In a frankly rather bizarre video a research team from the US has been channelling the ever popular internet sensation LOLCats (if you’ve never been to the site you should probably have a look at it as it helps to explain what people under the age of 15 do with all that time they spend on the internet) to help explain their latest paper published in Nature. In a rather savvy piece of science communication that’s bound to grab the attention of teens (and immature editors everywhere…), the video reveals how in their latest work, the team led by David Anderson from Caltech discovered that mice have neurons just below the surface of the skin that solely respond to stroking sensations. Unsurprisingly, behavioural tests showed that chemical activation of these stroking neurons was rewarding for the mice and they sought out further stimulation of these neurons.

Watch the video to learn a bit more and of course as an amusing way to pass a couple of minutes. Perhaps the future of science communication is scientists reaching out to the masses through LOLCats!

Video courtesy Nature Video

                  

Source:
http://prospect.rsc.org/blogs/cw/2013/01/30/i-can-haz-neuroscienz/