Asked by: Hannah May Lathan, Oxford
Yes. In 2001, researchers at MIT monitored brain activity in rats as they solved a maze. They found that the animals showed the same brain activity patterns during sleep. The match was so close that the researchers could tell which part of the maze the rat was dreaming about. Cats and mice show similar results, so it is likely that visual dreams are common to all mammals, including dogs.
Subscribe to BBC Focus magazine for fascinating new Q&As every month and follow @sciencefocusQA on Twitter for your daily dose of fun science facts.
Authors
Luis trained as a zoologist, but now works as a science and technology educator. In his spare time he builds 3D-printed robots, in the hope that he will be spared when the revolution inevitably comes.
