Malcolm Gladwell

A rat's its own thing, a lab rat's its own thing, raccoons are really their own thing, and we're not one or the other. We're all of the above and something else. But these days, it seems clear. We definitely did ourselves a disservice when we forgot about the raccoon. Sadly, I never got to come face-to-face with a raccoon in reporting this story, but I did get to meet a lab rat.

Kelly Lambert now studies all kinds of animals in all kinds of places. She's particularly interested in wild animals these days. But Lambert still has a soft spot for the lab rat. When I visited her at the University of Richmond, she took me back into a locked set of rooms. There were signs up that said, quiet, behavioral testing in progress.

Kelly Lambert now studies all kinds of animals in all kinds of places. She's particularly interested in wild animals these days. But Lambert still has a soft spot for the lab rat. When I visited her at the University of Richmond, she took me back into a locked set of rooms. There were signs up that said, quiet, behavioral testing in progress.

And behind one of the doors, a cage with two rats she's been teaching to drive.

And behind one of the doors, a cage with two rats she's been teaching to drive.

I leaned closer to the rat. Lambert seemed to think he was showing an unusual interest in my microphone.

I leaned closer to the rat. Lambert seemed to think he was showing an unusual interest in my microphone.

They're more curious about the mic.

They're more curious about the mic.

Actually, the rat was really grabbing at the mic, pulling it closer to its snout.

Actually, the rat was really grabbing at the mic, pulling it closer to its snout.

It was really weird. He wasn't climbing on the mic. He was just yanking it right up to his face. Not something you would have predicted if you know about rats and how wary they are. A mystery. I felt like maybe that rat was trying to tell me something. Rats communicate via ultrasonic frequencies. So a few days later, when I got home, I processed the audio, pitch shifted it down, and hit play.

It was really weird. He wasn't climbing on the mic. He was just yanking it right up to his face. Not something you would have predicted if you know about rats and how wary they are. A mystery. I felt like maybe that rat was trying to tell me something. Rats communicate via ultrasonic frequencies. So a few days later, when I got home, I processed the audio, pitch shifted it down, and hit play.

Sorry, buddy. I know you're right, but it's the raccoon's time now. Revisionist History is produced by me, Ben Nadeff-Haffrey, Lucy Sullivan, and Nina Byrd-Lawrence. Our editor is Karen Shikurji. Fact-checking by Annika Robbins. Original scoring by Luis Guerra. Mixing and mastering on this episode by Echo Mountain. Our executive producer is Jacob Smith.

Sorry, buddy. I know you're right, but it's the raccoon's time now. Revisionist History is produced by me, Ben Nadeff-Haffrey, Lucy Sullivan, and Nina Byrd-Lawrence. Our editor is Karen Shikurji. Fact-checking by Annika Robbins. Original scoring by Luis Guerra. Mixing and mastering on this episode by Echo Mountain. Our executive producer is Jacob Smith.

Special thanks to Lizette Barton at the Doctors Nicholas and Dorothy Cummings Center for the History of Psychology. And to Sarah Nix and Greta Cohn. I'm Ben Nadeff-Haffrey.

Special thanks to Lizette Barton at the Doctors Nicholas and Dorothy Cummings Center for the History of Psychology. And to Sarah Nix and Greta Cohn. I'm Ben Nadeff-Haffrey.

Pushkin. Before we get to this episode, I want to recommend another podcast for you. Fiasco Arancontra is another Pushkin podcast by the co-creator of Slow Burn, Leon Nafok. You'll learn how Ronald Reagan found himself in the middle of a scandal that looked like it just might take down his presidency. Fiasco Arancontra is available wherever you get your podcasts. Don't miss it.

Pushkin. Before we get to this episode, I want to recommend another podcast for you. Fiasco Arancontra is another Pushkin podcast by the co-creator of Slow Burn, Leon Nafok. You'll learn how Ronald Reagan found himself in the middle of a scandal that looked like it just might take down his presidency. Fiasco Arancontra is available wherever you get your podcasts. Don't miss it.

Hello, hello, Malcolm Gladwell here. Today, I'm in the studio with my producer, Lucy Sullivan. Lucy?