Rachel, 21, undergraduate @ university of california, irvine, studying sociocultural anthropology and informatics (emphasis in human-computer interaction).
I'm interested in user interface design, interaction design, ubiquitous computing, creative programming, e-textiles/wearable technology, remix culture, social media, & film and media studies. I am a DIY enthusiast and hobbyist :)
Loves food, collecting vintage dishes, traveling, Andrew Bird, crocheting, coffee, two hour naps, and sharing comfortable silences.
I have a knack of putting too much on my plate. Both literally and metaphorically.
You can also find me here:
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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
ANIMALS RULE
Can we get the rats to teach this to some humans I’ve met?
Oh god. I miss my rat. -Josephine
he saved him a chocolate chip :”’)