Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
…and this is a pharyngula stage embryo.
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Category: Cephalopods • Organisms
Posted on: February 8, 2007 8:32 AM, by PZ Myers
Got a jar you can't get open? Tired of straining just to get a dab of peanut butter? You need Violet, the incredible jar-opener*, complete with suction cups. Act now, and perhaps you can train her to use a can opener, too!
*Offer void where prohibited. Violet not responsible for damp, salty flavor of opened product.
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Comments
That is very cool, and the color is amazing. Things like that make me wish i'd done a science degree instead of Maths and Computing.
Posted by: Southy | February 8, 2007 9:20 AM
If only she were as convenient as a butter knife (pop it under the lid to break the vacuum seal)! I could totally use octopuses as kitchen implements.
Posted by: Xocolotl | February 8, 2007 10:14 AM
That was pretty cool. Liked the link to the NYT article on glossolalia too.
For getting jar lids off I recommend Tony Hawk Pro-Skater 4. Play that for a few weeks and you'll get the "hawk hand" from operating the controller (once the cramps subside) and you can open nuclear waste containers by hand if you've got the hawk hand.
Posted by: Sarcastro | February 8, 2007 11:57 AM
Meanwhile, the little crab is thinking "Aieeeee, an octopus! Whew, good thing I'm safe inside this sealed fortress. ... Oh, wait."
Posted by: Hank Fox | February 8, 2007 1:06 PM
I bet you can get the Hawk Hand from Wii Zelda, too. (via the nunchuck)
Posted by: stogoe | February 8, 2007 1:15 PM
This is something my cat could never do.
Posted by: Sonja | February 8, 2007 2:14 PM
But she would only open cans of crab meat. And eat it. I can't quite see how that would be useful to you.
Posted by: donna | February 8, 2007 2:33 PM
I, for one, welcome our new cephalopod masters.
Posted by: Paul | February 8, 2007 3:33 PM
Cool!
Many years ago my ex told me a story. Before we met she had 2 Salt Water Aquariums. In one was Richard, an Octopus. The other had a variety of sea creatures. Fish, and I think Mollusks. I'm not sure. After some time she noticed the fish in the second aquarium were disappearing. Sucked into the filter? Eaten by the others? Not likely. She knew her fish. She got up one night, late. The top to the Octopus aquarium was askew. Lo, and behold (love to post that expression on PZ's site), Richard was outside his (hers?) tank headed for the other one. Richard had been going on clandestine raids in the middle of the night. If I remember her story correctly the tanks were 60 or 80 gallon and separated by a several feet. She spoke of Richard to be as smart as, if not smarter than her cats. That was one smart octopus indeed. Can this be true? Are they ever known to survive a short time out of water? If so how long?
Note: She said she never blamed the cats. As interested that they were in the fish they lack useful thumbs or tentacles.
Ken
Posted by: Ken Mareld | February 8, 2007 6:31 PM
Yeah, but can she program a VCR, that's what I want to know.
Posted by: raincoaster | February 9, 2007 12:23 AM