This link is to a write-up of a very funny science experiment. Back in 2014, someone wondered what would happen if a hamster wheel was placed in a forest. Would wild mice use it? And if they did, why? I only fast-scanned this. I’ll spare you the effort: If you place a hamster wheel in the forest, wild mice will run on it when nobody is around. The scientists who set up this experiment are not sure why.

It’s possible to imagine the existence of a space-traveling intelligent race (or a diabolical Bond movie villain) devising a similar experiment for all of us humans, but I’m not sure what the point might be, any more than why some scientists wanted to know if mice-in-the-wild would run on hamster wheels. That our world contains scientists who are curious about questions like this is, in itself, wonderful. I suppose on a prosaic level this helps explain why so many people run for recreation, to simply enjoy the endorphins. Does this experiment prove life is just a rat race after all?

You can watch it here:

By the way, this also explains why I ride.