Octopus VS Man - The Shell Game - Object Permanence Experiment

Рет қаралды 34,583

2 жыл бұрын

In today’s experiment, we take a look at the octopus’s ability to understand that an object is still there even when it is out of sight. Object permanence. We do this by providing Dennis, our octopus, with a fun little exercise. We show our octopus a delicious snack, and then hide it under one of the three cups. If he's still interested in locating the snack once it's hidden, it’s a good sign that he is aware that the fish is still there. Following the cup that contains the snack also shows us that he has a good concept of object permanence. This experiment also gives us an opportunity to observe how well an octopus is able to concentrate on a particular exercise without losing focus.
The trials shown in this video are the first five rounds for this particular octopus. We continued to run this exercise for a little over a month with three different octopuses. The results were fairly similar with each octopus.
In this video, we increase the number of moves by one each round.
In the first round, we make a single movement with the cups.
In the second round, we made two moves.
In the third round of this video, it was supposed to be three moves but the octopus got the best of the handler and snatched the fish away before he could manage to reset.
We repeated this in the fourth round and the final round was the most difficult trial, with a total of four moves.
The results at the end of the month were pretty convincing. We'll post them below for those of you that are interested in the details.
Correct Selections/Total Trials
Octopus 1
RD1 - 22/25
RD2 - 18/25
RD3 - 17/25
RD4 - 13/25
Octopus 2
RD1 - 20/25
RD2 - 19/25
RD3 - 15/25
RD4 - 12/25
Octopus 3
RD1 - 23/25
RD2 - 18/25
RD3 - 11/25
RD4 - 13/25
As the difficulty increased, so did the errors. There was no sign at any time that the octopus was not aware of the food's existence after it was hidden. Simply placing the cups in the experiment tank without showing them any food did not get their attention in any way after their initial interaction with the cups.
We hope you enjoyed this video and look forward to sharing more with all of you!

Пікірлер: 121

@ct.widget2847 2 жыл бұрын

I love how he flicked his arms up before each attempt like " see, nothing up my sleeve, I got this!" No dummy!

@northstarsmith6798 2 жыл бұрын

I can just imagine Dennis rubbing his tentacles together like we rub our hands together in anticipation of a challenge. However, can we assume that he can just smell the cup the fish is under?

@DrWakey 2 жыл бұрын

Same thought here.

@resveries_ 2 жыл бұрын

i'd thought of that too, but since he didn't pick the right cup every time, maybe not? also, i know octopuses can smell things by touching them, but idk how good their sense of smell is without physical contact... is it even possible for an octopus to smell something without touching it???

@paulacoyle5685 2 жыл бұрын

@@resveries_ yes they smell molecules in the water but since he’s had fish in the other cups the smell may have misled him a few times. So I’m not sure what the experiment proves. He has to be completely separated from the item except visually and then has to indicate where the item went.

@helpmefortheloveofshrek6623 2 жыл бұрын

@@paulacoyle5685 I guess the point that this video is trying to let us know is that the octopus is able to realize that the fish doesn’t disappear even though it can no longer see it under the cup, which is what object permanence is.

@xXOFrannieOXx 2 жыл бұрын

Must have been thinking: Silly human putting the cups up side down, let me correct that. And do it perfectly to. Didnt know an octopus could have a sence of humor. Good one

@pk_infone6974 2 жыл бұрын

This octopus is smarter then me during any test

@debshep8141 2 жыл бұрын

If Dennis started stacking those cups I was going to lose it!!!💖

@JWildberry 2 жыл бұрын

I thought the shell game was impressive, and then I got to the end. He's better at tidying up after himself than most humans are!

@Avian98X 2 жыл бұрын

The syncing of the bass drop to the "dance moves" is beyond genius

@alestersarwyckiii2052 11 ай бұрын

It’s unintentional.

@Avian98X 11 ай бұрын

@@alestersarwyckiii2052 Yeah..... I think I only meant at 0:40

@NewMessage 2 жыл бұрын

Now train HIM to run the grift, and he'll own the reef by Wednesday.

@Frei_Raum 2 жыл бұрын

So, he also has a sense of symmetry.

@keithallver2450 2 жыл бұрын

There is a thinking, reasoning mind at work. Octopus's are very interesting and unique creatures.

@TNaizel 2 жыл бұрын

The round it losts was the only round where you switched two empty cups. I think it got used to the fact that you always switched an empty cup and a cup containing the snack, when you left the cup containing the snack alone and switched two empty cups it got confused and started following the wrong one.

@marounazou8198 2 жыл бұрын

This handler of yours must be quite a brave fellow...I would not dream of keeping my hand in a tank for so long with such a hungry and clever octopus as Dennis the Menace

@BeelySalasBlair-uy5wn 6 ай бұрын

🤗🐙😂

@Blaze-ko3ts 2 жыл бұрын

It’s a shame these amazing creatures don’t live very long

@scootermom1791 Жыл бұрын

They don't?

@notsnackbar 10 ай бұрын

@@scootermom1791average adult lifespan of 2 years. Very good chance Dennis has passed since the original comment was posted.

@scootermom1791 10 ай бұрын

@@notsnackbar Wow! That's too bad. Do larger octopuses live longer?

@BeelySalasBlair-uy5wn 6 ай бұрын

👀💭🌌😆

@mookyo9602 2 жыл бұрын

Dennis is a bit of a perfectionist Hahahahaha loved that! Lol this is the coolest stuff! Nice job buddy!🐙😀✌

@bionic-tale4313 2 жыл бұрын

With Octopuses having high intellect, I'm surprised that they have lower sapience than Dolphins.

@jasonblalock4429 2 жыл бұрын

The problem is that Octopuses don't live very long. Five years is the max for giants, and 1-2 years is all these little guys get. So they don't have much opportunity to learn and build wisdom. Dolphins, otoh, live for decades, so their WIS can go much higher. Also, Dolphins are social and learn from each other, while octopuses are generally solitary, which also limits them.

@bionic-tale4313 2 жыл бұрын

@@jasonblalock4429 Yeah, that's very true.

@donnachaban2068 2 жыл бұрын

I was a docent many years ago at Steinhardt Aquarium (now California Academy of Sciences). We always had fun playing hide & seek with the resident octopus. They are - as we know - smart and wiley.

@6teezkid 2 жыл бұрын

Dennis clearly loves to play games. In the one with the puddy tat video, he didn’t like being ignored by the cat and did all he could to get cat’s attention. He even used psychology by hiding again…knowing that might pique the cat’s interest. Didn’t know the cat was asleep, though. 🐈 😁

@davidid3146 2 жыл бұрын

Although it may be inhumane..... I feel like it would be a better test if the octopus was unable to interact with the cups prior to the movement being finished. Like keep it in a separate glass container so that they can see and track the food but not get to it immediately. This would be a bit closer to real game, but this was still awesome to watch :)

@tgwalrus 2 жыл бұрын

You could see that there was a thin glass/plastic barrier between the cups and the octopus which the person pulled up after they finished shuffling :)

@sandwitch4300 2 жыл бұрын

He seems to shoo off! the human each game 😄. I think he is helping prep the cups ready for another snack 😋

@flexwashington638 2 жыл бұрын

1:53 he snatched that thing right up

@erinnicole2018 2 жыл бұрын

"I'm tired of your shenanigans human, gimme that!"

@violetvalentine999 2 жыл бұрын

what a wonderfully conducted experiment! so much love goes into each & every one of these videos ;w; the shell game set piece is adorable! this was so charming... goodness, the brilliance & curiosity of cephalopods never ceases to amaze me. (i LOVED how dennis reorganized the cups when he was done. now that is an octopus who does not take half measures!) it makes me so happy that these creatures i adore so much are in such good hands as yours

@techgirl517 2 жыл бұрын

A another video displaying how smart octopuses are. Fantastic 🥰

@ravenmorrigana1093 2 жыл бұрын

Very interesting. On the first couple of rounds, I thought he was somehow tasting or sensing the food, because he seemed to be touching all the cups before actually taking one. Seeing the results of each octopus for each round, I would hazard to say they're trying their best to keep track of the three and four moves. I wonder if making the moves faster or slower would affect their ability to follow along. Because maybe moving faster triggers the hunting aspects, causing them to pay more attention to the particular cup they want.

@peteskyrunner4845 Жыл бұрын

I like how he cleverly engulfs the whole of the bottom of the cup as if he were catching something in the wild in case the 'prey' is live. True intelligence there.

@jsullivan2112 Жыл бұрын

His name is Dennis, that cracked me up. Love that so much!

@abeminecraft1132 2 жыл бұрын

First prize: 3 beautiful plastic cups! Perfect for octo-décor. Also the snacks were nice, thanks :)

@karenc.3689 2 жыл бұрын

Dennis you are brilliant!

@kayumust 2 жыл бұрын

aaahhhh ! cuteness overload !

@lizzparis9060 2 жыл бұрын

Brian’s Hella Cool! Enjoyed you’re Octotunes!

@traderalex655 2 жыл бұрын

Dennis for President!

@ImCroozy 2 жыл бұрын

I love the end where he puts them all up

@KeKe-bv8qv 2 ай бұрын

Aaaaw, he put the cups back in place. That's cute but also a bit scary that he has the level of intelligence to care about leaving things how he found them. There's plenty of humans who aren't capable of that.

@ReisigSeeds 2 жыл бұрын

I think he enjoyed this game!

@Annie-ZA 2 жыл бұрын

BRILLIANT! Loved that game! 👌😍💖🥳

@Aineb1039 8 ай бұрын

I like it when he reaches up to you all excited he stretches his tentacles up to you.

@SophiaB.0519 2 жыл бұрын

Dennis is why I am alive still during the end of term right now

@zenlizard1850 2 жыл бұрын

My favorite was when Dennis grabbved the fish before the cup could be repositioned -"You're not foolin' ME, human!"

@nswanberg 2 жыл бұрын

I want a water proof TV remote control allowing Dennis to change channels on a TV in front of him.

@nancymoore7137 2 жыл бұрын

I enjoy watching these videos and learning more about octopi the music is fun to listen to

@angeliner59 2 жыл бұрын

I wonder what would have happened if you would have placed a reward in 2 cups but only would have shown him one cup with food in it. Would he have found it? I enjoyed this experiment and Dennis tremendously!

@lindawillis2746 2 жыл бұрын

What fantastic creatures they are!!

@KeKe-bv8qv 2 ай бұрын

The drunk who won't leave the bar at closing time.

@DaveElectric 2 жыл бұрын

He needs to go Mortal Kombat on this guy. TEST YOUR SIGHT!

@ibnyahud 2 жыл бұрын

while it's plausible seeing the object was part, I would think it's hard to rule out the variables of other stronger sensory input such as smell which may have made the treat basically just as revealed even without sight.

@debrataylor1813 Жыл бұрын

I thought he may have been smelling the food but by missing the one that leads me to think it’s not smell alone anyway.

@TheCBC1984 2 жыл бұрын

LOL they have to put a barrier for round 4! and then turning the cups right-side up! what a guy! "Not to hurt our humble brethren is our first duty to them, but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission - to be of service to them whenever they require it." - st francis

@womanofsubstance8735 2 жыл бұрын

Yup, ya sure fooled him! He just let you win one. ;-)

@prettyp42 2 жыл бұрын

Yahoo new video! I love this experiment and dennis so clever and sooo cute! I'd love to stick my hand in and just let the octopus wrap his tentacles, octolab could you make a video showing your interaction with the octopuses? 😄🤗😊

@earthcat 2 жыл бұрын

Dennis is a sharp-eyed boy

@yali2926 2 жыл бұрын

You really shouldn't miss the opportunity to make an experiment called "octupus game"

@outboundflight4455 2 жыл бұрын

The fact that he intentionally allied all the cups ar the end with the right spacing between them at the end means he's very aware and competent and has reasoning.

@megazion34 2 жыл бұрын

I honestly don’t see the octopus losing this ever seeing how slow you move the cups easy to process

@gregoryallen0001 2 жыл бұрын

😐

@cassandra5390 2 жыл бұрын

The octopus actually punched his hand set on the 3rd test attempt. That's so funny.

@Mpcarter715 2 жыл бұрын

Video Suggestion: build a boat smaller than the octopus make it go and then make the octopus attack it along with using a gopro on the boat of some cool scenes.

@BeelySalasBlair-uy5wn 6 ай бұрын

The House Always Wins 😂🐙🎲🐚🌰

@Sadiquecat 2 жыл бұрын

Could it sent the food under the cups ? Neglecting visual confusion and just "know" where the food was regardless of seeing how the cups have been shuffled ? ^^'

@ThePowerman121 2 жыл бұрын

I thought I had gotten that last one wrong when the octopus went for the one in the middle.

@pramodkumar4126 Жыл бұрын

Is it possible that it can sense the the food out side from the glass

@nilekelvin9641 2 жыл бұрын

This octopus is adorable

@dftfire 11 ай бұрын

I think in most cases, he was going for the cup you touched last

@jeepfvr 2 жыл бұрын

AWWWhhhhh, this is great. Smarter than the people on the street who play this game.

@stackit303 Жыл бұрын

I doubt the octopus found it much of a challenge.

@monikag1323 2 жыл бұрын

LMAO!!!! I thought it was on the far left in the 4th one and he went for the middle. That little flipper outsmarted me!!! I am DY-ING!!!!

@ruziziocto1726 2 жыл бұрын

So intelligent

@derrickbailey9821 Жыл бұрын

They should have given Dennis a coin so he could outsmart the human

@chelseaadams5454 2 жыл бұрын

Note to self: Bring octopus to Vegas.

@charliem5254 2 жыл бұрын

Do y'all ever give it sensory toys? Like a CMY cube?

@GroovlyDo 2 жыл бұрын

There a lot more is going on than eyesight, try playing the game showing Occy cup with food drop a black out screen , move cups, raise the blackout screen and see how fast Occy finds correct cup.

@thomas1699 Жыл бұрын

You don't suppose that Dennis can smell/taste the tidbit of fish, whichever cup it is under?

@1000guy1 Жыл бұрын

Do one where he meets the daleks

@alexandershockey901 2 жыл бұрын

now have him react to magic tricks lol

@cool270777 2 жыл бұрын

he can smell the food

@scootermom1791 Жыл бұрын

Do octopuses have a sense of smell? Could he have smelled which cup the food was under?

@mikedtw Жыл бұрын

at 0:40 seconds it looks like Dennis wants you to stay and play, never mind the game! :-)

@44yvo 11 ай бұрын

He reached up every time the hand disappeared!

@lizzparis9060 2 жыл бұрын

Comparing a Dolphin w/an Octopus hmmm 🤔

@paulacoyle5685 2 жыл бұрын

Can’t he smell / taste its proximity? Since he can smell it in the water I’m not sure this shows anything about his ability to comprehend object permanence.

@Kwisten050 2 жыл бұрын

Couldn't Dennis be tasting the fish with his tentacles? He could be zeroing in on it that way, with chemoreception.

@kayleekaminski9389 2 жыл бұрын

Dennis is super cute 🥰

@DtylerComedy 2 жыл бұрын

I'm sure it could smell the fish as well

@grego15 2 жыл бұрын

I'm sure he can just smell what cup the food is under ....

@CutterDriftwood Жыл бұрын

Isn't it "Octopi" rather than "Octopuses"?

@bobbidehaan3401 2 жыл бұрын

Snack too small. Gimme a bigger one,,,please!

@dggydddy59 2 жыл бұрын

What's happening when the man takes his arm out and something pulls on several of Dennis's arms, momentarily lifting his arms and himself up?? You can see this quite clearly at least a couple of times. What's going on there?

@sternamc919sterna3 2 жыл бұрын

Just guessing that these are edited sections of several videos. The final is probably in reverse😉

@introspectiver1787 2 жыл бұрын

Glass or plastic film preventing the octopus from reaching the cups before ready.

@vitorvttek Жыл бұрын

Octolings be like

@TheDaveParky 2 жыл бұрын

I want an octo 🐙 🥰

@melissasalasblair5273 Жыл бұрын

So cute lol

@williamgaskill9838 2 жыл бұрын

Don't they have good sense of smell? They could just find the fish through smell.

@axjagfilms 2 жыл бұрын

Guess its Squid Game.

@messageinabottle8978 Жыл бұрын

Interesting thing. Humans are like the Octopus Shell seeking excepting that humans are creators and build their own homes. In the natural habitat of earth humans facing the elements and nature could not survive in their current evolution without clothing and shelter, their, "shells"👀🔍😁