Play is an instinct that unites species
In the animal kingdom, play has many functions from motor development and social learning to bonding and cognitive stimulation. (Envato Elements pic)
PARIS : Imagine a rat hiding under a plastic box while a human searches for it, then erupting with joy when it's been found. This is not a scene from the 'Ratatouille' movie, but the protocol of a study published in 2019 in the journal Science.
Neuroscientists at Humboldt University of Berlin succeeded in teaching six young rats to play hide-and-seek.
To begin with, the researchers let them explore their playground, a 30-square-metre room dotted with boxes and partitions serving as hiding places.
Before the experiment began, researcher Annika Reinhold had accustomed the rodents to her presence by stroking them, tickling them and chasing them with her hands.
She then taught them the role of the seeker: to do this, she would lock a rat in a box, go and hide in a corner of the room, then reward it with tickles if it came to join her.
When a rat was free from the start, it was up to the animal to play hide-and-seek. It then had to quickly choose a hiding place and stay there quietly until being discovered.
The study showed that rats can effectively learn how to play hide-and-seek. Better still, they understand the rules, choose strategic hiding places – the most opaque, the most discreet – and know how to make themselves go unnoticed by remaining silent.
And when the moment comes to be discovered, they erupt with joy, leaping with gusto and uttering the little ultrasonic vocalisations typical of pleasure.
The rats also tend to prolong the game. As soon as they're discovered, they immediately scurry off to hide elsewhere, as if to restart the game. They even postpone the moment of reward stroking, obviously preferring to keep the game going a little longer.
For them, play is a social activity, a voluntary activity and clearly a source of pleasure.
Play is much more than just a way of letting off steam; it's a powerful tool for building relationships. (Envato Elements pic)
Play as a sign of intelligence
In apes, play becomes strategy. Researchers from the University of California Los Angeles, the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, Indiana University, and the University of California San Diego, identified playful behaviours that are surprisingly similar to those of human children.
The young monkeys have fun provoking adults, poking them, waiting for their reaction… then doing it again, as if anticipating the effects of their actions.
In a study published in 2024 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the scientists suggest that this taste for teasing is anything but trivial. It may be a sign of the existence, in humankind's last common ancestor, of the cognitive prerequisites necessary for playful teasing.
After all, playing the clown can be a complex business. It implies understanding the other person, anticipating their reactions, and wanting to maintain a bond.
In this respect, play is much more than just a way of letting off steam; it's a powerful tool for building relationships.
For primatologist Frans de Waal, these playful jousts reinforce social hierarchies while strengthening group cohesion. In short, apes, like humans, play to help them live better together.
The natural history of animals abounds in observations of games. Play is widespread among mammals, but less common among birds, with the exception of corvids, where it is clearly evident.
In a study published in 2019 in the journal Current Biology, American and Australian researchers claim that New Caledonian crows derive pleasure from manipulating objects, which improves their mood and optimism – a cognitive experience reminiscent of our own taste for intellectual challenges.
Whether it's elephants having a friendly tussle, or crows gliding across snow-covered rooftops, many animals love to play, mostly out of sheer pleasure. (Envato Elements pic)
An evolutionary drive for play
Rats, great apes, crows… the list of playful animals grows longer as research continues. But why do so many species play?
No doubt because play has many functions, from motor development and social learning to bonding and cognitive stimulation.
Neuroscience suggests that the brains of mammals and certain birds are 'programmed' to play.
Experiments with dolphins and crows have shown that the most playful individuals are also the most curious, the most adaptable, and sometimes even the most innovative.
This suggests that play is a gateway to creativity and problem-solving.
But play can also be about having fun. Whether it's dolphins surfing the waves for no apparent purpose, elephant calves chasing each other around a tree trunk, or crows gliding across snow-covered rooftops, many animals love to play, mostly out of sheer pleasure.
Owners of cats, dogs and even rodents are well aware of this. As are scientists, who have observed this behaviour in fish, frogs, lizards and birds.
But what about insects? Are their cognitive capacities sufficiently developed for them to want to have fun?
Apparently so, according to a study published in 2022 in the journal Animal Behaviour. It showed that bumblebees enjoy rolling wooden balls for no reason or reward – just for the fun of it.
Perhaps play is not a luxury reserved for superior species, but an evolutionary necessity rooted in the biology of living things, whether it's a kitten bouncing around, a dog wagging its tail when it sees a ball, or even a magpie playing with a cork.
These innocuous moments speak volumes about the emotional and cognitive richness of the animal world. And they remind humans that pleasure is a universal language.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
8 hours ago
- Malay Mail
This guy let deadly snakes bite him 200 times for science — and it might just save your life
PARIS, June 8 — Tim Friede was feeling particularly down on the day after the September 11 attacks, so he went to his basement and let two of the world's deadliest snakes bite him. Four days later, he woke up from a coma. 'I know what it feels like to die from snakebite,' Friede told AFP via video call from his home in the small US town of Two Rivers, Wisconsin. This experience might put most people off snakes entirely, but Friede simply vowed to be more careful next time. From 2000 to 2018, he allowed himself to be bitten by snakes more than 200 times. He also injected himself with their venom over 650 times. Friede endured this pain because he wanted to achieve total immunity to venom, a practice called mithridatism which should not be tried at home. After a couple of years, Friede started to believe he could be the basis for a better kind of antivenom. The former truck mechanic, who does not have a university degree, long struggled to be taken seriously by scientists. But last month, a study published in the prestigious Cell journal showed that antibodies from his blood protect against a range of snake venom. The researchers now hope Friede's hyper-immunity could even lead to the development of a universal antivenom. This would fill a major need, because currently most antivenoms only cover one or a few of the world's 600 venomous snakes. Up to 138,000 people are killed by snakebites a year, while 400,000 suffer amputations or other disabilities, according to the World Health Organisation. These figures are believed to be vastly underestimated because snakebite victims typically live in poorer, remote areas. From 2000 to 2018, Tim Friede allowed himself to be bitten by snakes more than 200 times and also injected himself with their venom over 650 times, in an attempt to achieve total immunity to venom, a practice called mithridatism. — AFP pic 'Pain every time' Friede's first bite was from a harmless garter snake when he was five years old. 'I was afraid, I cried, I ran away,' said Friede, now 57. Then he started bringing snakes home and hiding them in pickle jars. His mother sought counselling, but his interest in snakes persisted. Things escalated after Friede attended a class that taught him how to 'milk' snakes for their venom. How antivenom is made has changed little over the last 125 years. Small doses of snake venom are injected into animals such as horses, which produce antibodies that can be extracted and used as antivenom. However this antivenom usually only works for bites from that particular species of snake — and it includes other antibodies from horse that can cause serious side-effects including anaphylactic shock. 'I thought, well, if they make antivenom in horses, why can't I just use myself as a primate?' Friede said. He started working through the venom from all the deadly species he could get his hands on, such as cobras, taipans, black mambas and rattlesnakes. 'There is pain every time,' he said. In May 2025, a study published in the prestigious 'Cell' journal showed that antibodies from his blood protect against a range of snake venom. The researchers now hope Friede's hyper-immunity could even lead to the development of a universal antivenom. — AFP pic 'Proud' For years, the scientists he contacted to take advantage of his immunity refused to bite. Then in 2017, immunologist Jacob Glanville, who previously worked on universal vaccines, turned his attention towards antivenom. Glanville told AFP he had been looking for 'a clumsy snake researcher who'd been bit accidentally a couple times,' when he came across a video of Friede taking brutal back-to-back snake bites. When they first spoke, Glanville said he told Friede: 'I know this is awkward, but I would love to get my hands on some of your blood.' 'I've been waiting for this call for a long time,' came the response, Glanville said. The antivenom described in the Cell paper includes two antibodies from Friede's blood, as well as a drug called varespladib. It offered mice full protection against 13 of the 19 snake species tested, and partial protection for the remaining six. The researchers hope a future cocktail will cover far more snakes — particularly vipers — with further trials planned on dogs in Australia. Timothy Jackson of the Australian Venom Research Unit praised the immunological research, but questioned whether a human needed to be involved, pointing to synthetically developed antibodies. Glanville said the ultimate goal of his US-based firm Centivax was to develop a universal antivenom administered by something like an EpiPen, potentially produced in India to keep the costs down. Friede said he was 'proud' to have made a 'small difference' in medical history. Now working for Centivax, Friede stopped self-inflicting himself with venom in 2018 to save the firm from liability issues. But he hopes to get bitten by snakes again in the future. 'I do miss it,' he said. — AFP
Free Malaysia Today
10 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Play is an instinct that unites species
In the animal kingdom, play has many functions from motor development and social learning to bonding and cognitive stimulation. (Envato Elements pic) PARIS : Imagine a rat hiding under a plastic box while a human searches for it, then erupting with joy when it's been found. This is not a scene from the 'Ratatouille' movie, but the protocol of a study published in 2019 in the journal Science. Neuroscientists at Humboldt University of Berlin succeeded in teaching six young rats to play hide-and-seek. To begin with, the researchers let them explore their playground, a 30-square-metre room dotted with boxes and partitions serving as hiding places. Before the experiment began, researcher Annika Reinhold had accustomed the rodents to her presence by stroking them, tickling them and chasing them with her hands. She then taught them the role of the seeker: to do this, she would lock a rat in a box, go and hide in a corner of the room, then reward it with tickles if it came to join her. When a rat was free from the start, it was up to the animal to play hide-and-seek. It then had to quickly choose a hiding place and stay there quietly until being discovered. The study showed that rats can effectively learn how to play hide-and-seek. Better still, they understand the rules, choose strategic hiding places – the most opaque, the most discreet – and know how to make themselves go unnoticed by remaining silent. And when the moment comes to be discovered, they erupt with joy, leaping with gusto and uttering the little ultrasonic vocalisations typical of pleasure. The rats also tend to prolong the game. As soon as they're discovered, they immediately scurry off to hide elsewhere, as if to restart the game. They even postpone the moment of reward stroking, obviously preferring to keep the game going a little longer. For them, play is a social activity, a voluntary activity and clearly a source of pleasure. Play is much more than just a way of letting off steam; it's a powerful tool for building relationships. (Envato Elements pic) Play as a sign of intelligence In apes, play becomes strategy. Researchers from the University of California Los Angeles, the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, Indiana University, and the University of California San Diego, identified playful behaviours that are surprisingly similar to those of human children. The young monkeys have fun provoking adults, poking them, waiting for their reaction… then doing it again, as if anticipating the effects of their actions. In a study published in 2024 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the scientists suggest that this taste for teasing is anything but trivial. It may be a sign of the existence, in humankind's last common ancestor, of the cognitive prerequisites necessary for playful teasing. After all, playing the clown can be a complex business. It implies understanding the other person, anticipating their reactions, and wanting to maintain a bond. In this respect, play is much more than just a way of letting off steam; it's a powerful tool for building relationships. For primatologist Frans de Waal, these playful jousts reinforce social hierarchies while strengthening group cohesion. In short, apes, like humans, play to help them live better together. The natural history of animals abounds in observations of games. Play is widespread among mammals, but less common among birds, with the exception of corvids, where it is clearly evident. In a study published in 2019 in the journal Current Biology, American and Australian researchers claim that New Caledonian crows derive pleasure from manipulating objects, which improves their mood and optimism – a cognitive experience reminiscent of our own taste for intellectual challenges. Whether it's elephants having a friendly tussle, or crows gliding across snow-covered rooftops, many animals love to play, mostly out of sheer pleasure. (Envato Elements pic) An evolutionary drive for play Rats, great apes, crows… the list of playful animals grows longer as research continues. But why do so many species play? No doubt because play has many functions, from motor development and social learning to bonding and cognitive stimulation. Neuroscience suggests that the brains of mammals and certain birds are 'programmed' to play. Experiments with dolphins and crows have shown that the most playful individuals are also the most curious, the most adaptable, and sometimes even the most innovative. This suggests that play is a gateway to creativity and problem-solving. But play can also be about having fun. Whether it's dolphins surfing the waves for no apparent purpose, elephant calves chasing each other around a tree trunk, or crows gliding across snow-covered rooftops, many animals love to play, mostly out of sheer pleasure. Owners of cats, dogs and even rodents are well aware of this. As are scientists, who have observed this behaviour in fish, frogs, lizards and birds. But what about insects? Are their cognitive capacities sufficiently developed for them to want to have fun? Apparently so, according to a study published in 2022 in the journal Animal Behaviour. It showed that bumblebees enjoy rolling wooden balls for no reason or reward – just for the fun of it. Perhaps play is not a luxury reserved for superior species, but an evolutionary necessity rooted in the biology of living things, whether it's a kitten bouncing around, a dog wagging its tail when it sees a ball, or even a magpie playing with a cork. These innocuous moments speak volumes about the emotional and cognitive richness of the animal world. And they remind humans that pleasure is a universal language.
Free Malaysia Today
10 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
People have a better memory for ‘aha! moments'
Research sheds light on how 'aha!' moments help you remember what you learn. (Envato Elements pic) PARIS : Sometimes it only takes a moment for everything to fall into place. A flash of inspiration, an idea that springs to mind without warning, and suddenly the answer is self-evident. These moments of sudden insight, often illustrated by a light bulb above the head, are not just a cartoon image. They cause a real stir in our brains. So reports a study by researchers at Duke University in the US, and Humboldt and Hamburg Universities in Germany, published in the journal Nature Communications. They discovered that when a solution comes to one suddenly, almost magically, it imprints itself more durably in the memory than if it had been found by dint of reasoning. To demonstrate this, the scientists designed an experiment based on visual puzzles. Participants had to interpret black-and-white images with minimal detail until a familiar object emerged. Once the solution had been identified, they noted their degree of certainty and the way in which they had found it: a sudden flash or more logical deduction. Meanwhile, their brain activity was scanned for signs of that cognitive spark. A memory boost The results are illuminating. Not only are flashes of insight better imprinted on the brain, they are also accompanied by striking physiological responses. fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) scans revealed intense activation of the hippocampus, a key region for memory and learning, as well as changes in the ventral occipito-temporal cortex, involved in visual pattern recognition. According to Roberto Cabeza, professor at Duke University and senior author of the study, these flashes of sudden insight seemed to increase people's ability to remember what they had learned. 'If you have an 'aha! moment' while learning something, it almost doubles your memory. There are few memory effects that are as powerful as this,' the researcher explains in a news release. A strong claim, based on solid data: participants who had experienced this kind of epiphany remembered their answers much better, even five days later, than those who had proceeded in a more considered manner. These breakthrough moments don't just leave an imprint. 'During these moments of insight, the brain reorganises how it sees the image,' says first author, Maxi Becker, a postdoctoral fellow at Humboldt University. Indeed, the more powerful the flash, the more the brain's neuronal networks are activated. And that's not all. These moments of clarity are accompanied by improved communication between the different areas of the brain. It's as if, for a moment, internal connections become more fluid, more efficient. These discoveries could open up promising avenues for rethinking teaching methods. Encouraging environments conducive to the emergence of new ideas could strengthen long-term memory and refine comprehension. This underscores the importance of active learning, in which students themselves construct knowledge.
