Why are octopuses so smart?

Summary

Podcast Summary: Brains On! – Why Are Octopuses So Smart?

Podcast: Brains On! Science Podcast for Kids
Episode: Why Are Octopuses So Smart?
Date: November 4, 2025
Host: Rosie Dupont (guest hosting for Molly Bloom)
Kid Co-Host: Izumi, from Lethbridge, Canada
Guest Expert: Dr. Jennifer Mather, Professor of Psychology, University of Lethbridge

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode explores why octopuses are considered some of the smartest creatures in the ocean. Through fun conversations, guest appearances (including a very lively "Octavia Octopus"), and a deep dive with octopus expert Dr. Jennifer Mather, the hosts investigate the remarkable intelligence, unique bodies, playful behaviors, and personalities of these fascinating animals.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Fun Octopus Facts & Body Features

• Octopuses are unique: Over 300 species, all sizes from the “hairy octopus” (as small as a paperclip) to the giant Pacific octopus (up to 100 pounds, tentacle span as long as a car). (04:12–04:45)
• Body adaptations:
  • No bones; can squeeze through tiny spaces.
  • Three hearts, blue blood, and donut-shaped brains, with the esophagus running right through the “donut hole.” (06:12–06:39)
  • Beaks like parrots and tongues covered in tiny, sharp teeth called "radula." (07:07–07:21)
• Arms vs. Tentacles: Octopuses have arms, not tentacles—suckers run all the way down. Their arms can taste things! (07:32–07:56)

“First off, thank you for saying arms, not tentacles. Us octopuses do not have tentacles, thank you very much.” – Octavia Octopus (07:32)

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2. Why Are Octopuses So Smart?

• Listener question: From Benji in Houston: “Why are octopuses so smart?” (02:56)
• Octopus Brains:
  • Dr. Mather explains that the octopus brain operates like ours, using neurons, but is large relative to most animals (not as big as a human brain). (11:47–12:30)
  • Octopuses have a central brain and clusters of brain cells in each arm, but not “nine brains.” The main brain gives general instructions, and arms figure out the details. (12:30–13:30)

“It is the brain that tells the arms what to do. But... the octopus only tells the arms kind of the general commands... and then the arms work out the details.” – Dr. Jennifer Mather (12:39–13:30)

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3. Examples of Octopus Intelligence

• Problem-solving skills:
  • An octopus at the Seattle Aquarium didn’t like a bright light over its tank and learned to squirt water at it until it shorted out. (13:35–14:28)
• Play:
  • Dr. Mather observed octopuses playing with objects (like a floating pill bottle), repeatedly “throwing” and retrieving it across their tank for fun, not food. (14:34–16:13)

“Probably other animals than us play in ways that we don’t really understand... but this one was like something we did, so we could really see that this was play.” – Dr. Jennifer Mather (15:54–16:13)

• Personalities:
  • Octopuses have different personalities, from shy to outgoing. Some hide from a bristly test brush, others attack it. (16:13–17:21)

“Some of them are very sort of outgoing and pushy, and some of them are very shy.” – Dr. Jennifer Mather (16:40)

• Individual intelligence:
  • Octopuses are inquisitive, learn new things, remember, and solve puzzles. Their intelligence is “individual”—they do not have language, culture, or social learning. (17:26–17:59)

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4. Interactive & Entertaining Elements

Games: "Obviously Octopus"

• Izumi answers questions about real-life clever octopus behaviors:
  • Otto, an octopus in Germany, squirted water to break a spotlight. (23:19–24:15)
  • A "mystery" octopus lived in an aquarium for a year, discovered by “banana peel”-like clues and missing crabs. (24:29–25:08)
  • Octopuses can solve puzzles in captivity, like opening jars and manipulating objects (e.g., Rubik’s Cubes). (26:11–26:57)

Mystery Sound Game

• Izumi guesses the source of a clattering sound (they think it’s Legos; it turns out to be someone rummaging through a pencil box). (08:52–09:30; 28:26–28:49)

Listener Involvement

• Kids are invited to submit nature sounds for a future episode, science questions, and drawings. (10:38–10:49)

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5. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “What would you do if you didn’t have any bones?” – Rosie (03:34)
  • “Skip class by going into a very small corner.” – Izumi (03:37)
• “Call me smart arms, Octavia.” – Octavia Octopus, on arms containing brain cells (07:57)
• “I’m surprised octopuses actually know how to play.” – Izumi (19:01)
• “It was like playing ball with yourself!” – Rosie, reacting to octopus play (19:14)
• “Octopuses have three hearts, blue blood, and a donut shaped brain.” – Recap by Rosie (27:16)
• “They can be as small as a paperclip or as long as a car.” – Izumi (27:32)
• “How will octopuses surprise us next?” – Rosie, in conclusion (27:47)

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Important Timestamps

• 01:13–02:56 – Introduction & listener question
• 03:02–07:28 – Exploration of octopus bodies and features (with Octavia Octopus)
• 07:28–08:18 – Transition to intelligence and curiosity
• 11:38–13:30 – Interview with Dr. Mather: octopus brains & arm intelligence
• 13:30–16:13 – Octopuses solving problems, playing, and showing personality
• 16:13–17:59 – Octopus personalities and intelligence vs. humans
• 23:19–26:57 – "Obviously Octopus" quiz game, showcasing real octopus smarts

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Episode Tone and Language

• Conversational, friendly, humorous, and kid-centered
• Features playful banter, “character” interviews, and interactive games
• Science is mixed with jokes, curiosity, and hands-on learning moments

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Summary Suitable for New Listeners

This episode of Brains On! answers the question, “Why are octopuses so smart?” with science, expert insights, and lots of laughs. You’ll learn about their weird bodies (donut brains!), super skills (squeezing, tasting with arms!), clever escapes, and even discover that each octopus has its very own personality. Dr. Jennifer Mather shares stories about problem-solving, play, and what sets octopus intelligence apart from ours. Plus, you can play along with games and mystery sounds. Perfect for curious kids and adults alike!

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Listen to the episode (or recommend it!) if you want to:

• Find out how clever and mischievous octopuses can be
• Hear about octopuses playing games and causing aquarium mayhem
• Discover what makes their brains (and arms!) so remarkable
• Laugh along with a fun, fact-filled journey under the sea

Transcript

[Ad Voice]

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[Molly Bloom]

Lemonada.

[Izumi]

You're listening to the Brainz on Universe. You're listening to BrainZN, where we're serious about being curious.

[Rosie Dupont]

Hey friends, Rosie Dupont here, who's got two arms, one heart and is filling in for Molly Bloom today. This gal and who has eight arms, three hearts, and is the star of today's episode, the octopus. There are so many cool things about this creature. I'm just going to give you a few spoiler free teases. Donut shaped brains, daring escapes, arms that can think, and tongue teeth.

[Dr. Jennifer Mather]

Other animals than us play in ways that we don't really understand because we really don't know all the things that they can do.

[Rosie Dupont]

Curious to know more. You'll find out what all that means coming up. Brains on. You're listening to Brains on. Part of the Brains on Universe. I'm Rosie Dupont and I'm excited to be guest hosting this week. My co host today is Izumi from Lethbridge, Canada. Hi Izumi.

[Izumi]

Hi Rosie.

[Rosie Dupont]

Brains on features real science explained by real people, something that's getting less and less common these days.

[Izumi]

And if this show matters to you, please support it so we can keep making it.

[Rosie Dupont]

The good news, we make it totally worth your while. Join Smartypass and get the glow of someone who powers our shows. Plus, you get access to totally ad free episodes, bonus content and invites to special online hangouts with our crew. You can even get a personal message from Molly Bloom. Just head to brainson.org to join SmartyPass. Thanks. Now, Izumi, today we're talking about boneless and brainy octopuses and answering this question from Benji.

[Izumi]

Hi, I'm Benji from Houston, Texas and my question is why are octopuses so smart?

[Rosie Dupont]

An excellent question so why do you think that octopuses are interesting animals?

[Izumi]

Well, octopuses have a very different body than us.

[Dr. Jennifer Mather]

Mm.

[Izumi]

And, like, well, they're slimy.

[Rosie Dupont]

You're saying that you're not slimy?

[Izumi]

Um, I don't think I am.

[Rosie Dupont]

Okay, I believe you. Is there anything about their bodies that you think, like, would be kind of cool to have for a day?

[Izumi]

Um, they don't have any bones.

[Rosie Dupont]

Right. What would you do if you didn't have any bones?

[Izumi]

Like, skip class by going into a very small corner.

[Rosie Dupont]

That sounds like a great day. What would you do in the corner?

[Izumi]

Steal as many snacks as I could and read as many books as I could.

[Rosie Dupont]

That sounds like a great day. And I think I would like to elect to be boneless and eating snacks and reading books, too. So. Octopuses are totally amazing. And there are around 300 different species, and they come in all sorts of sizes.

[Izumi]

The hairy octopus is the smallest octopus in the world.

[Rosie Dupont]

It's about the size of a paperclip, and it weighs the same as a single raisin.

[Izumi]

And it looks like a fuzzball.

[Rosie Dupont]

Hairy octopuses are covered in hair like skin. It helps them blend in with the shaggy seaweed that's all over the places they live.

[Izumi]

Then there's the giant Pacific octopus. They're the biggest octopuses in the world.

[Rosie Dupont]

They weigh up to £100, which is like the weight of a small refrigerator.

[Izumi]

It's about 14ft from one tentacle tip.

[Rosie Dupont]

To another, which means it's about as long as a car.

[Ad Voice]

Whoa.

[Izumi]

I wish we could see one in person.

[Rosie Dupont]

Come in. Is that an octopus wheeling its own tank around?

[Octavia Octopus]

Yes, it's me, Octavia Octopus. And I'm hungry. Do you, by chance have any crabs?

[Izumi]

Oh, I don't think so.

[Octavia Octopus]

Well, guess I'll try another room.

[Rosie Dupont]

But wait, we're recording a show about octopuses today. Octavia, you should stick around. I'm Rosie and this is Izumi.

[Octavia Octopus]

Well, I do love talking about myself.

[Izumi]

Hmm.

[Octavia Octopus]

Okay, I'm in. Is this my mic?

[Rosie Dupont]

Sure. Just let me push it closer to your tank there.

[Octavia Octopus]

Brilliant. Okay, so what do you want to know?

[Rosie Dupont]

Wow. Okay, this is very exciting. A real octopus here in the studio. Okay, let's see. How about we talk about octopus bodies? They're so cool and so different from the human body.

[Octavia Octopus]

It's true. You have to go back hundreds of millions of years to find a creature that's related to both octopuses and humans. It was a tiny one, worm like animal that lived on the ocean floor.

[Izumi]

Yeah, humans and octopus are not very close Cousins. Which means we're built totally differently.

[Octavia Octopus]

For example, we octopuses have three hearts and blue blood. And a donut shaped brain.

[Izumi]

Okay, that donut shaped brain fact is blowing my brain shaped brain right now.

[Rosie Dupont]

I know. Plus, octopus esophaguses, or the tube used to swallow food, go straight through the donut hole in the brain. Right.

[Octavia Octopus]

My brain has to stretch when I swallow food. I definitely want crabs for lunch. Maybe you can order me some on those phone thingies after this interview. You know, the ones that are all beep bop a boop bop a beeping when you touch them?

[Izumi]

Maybe.

[Rosie Dupont]

Oh, here's another cool octo fact. Octopuses have hooked beaks, sort of like parrots. The beak is tucked in the middle of their arms on the underside of their bodies.

[Octavia Octopus]

Oh, and have you seen my tongue?

[Izumi]

What about it?

[Rosie Dupont]

Octopus tongues are covered in row after row of microscopic teeth. They're so small you can't see them with the naked eye.

[Dr. Jennifer Mather]

Whoa.

[Octavia Octopus]

We use our spiky tongues to scrape and grind food so it goes down easy.

[Dr. Jennifer Mather]

Cool.

[Octavia Octopus]

I know.

[Rosie Dupont]

But you know what I'm really curious about your arms.

[Octavia Octopus]

First off, thank you for saying arms, not tentacles. Us octopuses do not have tentacles, thank you very much.

[Rosie Dupont]

Right. Squids have tentacles, not octopuses. Tentacles are skinnier than arms and only have suckers on the ends. Octopus arms have suckers all the way up.

[Izumi]

And your suckers can taste things?

[Ad Voice]

Yes.

[Octavia Octopus]

Each of my eight arms contain brain cells. Call me smart arms, Octavia.

[Rosie Dupont]

Which brings us back to our central why are octopuses so smart? Octavia, why are you so smart?

[Octavia Octopus]

Well, I don't know. Things just come easily to me.

[Izumi]

Hmm. We need a better answer.

[Octavia Octopus]

Then you should talk to Dr. Jennifer Mather. She's an expert on octopus intelligence and behavior. Now I've just got to find some crabs. I'm famished.

[Rosie Dupont]

Oh, I'll get the door. Bye, Octavia. See you soon.

[Molly Bloom]

Bye.

[Rosie Dupont]

We'll have to call up Dr. Mather and ask her all about octopus brains. But first, Izumi, it's time for the mystery sound. Izumi, are you ready to hear the mystery sound?

[Izumi]

Mm.

[Rosie Dupont]

Okay, here it is. What do you think, Izumi?

[Izumi]

At first I think it sounded like Lego.

[Rosie Dupont]

Uh huh. Any other. Any other guesses?

[Izumi]

I think I'm going to stick to Lego.

[Rosie Dupont]

I honestly think Lego is quite a good guess. Do you want to hear it again or. Okay, let's hear it one more time. All right. Are you sticking with Lego or do you have a new guess, Izumi?

[Izumi]

Sticking with Lego.

[Rosie Dupont]

Okay. I think it is the sound of Lego too. I agree with you. I think you're right. You'll hear it again and get another chance to guess after the credits, so stick around. Hey, friends. We're making a new mystery sound extravaganza with a twist. This time we're only going to feature sounds found in nature, and we want to hear from you. Get outside and record a mystery sound made by the natural world, animals, water, the weather, whatever. Tell us what makes the sound in your recording and send it to us. Izumi, what's one of your favorite sounds found in nature?

[Izumi]

I have two. One of them is the sound of a waterfall and the other is a thunderstorm.

[Dr. Jennifer Mather]

Oh, yeah?

[Rosie Dupont]

Yeah. What do you love about thunderstorms?

[Izumi]

So I like it when I hear the thunder and the rain on the roof.

[Rosie Dupont]

Does it make you feel a certain way?

[Izumi]

It makes me feel calm, yeah.

[Rosie Dupont]

Really, really, really relaxing. Well, share your nature sounds by heading to brainson.org contact while you're there, you can also send us your drawings and questions.

[Izumi]

Keep listening.

[Dr. Jennifer Mather]

Brain's on.

[Izumi]

You're listening to brainz. I'm Izumi.

[Rosie Dupont]

And I'm Rosie. Today we're talking all about octopuses. So far we've learned that There are over 300 species of octopus out there.

[Izumi]

And their bodies are really different from human ones.

[Rosie Dupont]

They have three hearts, blue blood, super tiny teeth on their tongue, and brain.

[Izumi]

Cells in their arms.

[Rosie Dupont]

But we still haven't answered today's why are octopuses so smart? To learn more, let's call up Dr. Jennifer Mather. She's a professor of psychology at the University of Lethbridge, and she knows a.

[Izumi]

Ton about octopus brains.

[Dr. Jennifer Mather]

Hello.

[Rosie Dupont]

Hi, Dr. Mather, this is Rosie and Zumi.

[Izumi]

We have some questions for for you about octopuses. Do you have time to chat?

[Dr. Jennifer Mather]

Yes.

[Izumi]

First, how does an octopus's brain work?

[Dr. Jennifer Mather]

Well, the brain works the way our brain works. It's got cells called neurons that connect with each other. And of course, it's got cells in the eyes and cells in the skin that send information in. Right. And it's got cells that send information out to the arms to move. So it's kind of the same thing as us it processing system. But one thing that's special about the octopus is that it's a very big brain, relatively speaking. I mean, it's not as big as ours, but it's bigger than the brain of a lot of other animals.

[Izumi]

If they have brain cells in their arms, does that mean each arm can think? Does the main octopus brain tell the arms what to do?

[Dr. Jennifer Mather]

I'M afraid there's people on social media that say, oh, octopuses have nine brains. They have a brain in the middle of the body, and they have a brain in each AR arm. And the answer is, no, freight not. It is the brain that tells the arms what to do. But the difference between our brain and the octopus's brain is the octopus only tells the arms. Kind of the general commands. Okay, it says, okay, I want you to reach out towards that crab, and it tells arm number one left and one right, that it should grab them and then the arms. Work out the details of how to bend the arms, how to extend the arms, how to aim the suckers and the suckers, how to grab the crab and how to bring it back.

[Izumi]

What are some of your favorite examples that show how smart and curious octopuses are?

[Dr. Jennifer Mather]

One of my favorite examples came from the Seattle Aquarium because the octopus there, this is one of the giant Pacific octopuses. It's active in nighttime, and it doesn't like bright lights to be on. Okay. But it turned out that night lights so that the keepers could see what was going on at the light. They have to be some lights. And it turned out that one of these lights was over the top of the octopus's tank. So the octopus was in bright light and it didn't like it. And it reached up its flexible funnel. It squeezed hard with its flexible mantle. It put a jut of water towards the light, and it shorted out the light. Oh, it was quite happy. I guess. I kind of like that one.

[Izumi]

In your research, you found out that octopuses can play. What does it look like when an octopus plays?

[Dr. Jennifer Mather]

Well, what happened with octopus playing is I set up this study with my colleague in the Seattle Aquarium, Roland Anderson, because we thought, oh, it would be fun to find out. And we actually set it up accidentally, perfectly, because we had the octopus in a long tank, and we had the water intake coming from the far side of the tank from the octopus. So the octopus was kind of out to the right, and the water was drifting in from the left. And we did what it's always been one of my favorite studies, we put a floating pill bottle on the top of the water. What happened is the water flow picked up the pill bottle and brought it out to the octopus. Now, the octopus, when it breathes, it has a flexible funnel, a siphon, which pushes things. And so what happened is the bottle floated to the octopus, and the octopus went, like, breathing out, and the water went back to the water intake, and then it came drifting back to the octopus. And the octopus went again and it went out to the water intake, and once wouldn't be enough because you'd think, well, it was just really trying to get rid of it. But one of the octopuses did that 12 times in a row. And I think probably other animals than us play in ways that we don't really understand because we really don't know all the things that they can do. But this one was like something we did, and so we could really see that this was play.

[Izumi]

Do octopuses have different personalities?

[Dr. Jennifer Mather]

Oh, octopuses have hugely different personalities. They probably have as many different kinds of personalities we do, except that they're not social. So we would never find an octopus that went to hug another octopus. Okay. But one of the things I noticed really, is that some of them are very sort of outgoing and pushy, and some of them are very shy. So we had a test when we were looking at it for personalities, where we took this bristly test tube brush and we put it over the side of their body. We didn't hurt them, we just pushed against it, but it felt nasty. And their reaction to that ranged all the way from one of them that went and push a jet of water and ink, the smooth scream and try to go to the other side of the tank. That was a very shy octopus. But we had one octopus that reached out through its arms, grabbed the brush and tried to pull it away. That was a very aggressive, outgoing octopus.

[Izumi]

How does octopus intelligence compare to human intelligence?

[Dr. Jennifer Mather]

Well, that's a difficult question. It's nothing like as smart as usual. They're curious. They can manipulate things. Well, they can remember. They've got lots and lots of different kinds of learning, but they don't have a language, they don't write books, they don't teach each other because octopuses aren't social. They don't like each other. Okay. So in that sense, it's a very individual intelligence.

[Izumi]

How long have you been studying octopuses?

[Dr. Jennifer Mather]

When I was a kid, I grew up near the seashore. I found the seashore fascinating and all the animals there. And I thought, I'm going to be a marine biologist, animal scientist. And when I went to university, that really was 50 years ago, but I had studied snails and collected shells. And so I said, okay, mollusks, that's what I want. And then I discovered of all the mollusks, it was the octopuses and the squid and the cuttlefish that had the most behavior. And so I said, okay, that's what I want. There I go. And I've been doing it ever since. It's never been boring. Never.

[Izumi]

Thanks for Talking with us, Dr. Mather.

[Rosie Dupont]

Yeah.

[Molly Bloom]

Bye.

[Rosie Dupont]

Goodbye.

[Dr. Jennifer Mather]

Nice talking to you.

[Izumi]

Bye.

[Rosie Dupont]

I never thought about how octopuses have different personalities. And I loved hearing how some are shy and some are more outgoing, sort of just like humans are. Did anything surprise you?

[Izumi]

I was surprised that octopuses actually know how to play.

[Rosie Dupont]

Right. I know. The example that Dr. Mather gave was an octopus. Sort of like playing with a thing. Like a ball.

[Izumi]

Yeah. Like the pill bottle. Bouncing back and forth and back and forth.

[Dr. Jennifer Mather]

Yeah.

[Rosie Dupont]

Just like throwing a ball with your friends or like throwing a tennis ball up against a wall over and over again. So it's like a really recognizable style of play. I thought that was cool. While all that cool octo knowledge settles into our brains, let's check the mailbag. This is the time when we dig into all the cool letters, drawings, jokes, recipes and other fun things you send us. Mark, what have we got today?

[Mark]

Hey there, Rosie. Get a whiff of this. Ah, I love the smell of mail. Whether it's a woodsy whiff of the paper letter or the crisp scent of the code that makes up an email.

[Ad Voice]

So fun.

[Mark]

Let's see what we have today. Oh, this smells like a good one.

[Izumi]

Hi, this is Ishan from Sunnyvale, California. And that was my etude in D minor piece playing on the piano. Thanks.

[Rosie Dupont]

Ishan. Whoa, whoa, whoa.

[Mark]

I am inspired. Don't tell the other podcasts, but we have the coolest listeners ever. And speaking of cool listeners, we want to hear from you too. Go to brainson.org and send us a science themed joke, a question about the show, or your idea for a brand new room for us to build at Brainson headquarters? Just go to brainson.org to drop us a line. Can't wait to read it and smell it.

[Rosie Dupont]

Hey, it's Rosie again. Want ad free versions of all of our shows, plus bonus content. Plus plus regular online hangouts with Molly, Mark and Zandon. Plus plus plus discounts on brains on shirts, hats and live show tickets. Then you gotta subscribe to SmartyPass. It's the best way to keep our shows going and get even more brains on in your ears. Go to brainson.org to join SmartyPass.

[Izumi]

Thanks, Brainzon.

[Rosie Dupont]

Back to talking octopuses with our pal, Izumi. Octopuses use their amazingly large and complicated brains to do incredible and sometimes surprising stuff. They can be mischievous and sneaky. So today we're going to play a little game we're calling, obviously Octopus.

[Dr. Jennifer Mather]

Whoa.

[Izumi]

Where'd that giant light up Sign come from. And is that a hot pink coat with eight arms?

[Rosie Dupont]

Yes, it's my octo coat. Check it out. The arms even have little glittery sequin suckers on them. I sewed it myself.

[Izumi]

Awesome.

[Rosie Dupont]

Okay, Izumi, in this game, I'll ask you some questions about octopuses being super smart and sneaky. And I'll give you four different options, and you have to figure out which of them are the real things that octopuses did. Does that make sense?

[Izumi]

Let's do it.

[Rosie Dupont]

Okay, here's your first question. At an aquarium in Germany, an octopus named Otto turned off the spotlight above his tank. How did he do it? Did he A, climb up the side of the tank and squirt water at the light so it broke, B, throw a rock at the light, C, squirt a bunch of ink at it, or D, unplug the light?

[Izumi]

Maybe a, because when Dr. Mason was talking, she said she saw an octopus squirt water at the light above its tank. So maybe all octopuses do that.

[Rosie Dupont]

So A is your final answer. And the answer is A. You're correct. Yay. So this is a true story. Otto the octopus climbed up the side of his tank and squirted a jet of water at the light.

[Dr. Jennifer Mather]

Whoa.

[Rosie Dupont]

Exactly like you said, water and electricity don't mix. So the water broke the light above Otto's tank. And aquarium keepers aren't sure if he was just being curious or trying to break the light. Okay, Izumi, are you ready for your next question?

[Izumi]

Sure.

[Rosie Dupont]

Okay, here it is. In 2012, staff at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California discovered an octopus that had snuck into the aquarium and had been living in one of the exhibits for a year? How did workers there finally figure out that the octopus was secretly hiding in the aquarium? Did they A, see trails of water on the floor, B, notice that something was eating the crabs out of a nearby exhibit? C, find an octopus shaped puddle in front of one of the exhibits. Or D, spot the actual octopus on the floor out for a midnight stroll?

[Izumi]

I think it's going to be D, because octopuses are usually very, very outgoing. It depends on the octopus, but octopuses usually like to move around at night because they're nocturnal.

[Rosie Dupont]

So I think it's D. Excellent reasoning. The answer is all of the above. So you are correct. One of the workers was walking around the aquarium after closing when she spotted something on the floor that looked like a banana peel. Turns out it was an octopus that had snuck into the aquarium as a baby. Aquarium staff think it might have secretly hitched a ride on a sponge or rock that was put into the tank. Okay, great work, Zumi. Here's your last true tale of octopus awesomeness. Scientists have discovered that octopuses can do what activity in the laboratory. A, jump rope, B, solve puzzles, C, play musical instruments, or D, dance the electric slide.

[Izumi]

Okay, I think it's B because I've seen an octopus in an aquarium that was playing with a Rubik's cube. And if the octopus solved it, then it would break open, so they won't be able to get the treat.

[Dr. Jennifer Mather]

So.

[Rosie Dupont]

So your final answer is B. B. Okay. The answer is B. Solve puzzles. You are correct. Hooray. Scientists studying octopuses in the lab have found that they can solve complicated puzzles. Over time, the scientists made the puzzles harder and harder, but the octopuses kept learning how to solve them. In another experiment, researchers discovered that octopuses can figure out how to open jars to get food inside.

[Dr. Jennifer Mather]

Whoa.

[Rosie Dupont]

So, whoa. They are so smart. Great job, Zumi. And as your prize, you've won your very own octo coat.

[Izumi]

I love it. Thanks, Rosie. Wait, which one of these arms am I supposed to put my actual arms in?

[Rosie Dupont]

This has been obviously octopus. Thanks for playing. Octopuses have three hearts, blue blood, and a donut shaped brain.

[Izumi]

They can be as small as a paperclip or as long as a car.

[Rosie Dupont]

They also have teeny, tiny super sharp teeth on their tongues.

[Izumi]

And they're really smart, which makes them.

[Rosie Dupont]

Very mischievous and helps them do sneaky things like escape their fish tanks at night.

[Izumi]

How will octopuses surprise us next?

[Rosie Dupont]

That's it for this episode of Brains on. It was written by me, Rosie Dupont and Shayla Farzon, editing by Sandon Totten with fact checking by Anna Goldfield. We had engineering help from Chris Morris with sound design by Rachel Breese. Original theme music by Mark Sanchez. There are lots of ways to support the show. Join Smartypass for bonus episodes and ad free versions of all four shows in the Brainzon universe. To sign up, head to smartypass.org while.

[Izumi]

You'Re there, you can send us mystery sounds, drawings, and questions.

[Rosie Dupont]

Okay, Izumi, are you ready to listen to that mystery sound again?

[Izumi]

Yes.

[Rosie Dupont]

Here it is.

[Izumi]

Yep. I'm sticking with Lego.

[Rosie Dupont]

I'm sticking with Legos too. All right, are you ready for the reveal, Izumi?

[Izumi]

Mm.

[Rosie Dupont]

Let's hear it.

[Ad Voice]

Hi.

[Rosie Dupont]

My name is Emma.

[Izumi]

My name is Eva, and we're from Thetford, Vermont.

[Rosie Dupont]

And that was the sound of us rummaging through our pencil box. Wow. So it wasn't Lego.

[Izumi]

I knew it. I knew I heard the sound of Wood.

[Rosie Dupont]

I know. It's so close. I mean, it's like a big bin of hard things. Close, clicking up against each other. Ah, we both were so, so close. Also, Legos and pencils are both very entertaining. I feel very good about your guests, and I still think it sounded just shockingly like Legos.

[Izumi]

Once I get home, I am definitely gonna compare the two.

[Rosie Dupont]

Oh, my gosh. That's a great idea. I love the idea of doing a little experiment. Now it's time for the Brains honor roll. Here to do the honors is my pal and yours, Molly Bloom.

[Molly Bloom]

Thanks, Rosie. These are the incredible kids who keep the show going with their questions, ideas, and mystery sounds, drawings and high fives. Reese and Ren from Indianapolis. Dieter, Edwin, Jethro, Laszlo, Ramey, Wallace and Zeppelin from St. George, Utah. Alden from Asheville, North Carolina. William from New Hampshire. Mara and Archie from Lethbridge, Alberta. Abby from Muskegon, Michigan. Annie, Yay and Emily from Perth, Australia. Cole from New Jersey. Sophie and Ethan from North Glen, Colorado. Catherine from Richmond, Virginia. Henry from Charleston, South Carolina. Arwa from London. Max from Malmo, Sweden. Brooks from Indianapolis, Nora from Calgary, Matthew from New Zealand. Henry from Walden, New York. Eli and Molly from West Haven, Connecticut. Sylvan from Washington, D.C. matilda from Madison, Wisconsin. Shibiel from London. Lulu from Shenzhen, China. Evangeline from Lyman, Main. Violet from Burbank, California. Charlotte from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Max from Philadelphia. Roshan and Lena from Washington, D.C. aurora from Springfield, Oregon. Clyde and Kelly from Western North Carolina. Juni from New York City, Liam from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Elijah and Kia from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Winnie from Westbrook, Maine Elizabeth from Las Vegas. Nora and Corinne from Keswick, Virginia. Jun Chi from Guangzhou, China. Lucas from Pora, Croatia. Hannah and Josie from Astoria, Oregon. Miriam from Seattle, Suhan from Portland, Oregon. Griffin from Johannesburg, South Africa. Cameron from Claremore, Oklahoma. Eile from Aberdeen, Scotland. Jubilee from Fort Collins, Colorado, London from Erie, Pennsylvania. Kieran from Odenton, Maryland. Clementine from Indio, California. Kira from Springfield, Virginia. Isla from Vancouver. Alex and Theo from Auckland, New Zealand. Isaiah from Providence, Rhode Island. Bibi from New Mexico, Colin from Irvine, California. Honey and Era from Oak Park, Michigan. Hope Heaven, Hezekiah, Harmony, Haven and Hart from Raleigh, North Carolina. Keats from Love, Texas. Maddie and Edith from Walnut Creek, California, and Selena from Folsom, California.

[Rosie Dupont]

We'll be back next week with a mystery sound extravaganza where all the sounds come from the natural world. And you might hear this.

[Izumi]

Thanks for listening.