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How Smart is the Octopus?

slate.com — Aristotle didn't have a high opinion of the octopus. "The octopus is a stupid creature," he wrote, "for it will approach a man's hand if it be lowered in the water." Twenty-four centuries later, this "stupid" creature is enjoying a much better reputation.

Who dugg this? Made popular Jun 24, 2008

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  • ChromaVita, on 06/24/2008, -0/+45When I was younger I took a trip to California, and we visited an aquarium out there and went "behind the scenes" and everything. They told us that they had an issue with fish disappearing from the tanks, and when they looked at the security footage, the octopus was able to get out of its tank, crawl on dry land over to the other fish tank, get in, eat some fish, and make it back to its tank. It could have been a lie for all I know, but If it's true then It's a pretty neat example.
  • BrokenCircle, on 06/24/2008, -0/+34If it was really that smart then it would be able to wear a top hat.
  • vpshockwave, on 06/24/2008, -0/+28"Narrowing the gap between cephelopods and humans can only end in disaster. One day octopi are twisting open bottles, the next they’re twisting open the hatch doors of submarines. Watch yourselves USS Rhode Island! Nuke anything with more than four arms. Because once they get inside, the next thing they’ll screw open is your skulls to suck out our delicious brains. It’s what they want!"

    Stephen Colbert foresaw the true nature of these beasts.
  • dstz, on 06/24/2008, -0/+19Interesting article, not over stretched, useful links when needed, and octopuses. What not to like.
  • seedplanter, on 06/24/2008, -3/+21The octopus is smarter then some people that are here at Digg. Does anyone agree with me?
  • barc0de, on 06/24/2008, -0/+7Those will be the Bose-Einstein Condensate octopuses then.
  • inactive, on 06/24/2008, -0/+7They're more into rasta hats.
  • bosssmiley, on 06/24/2008, -0/+6Colbert will be the first to fall before the might of the rampaging cephalopod legions. All they have to do is develop a kind of squid-SCUBA gear (probably from shells and kelp)...

    Anything that can keep 8 limbs under control can't be dumb.
  • fquednau, on 06/24/2008, -0/+6In what way does it contradict to the smartness statement on the Octopus? If anything, it emphasizes that other animals are also smart.
  • 4rp4n3t, on 06/24/2008, -1/+7That would be if it matched itself to the *speed* of light. Motion and speed aren't the same thing...
  • gn0stik, on 06/24/2008, -0/+5Bill? - No seriously, I think I know this guy. I've heard this story before.

    Either that, or you got the same tour my friend did, and he told me the same thing.
  • FinnG, on 06/24/2008, -1/+6"They can't detect its motion because the octopus matches its speed to the motion of the light in the surrounding water. "

    That's one fast octopus.
  • HakonD, on 06/24/2008, -0/+4You callin' me stupid, pal?
  • SuperVepr308, on 06/24/2008, -0/+4All hail the nation of octopi. They are cool but not as cool as the Giant Squid.
  • spage70, on 06/24/2008, -0/+3Check out this British octopus that has a favourite toy......Mr Potato Head:

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/717936 ...

  • graemee, on 06/24/2008, -0/+3Our powers combined....
  • n8o8, on 06/24/2008, -0/+3I hate Iron Chef battle Octopus; they boil them live on TV.
  • LLLSecretChimp, on 06/24/2008, -0/+3Twice as smart as a quadropus.
  • hiPpymIck, on 06/24/2008, -0/+3opening credits of squiddly diddley?
  • dazparkour, on 06/24/2008, -0/+2Contrats on reading the last page of the article that says "Correction: Jet's of water, not air".
  • DoctaLivingston, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Want to try that again, or are you just trolling?
  • Yage2006, on 06/24/2008, -0/+2The octopus is allot smarter then fx666 with that last statement he made.

  • b04155, on 06/24/2008, -0/+2I remember seeing a show about disappearing crabs (or some other type of octo-food). There was a tank w/ an octopus in the same room as a tank of crabs. Each morning when the scientists would come in there would be one less crab and a damp floor, but the octopus was always in its tank.
    They left a camera running one night and it caught the octopus squeezing through the hole in the top of the tank, across the floor into the other tank and enjoying a midnight snack... then back into its tank like nothing ever happened. It was pretty cool to watch.
  • Elliuotatar, on 06/24/2008, -3/+5You fool. Light travels slower in water!
  • Nick519, on 06/24/2008, -0/+2how smart? like, shockingly crazy-smart.
  • inactive, on 06/24/2008, -0/+2Truly, how could we not believe you. If intelligence was calculated based on one's misspelling, you'd be a ***** genius!

  • Kidtuf, on 06/24/2008, -0/+2what, you people don't like to eat octopus?
  • gglynn07, on 06/24/2008, -0/+2Anything that has the ability to open a jar of mayo is pretty smart in my book.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO1PnQ-1-pY
  • dstz, on 06/24/2008, -0/+2Both are perfectly valid.
  • gglynn07, on 06/24/2008, -0/+2You and I are in the same boat, so don't feel bad...
  • RlAA, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1Well obviously not too smart...It was outsmarted and killed by a snake.
  • mellonjollie, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1The mind flayers eventually rule the world...
    Gygax KNEW

    unrelated:
    http://youtube.com/watch?v=FFOEZh1Lbbg
  • ChromaVita, on 06/29/2008, -0/+1Nope, I'm not Bill. Sorry man.
  • inactive, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1I was thinking futurama
  • tehbored, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1Fortunately, chicken, beef and squid all taste better.
  • fragile00, on 06/24/2008, -2/+3Octocamo, bitch.
  • hiPpymIck, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1this multi talented guy..
    http://www.wingnuttoons.com/SquidDid.html
  • Haoie, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1Squids and other similar creatures are also surprisingly intelligent.

    It's not just dolphins and whales in the sea which show intelligence.
  • RX9735, on 06/24/2008, -1/+2Thanks for the heads up. Burying this one ad digging the other.
  • FinnG, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1Dugg for 'quadropus'
  • dazparkour, on 06/24/2008, -1/+2Not proof of intelligence from what you said, those masks bubble.

    Predators like movement.
  • deadlift, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1well they are pretty ugly .. so no... .. unlike my dog...
  • DrSnugglebunny, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1Carl Zimmer ***** rules. Best living science writer IMO. Excellent story!

    For more see his books Parasite Rex and At the Water's Edge; incredibly good reading.
    (and no, Dr_Snugglebunny is not affiliated w/him)
  • VitriolAndAngst, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1I don't eat pork and I don't eat Octopus, because these are smart creatures that know fear and pain. There is a lot of thing we can eat without making advanced creatures suffer.

    As for pigs, there is a lot of disease that pigs can transfer to humans that are NOT being tested for. Oh and all the research to use pigs for organ transplants means there is some unethical gene manipulation going on. I think our next big outbreak that crosses species, it will most likely be from pigs. Some of the problems may not show up for years after infection.
  • swisscheese97, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1Dugg down for not understanding digg.com
  • dazparkour, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1Although it was quite cool, I would have given browny points for linking here: http://www.slate.com/id/2192211/pagenum/all/#page_ ...
  • tcpip4lyfe, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1Well I'll be damned.
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