Mattias Krantz/youtube
A viral video shows an octopus learning to “play” a custom-built piano after six months of training, and the internet hasn’t stopped talking about it. This curious experiment, featured by a Swedish musician, doesn’t just entertain. It has made people laugh, debate animal intelligence, and even question how humans relate to other species.
The video quickly spread across social media, sparking laughter, awe, curiosity, and something deeper: discomfort. Because once you realize how deliberate the interaction appears, you’re forced to confront a bigger question, what if we’ve been underestimating them all along?
Mattias Krantz/youtube
Key Takeaways
- The video reignited conversations about octopus intelligence
- Viewers across platforms expressed awe, humor, and ethical concern
- Many referenced scientific facts about octopus cognition and biology
- The clip challenged how people view animals used for entertainment or food
- A simple moment sparked a much larger moral discussion
As the video circulated on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, reactions poured in, and they weren’t just jokes.
Many viewers immediately focused on the octopus’s intelligence.
Asha Newman wrote:
“Octopie should be protected. They are intelligent creatures. Watch My Octopus Teacher, wonderful documentary.”
Others echoed that sentiment, saying the video made it harder to ignore what science has already been telling us for years, octopuses are problem-solvers, capable of learning, memory, and even play.
Maurie Conner commented:
“They have three brains, very smart!”
Some viewers were stunned into humor, using laughter to process just how unexpected the moment felt.
Susan Elliott Wood joked:
“I’ve heard of music for one piano, four hands, and two pianos, four hands… but never for one piano, eight hands.”
Heather Zuberbier added:
“Was I the only one waiting for him to suddenly bust out in some Chopin or something? Lmao!”
But beneath the humor, something heavier surfaced.
Lorri Gumanow shared:
“I love seeing an octopus when I scuba dive. I would never eat one. They are amazing, beautiful, and so intelligent.”
That sentiment appeared again and again, the joy of watching, paired with discomfort about how casually such creatures are consumed or confined.
Peter Lenhart expressed it bluntly:
“It is troubling that octopus may have a high form of intelligence that we do not understand or comprehend… it causes me angst when I see it being served as food.”
On YouTube, long-time viewers pointed out that this behavior wasn’t new, just newly visible.
Amy Beatty wrote:
“I watched this YouTube a while back. It’s incredible the time spent on this and the results.”
Others couldn’t help but turn the moment inward.
Elizabeth Klousia quipped:
“So I’m less talented than an octopus. That tracks.”
Even playful remarks carried a sense of humility, a recognition that intelligence doesn’t always look the way we expect.
Sara Wigner-Balazs reflected:
“Imagine if they lived longer!! They would learn so much and teach us so much.”
What started as a viral clip became a mirror. Not just showing an octopus making music, but showing humans re-evaluating their assumptions, about intelligence, worth, and which lives we consider meaningful.
Mattias Krantz/instagram
Moments like this remind us how much of the natural world we still misunderstand. Before we laugh, scroll, or dismiss, it’s worth pausing to ask what else we may have overlooked.If stories that spark wonder, challenge assumptions, and restore curiosity about the world resonate with you, stay with us at Simply Wholesome. We post wholesome content that resonates with all of us in real time.
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