从这里开始
什么是莫里斯水迷宫？
一个水池，一个隐藏的平台，还有一只更想待在干燥地方的动物。
想象一个圆形水池，池水被弄得浑浊，看不到水下。池中某处，一个小平台就在水面下方。把大鼠或小鼠放进去，它会游动寻找出路。起初它偶然找到平台。在接下来的试次中，它开始利用房间四周看得见的东西，比如海报、门或架子，来推断平台应该在哪里。这就是空间学习，而你可以亲眼看着它发生。
1998年，原watermaze.org是这样介绍它的：
Part I General Information
Introduction to the Morris Water Maze
Morris watermaze was devised by Prof Richard Morris (RGM Morris) in the early 1980s. The original video tracking was carried out using high speed electronic tracking apparatus developed by Richard Baker at HVS Image. Water Maze continues to be popular; in fact we think tracking the number of publications use has increased year on year. It is about place-learning and memory. Rats and mice are natural swimmers. They want to get out of the water, but swimming does not distress them. Two advantages of Morris water maze over others mazes are:
The rodent wants to get out, so it searches - it does not wait about.
In water there are no local cues (e.g. scent trails). 
The figure shows an example of the basic apparatus, the Morris water Maze Pool kindly provided by Chris Janus, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease (CTRND) at University of Florida College of Medicine.
原文（英文）：watermaze.org Part I, General Information。出自Richard Baker的原始资料。莫里斯水迷宫水池由Chris Janus博士惠允提供（University of Florida College of Medicine，Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease (CTRND) 神经科学系助理教授）。按原样转载，未作改动。Copyright Richard Baker© 2013. All Rights Reserved.
这段文字中有两点值得记住。动物想要出去，所以它会搜索，而不是待着不动。而且水不会留下气味痕迹，所以动物不能简单地循着自己的气味回到平台。
准备了解硬件了吗？请前往水池。想了解背景故事？请阅读水迷宫的由来。
HVS Image有一个配套页面：什么是莫里斯水迷宫（MWM）？。
资料来源
- Morris (1981). Spatial localization does not require the presence of local cues. Learning and Motivation 12(2):239-260. doi:10.1016/0023-9690(81)90020-5
- Morris (1984). Developments of a water-maze procedure for studying spatial learning in the rat. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 11(1):47-60. doi:10.1016/0165-0270(84)90007-4