Puzzle Description:

Crows with the intelligence to solve problems and craft tools are not a future possiblity. This is the reality today. This crow has learned how to make a tool to retrieve food.

#1: Teresa K (fasstar) on Jul 9, 2011 [SPOILER]

Here is the video that shows how the crow tries to use a straight piece of wire, which does not work, then it bends the wire to make a hook.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efcIsve5wu8

Was the crow trained to do this? I don't know. If so, we could train them to be useful, perhaps to retrieve coins from the sofa cushions, or start our coffee maker in the morning, or bring us our reading glasses. :-D

Research Project from Oxford:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpgCQj-sgqk

Crows and ravens are really smart animals. They can learn to solve problems without being trained. Watch this video from National Geographic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8L4KNrPEs0

And this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P8Nwl7FAJk

Great puzzle and fascinating story.

great job...ditto #3.

thanks for entry T

Thanks Teresa, as always educational.

Very, very good puzzle!

The Swiss Guard at the Tower of London have used trained ravens as guard birds for centuries. I also hear they like to perch on busts of Athena and make cryptic coments...

and quoth 'nevermore'

great puzzle Teresa! and congrats!

Wasn't there an Aesop's Fable where a crow/raven dropped pebbles into a tall vase to make the water rise to the top so he could get a drink? That's pretty ancient.

They've probably been really smart for a long time, but we have just recently noticed. :-)

Another winner, as always!

brilliant. fun, fun solve. i love how the puzzle came together - halfway through i realized what it was and was like, "wow..."

Goto next topic

You must register and log in to be able to participate in this discussion.