Rats think and learn with their noses. Beth Tyler 05.18.01 Scientists studying animal intelligence often use visual cues to measure learning. For example, the scientist might show the animal two different objects for the animal to choose between. The choice of one of the objects leads to a reward of food. Scientists count the number of trials it takes for the animal to begin consistently choosing the “correct” object. The fewer trials it takes, the quicker the animal learns. Scientists have done these kinds of tests with many different animals, including monkeys, cats, and rats. Because it took rats many trials to choose the correct object, scientists concluded that rats (species in the genusRattus) are slow learners.    Recently, however, scientists began using smell, rather than sight, to do learning tests in rats. Rats have an excellent olfactory system that they use to find food and avoid danger. In the learning tests that use smell, scientists have discovered that rats are capable of complex learning and memory. Rats did not do well in the visual tests because they can’t see very well, not because they are slow learners. These results show that animals use different senses to help them learn and think. Slotnick, Burton. 2001. Animal cognition and the rat olfactory system. Trends in Cognitive Science 5(5): 216-222. ©2001 The Aurora Collection, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Site Development by: Interactive Multimedia. Inc.