#191 — The Tools Make the Man

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In late 2009 the scientific community went gaga over the discovery of a tool-using octopus. Well, actually there was more than one tool-using octopus, but since no one in the scientific community could remember whether the plural of octopus is octopi, octopusses or octo-pods, they decided to just report on one of them.

The slimy critter in question was videotaped gathering up coconut halves from the ocean floor near Australia, cleaning them out, and then using them as a rudimentary form of shelter. I’m no scientist, but watching the video raised several very important questions in my mind. Why were there coconut halves on the ocean floor? Where did the octopus live before he built himself an environmentally-friendly new home? And what kind of interest rate did the octopus get for its new coconut shell house? (Full version)

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Notes:

• Thanks to Elise for her kind comments on episode #165.  You can find her on the web at: http://betanisbureau.com/
• Likewise, thanks to Tim King for pointing folks my way on Twitter.  You can find him on the web at: http://www.JTimothyKing.com
• Finally, it’s really nice to have Ron back “on the air” at http://www.griddlecakes.com