Tech and Science Daily | The Standard Mice with mini steering wheels reveal more about how our brains work
Sep 12, 2025
Groundbreaking research using mini steering wheels with mice reveals that decision-making in the brain is more widespread than previously believed. Neuroscientists discuss the striking parallels between mouse and human brain functions and the critical role of neural reward systems. The conversation shifts to AI's influence on productivity, the importance of human oversight in tech, and concerns over child hackers. Additionally, Spotify's push for lossless audio and the rising number of electric vehicle charging points add a modern twist to the discussion.
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Mouse With A Lego Steering Wheel
- Mice were trained to turn a tiny Lego steering wheel to center a visual stimulus on a screen.
- Turning the wheel left for right-sided stimuli (and vice versa) provided the researchers with clear decision reports.
Mouse Brains Mirror Human Architecture
- Mouse and human brains share the same basic architecture so computational principles generalize across species.
- Size matters: larger brains (or models) can implement similar architectures at much greater scale and capability.
Decision Signals Are Brain-Wide
- Recording across the whole brain shows decision-related activity spreads from visual areas to widespread cortical and subcortical regions.
- Reward responses from a tiny nucleus produce a brain-wide 'earthquake' that likely drives learning adjustments.