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Wily Octopi Walk on Two Arms

Posted by Zonk on from the coming-for-you dept.

lousyd writes "Offering hope for new forms of ambulatory robots, biologist Christine L. Huffard, at UC Berkeley, has caught individual octopi sneaking away from predators by using two of their arms as legs. They use the other six arms to make themselves look like coconuts or algae. The research is being done as part of a project on robotics. This reminds me of the Far Side cartoon where the cows drop to all fours when humans come around, but resume standing on two legs otherwise." And I for one welcome our new mollusk overlords.

4 of 233 comments (clear)

  1. How perfect... by PedanticSpellingTrol · · Score: 5, Funny

    What better way to ring in the opening of the Hardware section than with... invertebrate biology? Wait, WTF?

  2. Hardware section? by mtrisk · · Score: 5, Funny

    hardware.slashdot.org? Where's the slashdot announcement? And why are octopi in the hardware section? Do they run linux or something?

    --

    Without a proper flamewar, Anonymous was undecided on what shell to run.
  3. Coconuts? by Skiron · · Score: 5, Funny

    I didn't know coconuts 'sneaked' away from predators away? What do they do, roll away innocently whistling?

  4. Re:I object to the anti-squidism! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Squid can kill anyone they want! Squid cut off heads ALL the time and don't even think twice about it. These creatures are so crazy and awesome that they flip out ALL the time. I heard that there was this squid who was swiming along. And when some dude dropped a spoon the squid killed him. My friend Mark said that he saw a squid totally uppercut some kid just because the kid opened a window.

    And that's what I call REAL Ultimate Power!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!