I Taught Rats to Drive. They Taught Me to Enjoy the Ride | Kelly Lambert | TED

What can happy rats teach us about human joy? Behavioral neuroscientist Kelly Lambert describes how her team trained rats to drive tiny cars to earn treats — and noticed something surprising about how effort and anticipation affect the brain. The experiment opens new questions about how reward, agency and "behaviorceuticals" might help build resilience and support mental health. (Recorded at TEDxRVA Youth on November 9, 2025

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