The Popcorn Rats
Did you know that rats have a secret superpower? They are incredibly ticklish! Scientists in Berlin spent their days tickling the bellies and paws of tiny rats to see what happened. It turns out that when rats are happy, they let out high-pitched "ultrasonic" giggles that are too high for human ears to hear. Even more surprising, happy rats do something called a "Freudensprung" or "joy jump" where they leap into the air like a piece of exploding popcorn! But here is the catch: if a rat is in a grumpy mood or stressed out, it loses its sense of humor and stops being ticklish altogether. Learn more!
Wee Ones
If a rat is very happy and being tickled by a scientist, is it "likely" or "unlikely" that it will do a "joy jump" into the air?
Little Kids
A scientist wants to buy a special treat for a ticklish rat. The treat costs 1 toonie ($2) and 3 loonies ($1 each). How many dollars does the scientist need to pay in total?
Big Kids
A very ticklish rat giggles 45 times in 5 minutes. If it giggles the same number of times every minute, how many giggles does the rat let out per minute?
The Sky's the Limit
Scientists use a formula to calculate a rat's "Happiness Score" (H) based on the number of joy jumps (J) it does: H = 4 * J + 10. If a rat is feeling extra bouncy and does 12 joy jumps, what is its total Happiness Score?