Lab Rats

Four-Legged Medical Models

User Image milhayser | June 18, 2012
Animals serve as useful models in medical research—but they also serve as models for our anthropocentric fantasies. On Life Lines, Dr. Dolittle reports that researchers were able to "restore locomotion in paralyzed rats using a combination of nerve stimulation and engaging the mind by having the rats complete simple tasks." The rats, outfitted with a "support jacket" to provide external stimulation, learned to walk and even sprint to their favorite snack. Dr. Dolittle writes "the nerves had actually reorganized to create new connections around the injury site" and "these new research findings…