Cuttlefish passed the marshmallow test

Transcript

Can cuttlefish pass a marshmallow test? Yes. In a 2021 study, six common cuttlefish were given a choice between an immediate, less preferred snack and a better one that arrived after a delay. All six were willing to wait for the better reward, and some held out for as long as 130 seconds. The cuttlefish that waited longer also did better on a learning task, where they had to connect visual cues with food and then switch when the rule changed. That link between self-control and learning matters because it suggests something bigger than just patience. It points to flexible thinking in a creature with a very different brain and a very different life from ours. The researchers think this may have evolved because cuttlefish spend so much time camouflaged, then make brief, risky foraging trips. In other words, waiting might help them stay alive and eat better. So here is the weird little question left hanging: did cuttlefish become patient because they are smart, or smart because they had to become patient? What do you think?