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