PubHawk
December 2011 PMID 21876741

Insightful problem solving in an Asian elephant.

Preston Foerder, Marie Galloway, Tony Barthel, Donald E Moore, Diana Reiss

Full text PDF Download social card

Mentions

40
Peak: 5 in Jul 2023
across 6 sources since Oct 2019

Extended reach

3,742,993
potential audience

Total likes

102,856

Video views

3,717,033

Mentions per month

Oct 2019 – Jul 2023

Where it's discussed

  • News21 articles
  • X / Twitter6 posts
  • Blogs6 articles
  • Bluesky3 posts
  • YouTube2 videos
  • Reddit2 posts

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The overall discussion reflects a positive and intrigued tone, with posts celebrating elephants' problem-solving skills, such as using objects to reach food, and describing the research as significant ('insightful problem solving' and 'aha moments'). The use of energetic language and references to studies and behavioral examples demonstrates both interest and engagement, though the depth of analysis remains moderate overall.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions express strong support for the study, highlighting elephants' problem-solving abilities and calling attention to their cognitive skills.

InterestHigh interest

Posts show high enthusiasm and curiosity, especially with phrases like 'BIG 3 study' and 'aha moments,' indicating high interest in the topic.

EngagementModerate engagement

The comments include references to specific behaviors and personal insights, such as noting elephants using objects as tools, suggesting moderate to deep engagement.

ImpactModerate impact

The discussions emphasize new understanding and recognition of elephants' intelligence, indicating that the publication could influence views on animal cognition.

Abstract in brief

  • The study demonstrates that three Asian elephants are capable of insightful problem solving, shown by a 7-year-old male elephant spontaneously using a large plastic cube as a stepping tool to reach food, without prior trial-and-error learning.
  • The elephants exhibited behavioral flexibility by using various objects as tools, including stacking smaller items or retrieving objects from different locations, indicating they can generalize and adapt their problem-solving strategies beyond the initial task.
  • Previous failures to observe insight in elephants might have been due to task designs that interfered with their natural trunk use, suggesting that elephants' cognitive abilities for insight are stronger than previously thought when tasks align with their sensory and physical capabilities.]
Read the full abstract

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Ieda Marcondes
@iedamarcondes.com · Bluesky

Achei que vocês gostariam de ver este elefantinho no útero. É deste vídeo aqui: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvOr1-P6XR8

Jul 22, 2023 · 6 likes View post →
Agrivane
@agrivane.bsky.social · Bluesky

A great edutainment video about Elephants from ZeFrank. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvOr1-P6XR8)

Jul 24, 2023 · 3 likes View post →
ᴉʌɐɹsoɥʞ uɐɟɹǝ ◆ عرڡاں حـســـروے
@Erfan_khosravi · X

@Pedrammpr https://t.co/GRfMzosR62

Oct 18, 2019 · 2 likes · 1 share · 25,549 followers View post →
Ella K
@eco_ella · X

Study testing whether 3 Asian elephants would use tools such as sticks and cubes to obtain food out of reach. The image shows insightful problem-solving behaviour in one of the elephants (B). #EBE2022 #Elephant #animalbehaviour #cognition https://t.co/MkqqWAG4gD https://t.co/0dJ0pCQBXQ

Oct 27, 2022 · 1 like · 76 followers View post →
هترّو
@Absloute_ · X

RT @Erfan_khosravi: @Pedrammpr https://t.co/GRfMzosR62

Oct 19, 2019 · 1 share · 169 followers View post →
Britney Chung
@BritneyChung · X

Elephants can problem solve! This was seen when they used objects to step on in order to reach food that was too high up. #39canimals https://t.co/cc4yaRo8nr

May 6, 2021 · 75 followers View post →

All mentions

Exploring the Sensitivity of Elephant Trunk Whiskers

Elephants possess highly sensitive trunk whiskers, particularly at the tip, aiding their manipulative abilities. This video delves into the anatomy and functionality of these specialized structures, highlighting…

Ze Frank · Jul 21, 2023 3,717,018 views
Agrivane
@agrivane.bsky.social · Bluesky

A great edutainment video about Elephants from ZeFrank. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvOr1-P6XR8)

Jul 24, 2023 · 3 likes View post →
Ieda Marcondes
@iedamarcondes.com · Bluesky

Achei que vocês gostariam de ver este elefantinho no útero. É deste vídeo aqui: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvOr1-P6XR8

Jul 22, 2023 · 6 likes View post →
ivacheung.com
@ivacheung.com · Bluesky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvOr1-P6XR8

Jul 21, 2023 View post →
Ella K
@eco_ella · X

Study testing whether 3 Asian elephants would use tools such as sticks and cubes to obtain food out of reach. The image shows insightful problem-solving behaviour in one of the elephants (B). #EBE2022 #Elephant #animalbehaviour #cognition https://t.co/MkqqWAG4gD https://t.co/0dJ0pCQBXQ

Oct 27, 2022 · 1 like · 76 followers View post →
Byron Lesane
@ByronLesane · X

https://t.co/SjcUaSi2Jr

May 4, 2022 · 25 followers View post →
Noah Johnson
@NoahJ39 · X

My 2nd BIG 3 study focuses on elephants' ability to problem solve using tools. Elephants are capable of having aha moments just like humans are. #39canimals https://t.co/ngRdGN4O2T

Feb 12, 2022 · 62 followers View post →
Britney Chung
@BritneyChung · X

Elephants can problem solve! This was seen when they used objects to step on in order to reach food that was too high up. #39canimals https://t.co/cc4yaRo8nr

May 6, 2021 · 75 followers View post →
هترّو
@Absloute_ · X

RT @Erfan_khosravi: @Pedrammpr https://t.co/GRfMzosR62

Oct 19, 2019 · 1 share · 169 followers View post →
ᴉʌɐɹsoɥʞ uɐɟɹǝ ◆ عرڡاں حـســـروے
@Erfan_khosravi · X

@Pedrammpr https://t.co/GRfMzosR62

Oct 18, 2019 · 2 likes · 1 share · 25,549 followers View post →