A rat with a spinal cord injury walks and climbs stairs after researchers use robot rehabilitation to wake up its 'spinal brain' and restore voluntary movement. A study that began five years ago at the University of Zurich found that a severed section of the spinal cord can begin to work again when its own innate intelligence and regenerative capacity is awakened. It is still unclear if similar techniques could work for humans, but the observed nerve growth hints at new methods for treating paralysis