Marine experts have given 25 octopuses a Rubik's Cube each in a study aimed at easing their stress levels in captivity.

Scientists believe the intelligent sea creatures have a preferred arm out of eight that they use to feed and investigate with.

They are now testing this theory with a month-long observation project in which the octopuses will be given food and toys to play with.

They will then record whether the creatures use a specific limb to pick up the object or if they are octidextrous.

It is hoped the results of the Sea Life Centre study will shed light on 'handiness' in the animal kingdom.

Claire Little, marine expert at the Sea Life Centre in Weymouth, Dorset, said the study could eventually help to reduce stress among octopuses.

'Uniquely, octopuses have more than half their nerves in their arms and have even been shown to partially think with their arms.

'We hope the study will help the overall well-being of octopuses. They are very susceptible to stress so if they do have a favourite side to be fed on, it could reduce risk to them."

'We will add the results to all of the data that has already been collected about octopuses. It will also help towards solving the mystery of handiness in the animal kingdom.'
go

hahaha I'd be real pissed if an octopus can do a Rubik's Cube and I can't....

they use there arms to think?
do they have brain cells in there arms or something i knew that humans have memory brain cells in there hearts but i had no idea about this

but, it only has 6 sides... they're Trying to frustrate the Octopus!

Think we "think" with our heart, brain, something along the spine, and then some other areas that seem to move if I remember right.

Huh?

Im with Incorrigible, brain cells in hearts... Huh?

~~CH~~

My mom told me a story that her Biology teacher told the class about an Octopus that was sneaking out of its tank to go across the room and steal fish from another tank.
They're smart little guys.

There was a programme on TV about people who had had a heart transplant...and after the
op they showed 'some' characteristics of the donor....ie. a really down-to-earth man with NO
interest in poetry....got into poetry....then found out later his donor was a poet.

A middle aged woman who NEVER drank beer woke up after the op and declared...'I could
murder a beer.' Turned out her donor was a biker who was partial to beer.

They say that there are cells in the heart that are like brain cells and retain memory...which is
pretty amazing, eh?


So maybe an octupus has these kind of brain-cell type cell in their legs.

I was quite relieved that the octopus didn't actual solve the rubic cube....because that
would have been just tooooooooooo much......but who knows, maybe one will, one day..

I don't suppose there's a shred of evidence to back this statement? A link, a citation from a scholarly source, anything like that? Because I don't believe this for a moment.

I think you're getting a bit carried away......been spending too much time in the conspiricy section?

It was on a TV programme....I was just sharing what was on the programme.

So it's as I thought. Thank you!

I wonder if they will solve it the way I liked to solve mine.

Break it apart with a flat screwdriver and push the pieces back in their original positions.

Well....I've got better things to do than argue about octopus legs with you so I think I'll
leave it there....

was the beer ok?

I don't know...... But in the programme, her family were surprised that she said that!
And she didn't know why she said it.....it just kind of came out.