Everyone is always talking about AI these days. I can only assume that it stands for Animal Intelligence… Which is what led me to today’s big question: “What’s the smartest animal in the world?” Sharpen your ears and your pencils, listeners – we’re about to take an Animal Intelligence test.

Can a chimpanzee do math? How good is an octopus at scouting? Can pigeons really count?

Today Emma is hosting an investigative test to see what animals could enter Earth Rangers University. All they need to do is pass an Animal Aptitude Test. It’s not like SATs for us humans, or is it? How exactly can Emma measure an animal’s intelligence?

Most animals on earth are very different from humans. We’ve learnt to read, write, speak in many different languages, do math, and build structures across the lands and in space. What about the other creatures? Aside from us, is there any who can outsmart a person or rival human intelligence?

THE QUESTION OF THE DAY:

What’s the smartest animal in the world?

Measuring intelligence isn’t as easy as it may seem. Some might consider math and reading to be a mark of “intelligence” – but people who are musically or artistically talented can be just as intelligent as someone great at science! Intelligence comes in different forms: Emotional intelligence, logic, memory, pattern recognition, and problem-solving. Not being good at something doesn’t make you stupid!

So, how would we measure an animal’s intelligence? They can’t possibly fill a test sheet for biology, math, or English?!

This is why Emma is trying an Animal Aptitude Test using different techniques like “escape a tank”, “travel a maze”, and “counting” to measure how good an animal’s problem-solving, memory, and navigation skills are. Many can complete these quite quickly in fact! Faster than a human could.  

Of the potential students, we see a chimpanzee, octopus, pigeon, rat, pig and even a bee take these tests! How well do they do? Can all of them succeed and does this mean they’re all intelligent? Why not vote on your favorite one in the poll below?

Now, there’s a last criterion of intelligence not counted in the above aptitude test: Behavioural adaptations! This is what allows animals to communicate, forage, and survive in harsh environments. Sure, we might not count survival as a form of intelligence for people – but street smart counts!

So Earth Rangers, next time you are faced with the SATs, remember that there’s more than just the math and reading that’s tested to measure one’s intelligence. You’re all brilliant in different ways, and that’s what makes the world a better place! 

Do you have a fun animal mystery you want us to explore? Let us know in the comments!

What’s up, Earth Rangers! I’ve been around the world, under the sea, on top of icebergs at both poles – but I’ve never been to Hollywood! This is new for me!

Join me as I try to bust some sneaky animal myths on everyone’s favorite quiz show: Fact or Fiction!

Black cats are bad luck, true or false? False! That’s just a mean myth. At least, in some places, people think black cats are really lucky! Maybe they are… Black cats are special because the gene that makes their fur black also helps them stay healthy and not get sick as often as other cats.

What about polar bears having black skin, even when they’re white? Is that fact or fiction? Do you know the answer? Well then you might do great on today’s gameshow: Fact or Fiction!

Today’s episode we join Emma and Fact or Fiction’s gameshow host Jeffrey McJeffrey on a special myth-busting show! Rather than one specific question, we’ll ask a whole bunch of them, like “Do snakes have legs?” or “Do wolves really howl at the moon”.

The catch? You need to figure out which is fact or fiction! Will Earth Ranger Emma’s skills be up for the test? What score will she get in this gameshow and… will she break any new records?! Why not fling ourselves in like snakes to find out?!

Whew! Fact or Fiction tries its best to throw trick questions, but an animal expert should see through it all, right? After all, animals appear in many stories and tall tales, but knowing the research can show us the real answers!

As an Earth Ranger, Emma has an edge over the competition. She’s a pro about animals! Plus, many of these questions have shown up in the Earth Ranger’s app, in our Creative Corner. You can test your skills in our quiz while listening to Emma’s answers:

Are there any answers that surprised you? Stumped you and you had to wait for the answer? Or are you like Emma, a super-ranger who can bust myths easy-peasy? Let’s see how well the Earth Rangers community could do in this gameshow if they’d been in Emma’s place!

Or… maybe we could do better? Do you know any animal myths that weren’t included in the gameshow or our creative corner? Share them to see if anyone could find the answer, or if you want to give a bit of trivia you can always show off your skills by revealing some fun facts about a cute, scary, weird, or rare animal. Don’t forget Emma is still out to investigate mysteries about the world, your question could be next!

Do you have a fun animal mystery you want us to explore?
Let us know in the comments in the Earth Rangers App!