Rodent of the Week: How habits are formed

June 11, 2010

When I was in high school, I had to drive a long distance on a freeway to get to school. After arriving, I often wondered how I got there. I didn't remember the drive or even thinking about driving.

This feeling is a common (and, yes, somewhat scary) experience that a group of neuroscientists think they can better explain. In an experiment with rats, researchers at MIT identified two distinct neural circuits in the brain that show distinct changes when the rats were learning to navigate a maze and, later, after they mastered the task.

The rats were placed in a maze that had chocolate sprinkles at the end. The activity in specific parts of their brains was analyzed as they learned the maze, which included a T-juncture where they had to stop and choose to turn right or left. The rats performed the maze repeatedly until they had learned it.

The study showed that one specific neural circuit became stronger with practice. A second neural circuit showed high activity occurring at times when the rats had to make a decision in the maze. But as they learned the maze, activity in this circuit declined. The task had become habitual.

So, arriving at school in one piece wasn't just a matter of luck. "It is good to know that we can train our brains to develop good habits and avoid bad ones," the lead author of the study, Ann Graybiel, said in a news release.

Understanding how specific regions of the brain change through learning could help in developing new treatments for brain-based diseases. The study was published Thursday in the journal Neuron.

-- Shari Roan

Photo credit: Advanced Cell Technology Inc.

Some cool mazes, maze art and maze cartoons

Mushroom maze

Maze of Mushrooms by Yonatan Frimer 2006

Maze Portrait of Albert Einstein.

"Genius Maze" - By Y. Frimer

Maze Cartoon of Erdogans comparison of Flotilla raid to September 11th.

Maze cartoon of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan comparing the Flotilla raid to September 11th. Someone from the crowd asks how it would "stack up against the Armenian Genocide." Created by Yonatan Frimer
Click here for a printable, hi-res version of this maze
Click here or on the image for the maze solution.

UN Bombs Iran with sanctions, Maze Cartoon by Yonatan Frimer

Maze Cartoon UN Bombing Iran with Sanctions By Yonatan Frimer

Cartoon maze of a UN fighter jet dropping bombed marked "Sanctions" on Iran, while he has other with the name of known targets and the pilot says, "If these don't work, then we drop the real ones!" Created by Yonatan Frimer
Click here for a printable, hi-res version of this maze
Click here for the maze solution.

More cartoon mazes by Yonatan Frimer:

• Political Maze on Go Comics
• Team Of Monkeys Maze Comics and Cartoons
• Buy maze art of Yonatan Frimer
• Trippy Maze Blog
• Maze Art on Ink Blot Mazes

More on this maze's topic:

U.N. imposes another round of sanctions on Iran

UNITED NATIONS -- After several months of grueling diplomacy, the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday imposed a fourth round of sanctions on Iran's military establishment -- a move that the United States and other major powers said should prompt the Islamic Republic to restart stalled political talks over the future of its nuclear program.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the foreign ministers of allied nations asked the European Union's chief diplomat to pursue talks with Iran at the "earliest possible opportunity," and President Obama asserted that "these sanctions do not close the door on diplomacy."

"We think that the sanctions send a kind of message to the entire Iranian leadership, which.... (Read Source Article)

Cartoon Maze: Sh*t My Son Tweets By Yonatan Frimer

Cartoon Maze: Sh*t My Son Tweets By Yonatan Frimer

Maze cartoon of The Dad of Sh*t My Dad Says saying, "The book ought to be called "Shit My Son Tweets" or "Twitters" or whatever young people call it. Created by Yonatan Frimer
Click here for a printable, hi-res version of this maze
Click here for the maze solution.

Links to More Yonatan Frimer Mazes:
Team Of Monkeys Maze Cartoon
Daily Maze - Political maze on GoComics
Maze Art on Ink Blot Mazes
Buy Print On Demand Maze Art
Maze Blog

More on this maze's topic:

Shit My Dad Says Twitter Account Inspires New TV Sitcom Starring William Shatner

Little did Justin Halpern know that his funny "Shit My Dad Says" Twitter postings would lead to a book deal and television show. Well, it did, and it's being picked up by CBS later this year, less than a year after securing a book deal.

Shit My Dad Says will star William Shatner as the father with a penchant for saying some really funny and weird stuff, like "We didn't accidentally kill a hooker, we had dinner!"

Halpern started the Twitter account to showcase the things his father would say to him, and the experiences they shared while living together in the same house.

(Click here to read the full article)



Yonatan Frimer's Maze Kong 2006


Links to More Yonatan Frimer Mazes:
Team Of Monkeys Maze Cartoon
Daily Maze - Political maze on GoComics
Maze Art on Ink Blot Mazes
Buy Print On Demand Maze Art
Maze Blog

Yonatan Frimer's Mushroom Maze

Political Maze Top Ten List by Yonatan Frimer

Bellow is a list of the Top Ten Political Maze Cartoons by Yonatan Frimer

#10

Cartoon Maze: Which Islam is the true one? By Yonatan Frimer

Maze cartoon of a muslim preacher at the pulpit exlaiming "Islam is the only true religion." A voice from the crowd asks, "Shi'a or Sunni?" The speaker responds, "INFIDEL!!!" Created by Yonatan Frimer
Click here for a printable, hi-res version of this maze
Click here for the maze solution.

#9

Bill Gates' Microsoft iPad - Cartoon Maze

Editoral Cartoon Maze in Larger and Printable Format

Can't solve the maze? Click here for the maze solution
Editorial Cartoon Maze of Bill Gates telling his team of monkeys to make a microsoft version of the iPad.

#8

Editorial Maze Cartoon - JFK vs Obama on NASA

Editoral Cartoon Maze in Larger and Printable Format

Can't solve the maze? Click here for the maze solution
Editorial Cartoon Maze contrasting JFK to Obama on the issue of traveling to the moon and NASA.

#7

Editorial Maze Cartoon - Eyjafjallajökull

Editoral Cartoon Maze in Larger and Printable Format

Can't solve the maze? Click here for the maze solution
Editorial Cartoon Maze of Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland that erupted an ash cloud over European airspace causing havoc.

#6

Editorial Maze Cartoon - Iran Geophysics

Editoral Cartoon Maze in Larger and Printable Format

Can't solve the maze? Click here for the maze solution
Editorial Cartoon Maze of Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland that erupted an ash cloud over European airspace causing havoc.

#5

Maze Cartoon on the Economy of Greece.

Maze Cartoon for Editorial use on the Economy of Greece. A 747 marked "Economy of Greece" flys while chained to two bags of debt that are carried by the IMF and EU. Created by Yonatan Frimer

Click here for the maze in larger, printable format

Can't solve the maze? Click here for the maze solution

#4

Maze Cartoon - Effects of Human Error on Stock Market

Maze cartoon editorial showcasing how stocks are effected by human error, buy having a bull represent stocks and a cowboy wrangling him to represent human error.

Click here for the maze in larger, printable format

Can't solve the maze? Click here for the maze solution

#3

Cartoon maze of how the Tea Party started. By Yonatan Frimer

Cartoon maze editorial of a bunch of sheep in a field. One sheep stands up and exclaims, "I will no longer be a follower!" The rest of the flock yells, "Me too!" and the group in the front explaim "If this catches on, we got to get that fox on board."

Click here for the maze in larger, printable format

Can't solve the maze? Click here for the maze solution

#2

Cartoon Maze of Erdogan and comparison of Flotilla raid to September 11th.

Maze cartoon of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan comparing the Flotilla raid to September 11th. Someone from the crowd asks how it would "stack up against the Armenian Genocide." Created by Yonatan Frimer
Click here for a printable, hi-res version of this maze
Click here or on the image for the maze solution.

#1

Editorial Maze Cartoon on Arizona Immigration laws.

Cartoon maze editorial bunch immigrants sneaking into America. Leader tells them "We are almost there folks, make sure you have plenty of water and get your fake birth certificate from Sanchez before the border." As they stand near a road with a sign that says, "Arizona 50 Miles." Created by Yonatan Frimer
Click here for a printable, hi-res version of this maze
Click here or on the image for the solution to the maze.

Cartoon Maze: Not the size of the boat, It's the motion of the ocean... By Yonatan Frimer

Cartoon Maze: Not the size of the boat... By Yonatan Frimer

Maze cartoon of Bibi Netanyahu and PM Erdogan in the mens room, sizing each other up. Erdogan has a scronful look on his face and defends, "It's not the size of the boat, it's the motion of the ocean" Created by Yonatan Frimer
Click here for a printable, hi-res version of this maze
Click here for the maze solution.


More Yonatan Frimer Mazes:
Team Of Monkeys - Maze Cartoons
Ink Blot Mazes - Maze Art
Go Comics - Political Maze
Buy Print On Demand Maze Art

More on this maze's topic:

Turkey's Erdogan bears responsibility in flotilla fiasco

WESTERN GOVERNMENTS have been right to be concerned about Israel's poor judgment and botched execution in the raid against the Free Gaza flotilla. But they ought to be at least as worried about the Turkish government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which since Monday has shown a sympathy toward Islamic militants and a penchant for grotesque demagoguery toward Israel that ought to be unacceptable for a member of NATO.

On the opposite page today, Turkey's ambassador to the United States makes the argument that Israel had no cause to clash with the "European lawmakers, journalists, business leaders and an 86-year-old Holocaust survivor" who were aboard the flotilla. But there...(read full article)

Cartoon Maze of Israel's PR team. Barrel of Monkeys and 3 Stooges By Yonatan Frimer

Cartoon Maze of Israel's PR team. Barrel of Monkeys and 3 Stooges

Maze cartoon of Israel's incompetent public relations team. A barrel of monkeys and the 3 stooges. Created by Yonatan Frimer
Click here for a printable, hi-res version of this maze
Click here or on the image for the maze solution.

For more Yonatan Frimer Mazes, visit:
Team Of Monkeys Political Maze
Political Maze on Go Comics
Ink Blot Mazes Maze Art
Maze Art on Fine Art America
Maze Blog


More on this maze's topic:

Ben-Eliezer says Israeli PR 'disgrace'

Labor minister says faulty PR management during flotilla raid affair 'led us into the bad situation we are in,' but party chairman Barak says incident complex, making it 'difficult to defend'

During a meeting of Labor ministers on Thursday, Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer leveled harsh criticism at the management of Israel's public relations outlay during the recent flotilla raid affair. He called the PR layout surrounding the incident a "disgrace," and said "it has led us into the bad situation we are in."

Read the entire article on ynet

Left in the wake of the Gaza flotilla, by Yonatan Frimer

Cartoon Maze of the Gaza Flotilla and what it left in its wake.

Maze cartoon of the Gaza Flotilla. The boat leaves in its wake violence, diplomatic crisis, sympathy for terrorist, lies, and of course an Israeli PR overhaul. Created by Yonatan Frimer
Click here for a printable, hi-res version of this maze
Click here or on the image for the maze solution.


Get a Political Maze emailed to you daily
Check out more maze cartoons