Comments on: Octopus now goes to 11.

Octopus now goes to 11.

stefnet — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:29:16 -0800

Way back in 2003, I posted a link to a video that showed an octopus transforming itself to look like its surroundings. If you read the thread, there was some doubt about it and I think we all wished that web video was better at the time. Well, a friend posted a link to a TED talk recently that shows this same octopus at a much higher resolution. The relevant footage appears near the end of the talk.

And FYI: This doublepost has been MetaTalk-approved! (so is it a triple post now?)

By: thomas j wise

thomas j wise — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:40:38 -0800

OK, that was awesome. Especially the super shape-changing octopus at the end.

By: parallax7d

parallax7d — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:41:30 -0800

That site is really really cool.

By: louche mustachio

louche mustachio — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:41:35 -0800

Double-favorited. I also enjoyed the fighting squid, although... do they really have butts? I don't think those are their butts.

By: Busithoth

Busithoth — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:43:37 -0800

as I often find with TED stuff, this is good. thanks!

By: goodnewsfortheinsane

goodnewsfortheinsane — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:46:22 -0800

Best planet ever.

By: DU

DU — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:46:41 -0800

Awesome, though the comments contain a snarl of creationist idiots.

By: ZachsMind

ZachsMind — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:50:00 -0800

Very cool with the neato keen and stuff. =) I have always generally supported double posts, but especially when they're this awesome.

By: disgruntled

disgruntled — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:51:05 -0800

Extraordinary.

By: Mr_Zero

Mr_Zero — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:51:49 -0800

My god! Think of the military applications.

By: parallax7d

parallax7d — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:57:33 -0800

Upon further viewing of several mediocre videos I retract my "That site is really really cool" statement.

By: hal9k

hal9k — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:07:06 -0800

Think of the military applications. Yeah, but sooner or later they'd start to smell up the tank.

By: kliuless

kliuless — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:07:33 -0800

not sure it beats THX loris/tarsier, but this was definitely more informative, thanks! btw, sorta off topic but can anyone recommend any other cool TED talks? so far i've enjoyed malcolm gladwell on spaghetti sauce, hans rosling on development stat viz and zefrank :P

By: Dave Faris

Dave Faris — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:11:25 -0800

I love TED, and wish I could go someday.

By: bassjump

bassjump — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:17:06 -0800

Next up: octopus and squid blend into dinner plates to avoid human predators. This blending works less well when they are breaded.

By: Quietgal

Quietgal — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:17:27 -0800

That octopus is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen! Thanks for posting this!

By: hortense

hortense — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:50:42 -0800

kliuless : Hans Rosling's 2007 follow up. bonus sword play at the end.

By: unmake

unmake — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:46:46 -0800

If you like octopus you'll love cuttlefish.

By: sebastienbailard

sebastienbailard — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:38:23 -0800

Interesting. Not sure it's worth $6K/year, but very cool video.

By: Kattullus

Kattullus — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:46:11 -0800

Cephalopods are awesome! When we humans have killed ourselves I have faith that cephalopods can take over and build a civilization.

By: LarryC

LarryC — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:55:43 -0800

Great video--and what a great site! Now I am watching Steven Johnson talk about his book The Ghost Map.

By: gemmy

gemmy — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 22:05:45 -0800

I'm glad you posted this. We need more cool octopus videos!!!

By: [expletive deleted]

[expletive deleted] — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 22:08:06 -0800

Well, obviously cephalopods are just waiting in perfect disguise on the ocean floor, waiting to take over once we show a moment of weakness. We've known that since Lovecraft.

By: revmitcz

revmitcz — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 23:18:36 -0800

as amazing as that is - I think his quote about "we've explored maybe 3% of the ocean" is what amazes me. I'm still convinced there's something HUGE down there. Just waiting for me to take a swim.

By: Catfry

Catfry — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 03:29:43 -0800

I knew they could change colour but the texture change is to me just as amazing. I wonder how it changes it's skin to that spiky appearance.

By: JKevinKing

JKevinKing — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 05:03:22 -0800

That octopus at the end was simply unbelievable! It seemed like a CGI trick!

By: pokermonk

pokermonk — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 06:55:10 -0800

I have faith that cephalopods can take over and build a civilization I have faith that they already have.

By: blue_beetle

blue_beetle — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 07:27:17 -0800

Let's hope the octopi never mate with the jellyfish to create a race of invisible immortal squishy things.

By: Atom Eyes

Atom Eyes — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 08:15:17 -0800

Must be one of them Romulan octopodes I've been hearing about...

By: bondcliff

bondcliff — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 08:34:08 -0800

I forwarded this link to my wife who sent it on to our son's teacher, so now a class full of five year olds are being amazed by it, half of whom will now go on to become Marine Biologists. Thanks for posting it!

By: Dave Faris

Dave Faris — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 09:10:51 -0800

create a race of invisible immortal squishy things What makes you so sure they haven't already?