Psychic Octopus or Sushi Al A Carte

Apparently, an octopus with psychic ability is predicting the outcome of World Cup soccer matches. A two-year-old “psychic” cephalopod named Paul once a citizen of England but now residing in Germany supposedly correctly predicted the outcome of Germany’s four World Cup soccer matches. The owner claims that the cephalopod is a psychic. We firmly disagree with this claim.

First, we had psychic chickens, then we had psychic puppies, and now we have psychic cephalopods. Of course, this octopus is not psychic but merely a subject of operant conditioning. Just as any animal that receives a reward for good behaviors and lack of reward or punishment for bad behavior this animal simply picks the box he is conditioned to pick with more frequency.

Any animal trainer worth their salt could have conditioned Paul to pick the outcome of the soccer matches. Even if the animal is not conditioned, a statistical probability of 33% (about 1 in 3) chance of picking the outcome of the match correctly exists. Maybe the owners of Paul the Psychic Octopus did not consider the case of a draw in this publicity stunt seeing how picking the right team with the method of which box is opened first is a 50% probability(1 in 2 chance) of being right.

No, this octopus is far from psychic and undoubtedly, this publicity stunt was devised as a means to promote some agenda or another. Whether it is German nationalism (Albeit would be a far stretch for the Germans to claim to be superior or psychic right…) or the trainer’s promotional ploy to farm the “psychic octopus” for promotional income undoubtedly Paul’s fame will be short lived.

On a side note it is a real shame that the media pokes fun at something so spiritual in nature like psychic ability. Many take psychic ability seriously and the exploitation of an animal for the amusement of the masses is sad in and of itself.

The hard cold truth is psychic octopi do not exist and poor Paul is destined for a sushi bar, octopus wiener factory, or someone’s pulpo ensalada some day. However, the real psychics the human prognosticators of the future will remain unseen by many and relegated to the sidelines of society. While Paul in all his glory will garner all the fame that a “psychic” octopus does not deserve.