If you think laughter and comedy are reserved strictly for humans, you'd be wrong. A study in the late 1990s showed that creatures like rats emit ultrasonic vocalizations while playing with or ...

To study play behaviors in animals, scientists must be able to authentically simulate play-conducive environments in the laboratory. "We know that vocalizations such as laughter are very important in ...

Now that we know octopi like to play with cameras, it’s time to investigate other forms of animal play. Did you know that rats laugh when you tickle them? This ...

David Stipp’s “Why Rats Laugh & Jellyfish Sleep” is a breezy ode to nature’s long game. The respected science expert’s beautifully written book celebrates the adaptive ingenuity of animals whose ...

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American Last week, while in a drowsy, ...

One study found that rats emitted ultrasonic vocalizations when they were subjected to manual somatosensory stimulation, i.e., tickling. The results of this controversial research were published in ...

To study play behaviors in animals, scientists must be able to authentically simulate play-conducive environments in the laboratory. Animals like rats are less inclined to play if they are anxious or ...

If you think laughter and comedy are reserved strictly for humans, you’d be wrong. A study in the late 1990s showed that creatures like rats emit ultrasonic vocalizations while playing with or ...