Are octopuses smarter than a 5th grader? Are you? How do we measure intelligence? In a June workshop at the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW), Rus Higley and Aeriel Wauhob from MaST Center Aquarium posed these questions to a group of incarcerated students.
In a fantastic presentation given by Higley, students watched amazing videos of camouflaged octopuses, learned about species native to the PNW, and even got to meet a live juvenile Pacific red octopus!
Octopuses use tools, have spatial memories and personalities, and engage in play, all attributes that humans consider signs of intelligence. So, ARE octopuses smarter than 5th graders? It’s complicated. While an octopus may not pass a 5th grade multiple choice test, the workshop hosts and participants all agreed that knowing facts on a test was not the best way to measure intelligence, especially for a creature who has nerve cells (like the ones found in our brains) in all eight of its arms!
As SPP continues to ramp up our workshop offerings, now is a great time to get in touch if you or someone you know may be interested in offering a workshop in a prison facility. Contact Michael Zirpoli at michael.zirpoli@evergreen.edu for more information! Workshops provide fantastic opportunities for community learning exchanges, and they are an integral part of our educational offerings at SPP.