Driving tiny electric cars helped these lab rats feel more relaxed, and we should all learn from them

In the US, the ethos is “bigger is better.” Look no further than our roads where large trucks and SUVs dominate the lanes. These plus-sized vehicles are killing our environment and wreaking havoc in our communities, and yet we can’t seem to stop buying them, convinced that the bigger the wheelbase, the better we’ll feel about ourselves and our place in this rapidly unraveling world.

To which I say, look to the humble lab rat. Researchers at the University of Richmond taught a group of 17 rats how to drive little plastic cars in exchange for bits of Fruit Loops cereal. Driving helped the rats feel more relaxed, said the study’s lead author Kelly Lambert. Here’s how The New Scientist describes it:

The researchers assessed this by...

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