHeartJesus Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - so do u

Gojigirl55 Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - This video inspires me to tickle some rats

stillingwave Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - I wonder if they could catch one rat laughing at another, if it saw its cage mate slam on a running wheel?

Janth Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - i like how he just slams the rat down on its back lol.

gaaraohye Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - Firstly, for all of you people that keep calling those rats "it" in your comments, I don't see why you are because they are not objects, they are living organisms, and it implies otherwise. Second, what an interesting video, which helps prove other animals are even more like humans then I thought. And finally, I'm calling them other animals because by simply calling them animals, its as if you're declassifying them, making humans not seem like animals themselves but gods, which is untrue.

jasin95 Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - awesome-O!

Ringols Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - Just a note, "it" is used for babies too. This usage of it arises from no gender neutral pronoun in English, not a disrespect of animal life. It is hard to gender animals and babies on sight, but grown humans are usually quite easy, and this is why they don't get the "it" treatment. Think before degrading others' language use.

40rever Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - ratman

TheUnsilenced Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - This is cool. Rats aren't as stupid as people assume. I would like to be guardian to a rat some day - rescued, not store-bought. I have also seen young chimpanzees laugh before on a PBS DVD called "Animal Minds" which discusses nonhuman animal intelligence and emotions.

Sky2yoshimura Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - i love rats! i have one my self.

madliana Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - i want one of those things that lowers the pitch so i can hear my ratties laughing

hansololover Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - This is fascinating stuff. I just read an article on the psychology today website about Dr. Panksepp's research on rat behavior. He's so interesting. I would love to study with him one day! I love scientists who are willing to tentatively propose ideas about animal feelings/emotions.

psicentauri Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - "...and when we tested these animals to ask whether they were enjoying this kind of activity, the unambiguous answer was yes."I wonder if the man who tickles rats actually used MRI to reach this unambiguous answer :)

rabidlizzy Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - Rats are social animals. As are chimpanzes. As with dogs. As with people.All social animals tend to interact with each in quite the same fashion, and are more intelligent than non-social animals because they have to be. All of the above love to be groomed by each other. And play. And share. Communication is the essence of a 'society'.The rats laughing when playing to tell the other that they enjoy the current behavior. Wolves yip and whine often when playing- could this not be laughter?

behindthestove Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - I wonder if it's just mammals that laugh...

angelkandilove Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - Wow. My mind has been blown! :)

JonMDouglas Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - i think the other (not mutually exclusive) idea/hypothesis is that laughter is an indicator to OTHERS in the social network that what is happening is, "just play," and not something more sinister or dangerous or something that needs tending to.

lordnick1575 Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - i got one of my rats plating with me now

imprimatursequitur Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - not really an animal worthy sympathy, they will eat live humans if in a big enough pack, similar to pigs. But pigs too are very very intelligent, so what does that say about the intelligence/sympathy connection

imprimatursequitur Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - yeah turn out the lights, wait till he starts nibbling then chewing on you and see how cute he is then

Janth Says:

Sep 7, 2008 - uh... there's sympathy towards pigs? lol idk?