Page 2 - Michael Brecht News Today

Neuroscientist Michael Brecht published a study in which he describes a basic brain area that is activated when rodents play, suggesting that playful behavior is an instinct

To study play behaviors in animals, scientists must be able to authentically simulate play-conducive environments in the laboratory.

Scientific experiments are rarely amusing for rats, but new research by German neuroscientists involved tickling rats to investigate the brain mechanisms

Playful behavior was once considered a rare phenomenon in the animal kingdom, and yet recent evidence suggests birds, bees, apes, marsupials, lizards, turtles, crocodiles, and maybe even fish can all engage in play.

A region of the midbrain in rodents appears to be instrumental in enabling rats to engage in laughter and play

More than sensory information and motor commands; there’s an area of the brain also related to play.

Cells in a brain region called the periaqueductal gray are activated by chasing and tickling, a study finds. Blocking their activity reduces play in rats.

Also, the UAW's pleading its case to lawmakers and Mahindra is allowed to sell its baby Jeep that no longer looks like a Jeep, all in today's Morning Shift.

Whiskers on an elephants trunk may help it feel and balance objects: A comprehensive series of articles on this topic

Scientists say their research is the first detailed study of elephant whisker anatomy.