OK, you've got my attention.
Posted on 12/21/2008 3:44:04 PM PST by Clint Williams
Whiteox writes about an Australian researcher named Renata Pronk, who has discovered that octopuses prefer HDTV. She recruited 32 gloomy octopuses from the waters of Chowder Bay. Previously, researchers have reported little success when showing video to octopuses. Miss Pronk's insight was that the octopus eye is so refined that it might see standard PAL video, at 25 fps, as a series of stills. She tried HDTV (50 fps) and her subjects reacted to the videos of a crab, another octopus, or a swinging bottle on the end of a string. A further discovery is that octopuses show no trait of individual personalities, even though they exhibit a high level of intelligence. It would certainly be possible to quibble about the definition of "personality" employed, and whether Miss Pronk had successfully measured it.
I could name at least one board that matches these findings.
there was a news story recently about an aquarium that had a lightbulb that kept mysteriously blowing out after hours. The staff set up a camera, and discovered the culprit was an octopus that would squirt water at it.
What a very important and interesting study. Money well spent.
You know of a board with a high level of intelligence?
Somebody actually paid for this “work” to be done. We are enriched as a people knowing that octopuses prefer HDTV to non-HDTV. Now, to come, the ultimate study: How will the octopuses feel about the change to digital-only TV in February?
No, just no personality and an addiction to TV.
Do they fight for the remote?
Miss Pronk probably has no personality, but can spit water at a lightbulb.
Very intelligent. I looked a big one in the eyes once and it was like looking at a very refined human. Very right there with you. I can’t believe the no personality thing.
About the TV, show them Sea Hunt and watch them squirm.
“About the TV, show them Sea Hunt and watch them squirm.”
Or Journey to the Bottom of the Sea and they can root for the squid.
The first couple of times I saw the title I thought it said HGTV.
They might be trainable as engineers.
OK, you've got my attention.
The octopus is a significant vision model. Same with the Zebrafish. Not only are machine vision systems being modeled after simple biological systems such as these, but a better understanding of retinal physiology in animal models is useful in understanding aging and disease processes in humans.
Especially considering that "[p]reviously, researchers have reported little success when showing video to octopuses."
The giant squid scene in Disney’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” will likely horrify the octopi. Perhaps there should be a special film rating developed which identifies octopus friendly content; perhaps “O-8”, kind of like “PG-13” but for octopi.
There was another where an aquarium was losing some expensive rare fish each night after staff left. They suspected an inside theft occuring with black market sales of the fish. They set up a covert camera and were shocked to find an octopus from a few tanks over to be the culprit. He'd open the lid to his tank, crawl over the tops of the tanks, open the lid with the fish who kept turning up missing, plop down to eat his fill and then return to his tank.
At least this was Australian. What a waste of time and money.
Anything to get grant money I suppose.
You’re not well-educated are you?
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