Intelligence ranked

What do crows and octopuses have in common? 10 tales of animal smarts

Image: Aaron Baw

When it comes to intelligence, humans are not alone on the planet. Far from it—many species exhibit incredible problem-solving skills, complex social behaviors, and even the ability to communicate with us. While their abilities differ from those of humans, they often excel in areas where humans are at a disadvantage. From the ocean depths to the skies, these 10 animals have earned their place among the planet’s brightest.

Image: Freddy Jimenez

Dolphins are not just adorable—they're renowned for their intelligence and communication skills. Using distinct sounds, they share information about food, danger, and more.

They understand human gestures, perform complex tricks, and even recognize themselves in mirrors—a trait shared with humans, some great apes, and elephants.

Image: Demure Storyteller

Chimpanzees are often regarded as humans' closest relatives in the animal kingdom. They can use tools to gather food, build shelter, and even hunt.

Remarkably, chimpanzees can learn to communicate with humans using sign language and are capable of understanding symbolic meaning, making them one of the smartest non-human animals.

Image: Hu Chen

Elephants display an extraordinary level of empathy and self-awareness. Known for their exceptional ability to recall places, individuals, and events across decades, they possess large brains with highly developed regions linked to emotions and memory.

Moreover, they mourn deceased companions and assist injured or sick elephants—clear signs of advanced cognition.

Image: Matteo Paganelli

Crows exhibit problem-solving skills on par with some primates. They can use tools, create tools, and solve complex puzzles that involve multiple steps.

In one famous experiment, a crow used a series of tools to extract food from a tube, showing their ability to plan ahead. Crows also have excellent memories and can recognize individual human faces.

Image: Diane Picchiottino

Octopuses are escape artists. Famous for escaping closed tanks, unscrewing jars from the inside, and easily navigating complex mazes, these genius invertebrates challenge what we understand as non-human intelligence.

Their large brains and complex nervous systems enable impressive spatial learning and navigation, helping them thrive as nimble predators.

Image: Thomas Lipke

Also known as killer whales, orcas are highly intelligent animals known for their complex cooperative hunting techniques. They work together to catch prey, using coordinated strategies that can even involve creating waves to knock seals off ice chunks.

Their communication is incredibly sophisticated, and they even have regional dialects.

Image: Tolga Ahmetler

African Grey Parrots are famous for their ability to mimic human speech, but their intelligence goes far beyond vocal mimicry. They can associate words with meanings, use them in context, and even form simple sentences.

In research studies, African Greys have even demonstrated an understanding of abstract concepts such as shape, color, and number.

Image: Akbar Nemati

While isolated individuals are not particularly intelligent, ants have a unique form of collective intelligence that allows entire colonies to perform highly complex tasks way beyond the capability of a single ant.

Their intricate nests and structures are proof of this, with some species even practicing a form of farming by cultivating fungi.

Image: Crispin Jones

Pigs are often overlooked in discussions of intelligence, but they are actually one of the smartest animals. They have demonstrated the ability to learn and perform tasks that require reasoning and memory.

Even more, in some studies pigs have been shown to outperform dogs in cognitive tests, indicating their high level of problem-solving abilities.

Image: Karl Callwood

Squids, particularly the giant and Humboldt varieties, are highly intelligent creatures. They solve puzzles, navigate mazes, and communicate with others using changes in skin color and patterns.

Some squid species show remarkable learning flexibility, even mimicking the behavior of other animals to escape or deter predators.

FINAL WORDS

Taking These Words To The Grave: 10 Famous Epitaphs

Image: Matt Botsford

One wise old man once said: "Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inextinguishable source of magic. Capable of inflicting injury and remedying it. But in our opinion that isn’t the only thing words can do. Even in the darkest times, words can also make us laugh and find the magic behind the afterlife. In this article, we’ve gathered ten famous epitaphs that had a thing or two to comment on. Read on and enjoy!

Image: Emre Turkan

We already know that the end of this road called life is the same for us all, no one can escape death. Now, for Mel Blanc, the man of 1000 voices, that knowledge was perfectly represented by his most iconic line.

Mel Blanc was a legendary voice actor and the voice of over 400 characters among those you can find Bugs Bunny and other Looney Tunes. And the words were forever fixed on his tombstone.

Image: Adi Goldstein

This phrase belongs to Joan Hackett, the American film and television actress. Joan had many prominent roles in her life, including Will Penny, Mourning Becomes Electra, and Only When I Laugh which won her the Gloden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.

She was diagnosed with cancer in 1981 and her death came on October two years later. Her remains are buried in The Abbey of The Psalms Mausoleum at Hollywood Forever Cemetery and whoever visits her tomb receives a final request from her: "Go away - I’m asleep!"

Image: Unseen Histories

Our final words deserve a good thought before we make any decision, they can be forever used to remind the world of our important contributions and that was the case of Martin Luther King Jr. who quoted himself in one of the most famous speeches in history "I have a dream."

Faithful to his inspirational spirit, Luther King’s final words are "Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty I’m free at last!"

Image: Austin Ban

It is no surprise that the best epitaphs come from people who knew their way around words while they were alive. Dorothy Parker is a true testament to that.

The American poet and writer was one of the founders of the Algonquin Round Table, a group of writers, and literary critics who got together at the Algonquin Hotel to collaborate in columns that were published across the country.

Parker was known for her witty remarks and her final words are one last joke for us: "Excuse my dust!"

Image: geralt

No, this is not a glitch, you’re still in the right article. This extremely long number is Pi and it is also the choice of words, or number better, of Ludolph van Ceulen.

The German-Dutch mathematician was the first person to calculate the numerical value of Pi to bring more precision to the constant. The result of his lifetime work is a number of 20 digits and an amazing epitaph that will stay forever with his remains.

Image: josunshine

The Ramones made history with their music, and however tumultuous, Dee Dee Ramone’s contributions made him the legend he is still today.

His final words are just a reflection of the essence of the punk rock band and his troubled life, a final goodbye from a rebellious spirit who lived on his own terms and left an indelible mark on the history of music. But everything must come to an end and so he says: "OK… I gotta go now."

Image: Vincentas Liskauskas

Hollywood can turn your life straight upside down, but no one ever said the road is any easy. Bette Davis is not the exception, but her resilience and determination brought overwhelming success as a result.

Now, her epitaph "She did it the hard way" is proof of the numerous challenges she had to overcome, but is a reminder of what can be achieved if one is driven by tenacity.

Image: TopSphere Media

Talk about a wordplay, right? Is this epitaph inviting us to step into the afterlife? Is it an opening credit to an eerie movie?

Considering it is Jack Lemmon’s epitaph, a beloved actor, one can easily imagine it reflects his connection to his craft. As short as "in" can be, it makes us think of a person who is always "in the scene" and never truly out of the spotlight. Short, powerful, and a great way to be remembered, don’t you think?

Image: Kelly Sikkema

Death on its own is a sad, tragic business for everyone. So we do need someone to be brave enough to toy with it and make irreverent remarks on its consequences.

Spike Milligan, a legendary Irish comedian and writer took that job seriously and chose an epitaph that can make anyone laugh in the face of such adversity. "I told you I was sick" is a genius reminder of his legacy. And a reminder to pay attention to our loved ones’ warnings, right?

Image: Pereanu Sebastian

We couldn’t end this article without mentioning what is probably one of the most famous epitaphs in the world. None other than the great Charles Bukowski is to thank for it.

"Don’t try" is actually a phrase he used to describe his writing. According to him, that was the key to good writing, which can’t be forced. But as an epitaph, it captures the essence and philosophy of his views and contributions. And in this context, it is a reminder that we are all going the same way, there’s nothing we can’t do about it so we might as well live today!