🧠 The Biology of Hope In the 1950s, biologist Curt Richter observed how long rats 🐀 could swim in a small jar filled with water 💦 The first batch of rats drowned within *15 minutes*. But when domesticated rats were rescued just before drowning, dried off, and then placed back in water… They swam for up to *60 hours*. 😳 Richter concluded that the brief experience of being rescued created a psychological state of hope - increasing their physical endurance! This experiment became a classic (and controversial) example of how mental state can influence survival behavior. 💡 *Hope isn't just an emotion, it is a biological force.*