# VR goggles for mice! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 30, 2024, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vr-goggles-for-mice/1012339 "2024-12-30T11:57:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vr-goggles-for-mice/1012339/1 "2024-12-30T11:57:39Z")
Now they can eat all of the virtual cheese they please! Just have to figure out how to get them into a sleek jumpsuit. But really, here’s hoping it has so actual benefits to studying the brain. > **[MouseGoggles bring the immersive world of virtual reality to rodents](https://newatlas.com/biology/virtual-reality-rodents/)** > > While it might sound like a cute gift to buy for your pet mouse, a new set of virtual reality goggles have a much more serious purpose. The inventors say they should help advance research into Alzheimer's disease and other brain conditions. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vr-goggles-for-mice/1012339/2 "2024-12-30T13:20:58Z")
They should be OK as long as they don’t wear them while driving. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/4mZOWlYCRCI/maxresdefault.jpg "Rats prefer driving over walking, researchers say") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mZOWlYCRCI) ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vr-goggles-for-mice/1012339/3 "2024-12-30T16:57:14Z")
Interesting. Mice and rats have very poor vision compared to humans. While moving around they use touch and smell more than vision. They also leave drops of urine to help tell where they’ve been. I would think providing only visual input would give them quite limited knowledge of the simulated world they are supposed to be navigating, or even confuse them. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vr-goggles-for-mice/1012339/4 "2024-12-30T17:09:54Z")
I think the next step wouid be other senses. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vr-goggles-for-mice/1012339/5 "2024-12-31T06:30:44Z")
Quite an advancement since the days of 3D glasses on praying mantises. > **[An Entirely New Form of 3D Vision Was Just Discovered in Praying Mantises](https://www.sciencealert.com/praying-mantises-3d-glasses-unique-stereo-vision)** > > Many vertebrate animals, including us humans, have two eyes that are able to perceive three-dimensional structures.  But a new study has discovered that praying mantises have an altogether unique ability to see in 3D. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vr-goggles-for-mice/1012339/6 "2024-12-31T19:55:32Z")
I believe rats (talking Rattus norvegicus vs. Mus musculus, not sure about other species) urine mark as a sexual signal mainly. IME mice are more likely to piss everywhere. They only have two cone types like most mammals, but their short-wavelength cone goes more into the ultraviolet range than ours do, and can possibly “see” urine. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vr-goggles-for-mice/1012339/7 "2024-12-31T21:47:31Z")
Based on a couple of decades experience with 23 pet rats, I’d say that brown (Norwegian) rats do piss everywhere. Not a lot of volume, but they leave drops of urine very frequently while they walk around, on whatever surface they’re walking on, including their owner. > **[Why does my rat pee so much? - Vet Help Direct](https://vethelpdirect.com/vetblog/2023/02/22/why-does-my-rat-pee-so-much/)** > > Those that have welcomed pet rats into their home know how much fun these little critters can be. Full of personality, they thrive in groups and love to explore their surroundings. But compared to more common pets like cats and dogs, rats pass urine...