doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.01.061
Credibility: 989
#Rats
Researchers at the Weizmann Institute in Israel have discovered something surprising: rats use their whiskers not only to touch, but also to “hear
” The finding, which could help people with visual impairments, was published in the journal Current Biology and shows how rats’ whiskers produce sounds that help with navigation.
How does it work?
When rats move their whiskers, they brush against objects, generating subtle sounds.
These sounds are picked up by the rats’ ears and processed in the part of the brain responsible for hearing, called the auditory cortex.
This improves the rats’ ability to understand their surroundings by combining touch with hearing.
“Mice whiskers are so delicate that no one had imagined that they could produce sounds that the mice themselves could hear,” explained Professor Ilan Lampl, who led the research with Dr. Ben Efron, Dr. Athanasios Ntelezos and Dr. Yonatan Katz, all from the Weizmann Institute.
An unexpected discovery
The scientists used special microphones that can pick up very high-pitched sounds (ultrasound), which humans cannot hear.
These microphones were placed about 2 centimeters from the mice’s whiskers, the same distance between the whiskers and their ears.
They recorded the sounds produced when the whiskers touched surfaces such as dry leaves and aluminum foil, which make a distinctive sound.
To confirm that the mice’s brains were responding to the sounds, the researchers placed electrodes in the animals’ brains.
They noticed that neurons in the auditory cortex fired when the whiskers brushed against objects.
To make sure this wasn’t just a response to touch, they cut the nerve that carries tactile information from the whiskers to the brain.
Even so, the auditory cortex continued to respond to the sounds, proving that the mice really do “hear” the sounds of the whiskers.
Artificial intelligence confirms the results
The scientists created two artificial intelligence (AI) models to analyze the data.
One model was trained to recognize objects based on the activity of neurons in the mice’s auditory cortex.
The other identified objects by the sounds made by the whiskers.
These models confirmed that sounds, not touch, were responsible for the responses in the brain.
Why is this important
This finding shows how senses such as touch and hearing work together.
In mice, this may have evolved to help them hunt or escape predators.
For example, whiskers may help them distinguish whether a seed is solid or hollow, or choose quieter paths, such as green grass, to avoid predators like owls.
How could this help humans?
The findings could be useful for blind people who use white canes to get around.
Like rat whiskers, canes produce sounds when they touch surfaces such as concrete or wood, helping them identify their surroundings.
Understanding this process better could improve tools for the visually impaired or even inspire sensors for robots in places with poor visibility.
This research reveals how senses combine intelligently in nature and opens the door to new technologies that could improve the lives of many people.
Published in 06/04/2025 18h02
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
Reference article:
Original study:
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