Rats are pretty clever, and they (presumably, at least) have a lot of neurons spending their time computing things like… where to find food, how frightened of this giant reality warping creature in a lab coat should I be, that sort of thing. I don’t think it is obvious that one brown-rat-power isn’t useful.
I mean we have dogs. We really like them. For ages, they did lots of useful work for us. They aren’t that much smarter than rats, right? They are better aligned and have a more useful shape. But it isn’t obvious (to me at least) that the rats’ problem is insufficient brainpower.
Dogs, if I recall correctly, have evolved alongside us and have specific adaptations to better bond with us. They have eyebrow muscles that wolves don't, and I think dogs have brain adaptations too.
Depends on how you define smart. Dogs definitely have larger brains. But then humans have even larger brains. If dogs aren’t smarter than rats then the size of brain isn’t proportional to intelligence.
I mean we have dogs. We really like them. For ages, they did lots of useful work for us. They aren’t that much smarter than rats, right? They are better aligned and have a more useful shape. But it isn’t obvious (to me at least) that the rats’ problem is insufficient brainpower.