Genius Octopus Solves a Mind-Blowing Underwater Maze!
Introduction: The Remarkable Intelligence of Octopuses
Octopuses are widely regarded as some of the most intelligent creatures in the animal kingdom. With their unique neural structure, problem-solving abilities, and dexterous limbs, these cephalopods have fascinated scientists and enthusiasts alike. Recently, YouTube science educator Mark Rober showcased the extraordinary intelligence of his pet octopus, Sashimi, by designing a nine-part underwater maze to test her cognitive skills. This experiment not only highlighted Sashimi’s incredible problem-solving abilities but also provided insights into the fascinating biology and behavior of octopuses.
The Setup: A Nine-Part Obstacle Course
Mark Rober’s underwater maze was no ordinary challenge. It consisted of nine increasingly complex obstacles that required Sashimi to use her intelligence, memory, and dexterity to navigate successfully. The ultimate goal was a “Golden Vault” filled with three pounds of shrimp—Sashimi’s favorite food. To ensure fairness, Rober started with simpler tasks to familiarize Sashimi with the concept before gradually increasing the difficulty level.
The maze included various challenges such as:
- A revolving door that needed to be manipulated.
- A button that triggered a counterweight mechanism to open a gate.
- A block-pushing task requiring physical strength and precision.
- An emergency exit button for an alternative route.
- A final vault door that had to be unscrewed.
Each obstacle tested different aspects of Sashimi’s intelligence, including spatial awareness, memory retention, and problem-solving skills.
The Process: Training and Observation
Before introducing Sashimi to the full maze, Rober spent over a month observing her behavior and training her on individual components of the course. He carefully studied her motivations—primarily food—and used this knowledge to design challenges tailored to her capabilities. For example, he released the scent of raw shrimp into the water to guide her through certain sections.
Rober also noted how octopuses rely heavily on their arms for exploration and decision-making. Unlike humans or other animals with centralized brains, two-thirds of an octopus’s neurons are located in its arms. This decentralized neural network allows each arm to act semi-independently while still contributing to overall problem-solving efforts.
The Execution: Sashimi Takes on the Maze
When it came time for Sashimi to tackle the full obstacle course, she did not disappoint. Her curiosity was evident from the start as she eagerly explored each new challenge. At first, she struggled with certain tasks—such as understanding how the revolving door worked—but through persistence and trial-and-error learning, she overcame these hurdles.
One particularly impressive moment occurred when Sashimi figured out how to push a block into place using both strength and precision—a task that required coordination between multiple arms acting independently yet cohesively. Another highlight was her ability to unscrew the final vault door using her suckers and dexterity—a feat that demonstrated both physical skill and cognitive understanding.
Insights Into Octopus Intelligence
Sashimi’s success in completing the maze underscored several key aspects of octopus intelligence:
- Problem-Solving Abilities: Octopuses are natural problem solvers capable of tackling complex challenges through exploration and experimentation.
- Memory Retention: Sashimi demonstrated an ability to remember solutions from previous attempts—a critical skill for navigating multi-step processes like mazes.
- Dexterity: With thousands of suction cups on their arms capable of tasting and feeling objects, octopuses possess unmatched manipulative abilities in their environment.
- Independent Thinking: The decentralized neural structure allowed Sashimi’s arms to act autonomously while still contributing toward solving larger problems.
These traits make octopuses one of nature’s most fascinating examples of independent evolutionary intelligence—comparable in some ways to alien life forms due to their distinct evolutionary path from vertebrates.
Conclusion: A Happy Ending for Sashimi
After successfully completing the maze and enjoying her well-earned feast of shrimp, Sashimi was returned to her natural habitat in the ocean by Mark Rober himself. Recognizing that octopuses are wild animals best suited for life in their native environments—not captivity—Rober drove eight hours down the coast to release her at the exact location where she had been originally captured.
This heartwarming conclusion not only gave Sashimi a second chance at life in the wild but also served as a reminder of our responsibility toward preserving marine ecosystems and respecting intelligent creatures like octopuses.
In summary, Mark Rober’s underwater maze experiment showcased just how remarkable octopus intelligence can be while providing valuable insights into their biology and behavior. Through patience, observation, and creative engineering, Rober demonstrated why these cephalopods deserve our admiration—and why they truly are geniuses of the underwater world.
