Lab mice have developed Jedi powers

It has long been thought that ultrasonic signals produced by rodents serve solely for social communication. However, a team led by psychology professor Eduardo Mercado III, who published their work in the journal Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, suggested that ultrasound may also improve the mice's sense of smell.

The researchers noticed that after issuing ultrasonic signals, the rodents begin to actively sniff their surroundings. This led them to believe that there was a functional link between sonic vocalisation and olfaction.

The scientists came up with a revolutionary hypothesis: mice use ultrasound to move molecules in the air without touching them. Ultrasonic vibrations are able to set airborne particles in motion, grouping them together and promoting more efficient deposition of molecules on olfactory receptors in the nasal cavity. Thus, ultrasonic vocalisation helps mice better capture pheromones, which are important for recognising friends, strangers and competitors.

In addition , if the hypothesis is confirmed, scientists will be able to develop new technologies to control microparticles using ultrasound. Although the mechanisms of how sound waves affect nanoparticles are not yet fully understood, nature may have already provided us with a solution to this problem.

This discovery goes beyond anything we knew before. It's like magic. It's like we're watching the Jedi rodents," Professor Mercado concluded.