Let's get squiddy with it!
Discover the chambered nautilus with Dr. Gregory J. Barord
Join SciFri Educate on October 8 for a Cephalopod Week live Q&A about the ancient relative of the octopus and squid.
Solve a cephalopod puzzle to win this escape room-style game
The chambered nautilus takes center stage in a puzzle adventure game from Science Friday and Grand Gamers Guild.
Can a living fossil learn new tricks? Meet the nautilus!
With poor eyesight, the chambered nautilus hunts by smell. Explore how a blue-light experiment revealed mysteries of the cephalopod’s memory.
Myth or math? Is the nautilus shell’s golden ratio real?
Grab a ruler, crunch the length-to-height ratios, and use the Fibonacci sequence to test whether this famous spiral is truly golden.
Many Things Under a Rock: The Mysteries of Octopuses
Octopuses seem otherworldly, and author Davis Scheel unearths just how much there is left to learn about these charismatic cephalopods.
Discover The Mysteries Of Octopuses
Dive into marine biology with this “Many Things Under A Rock” interactive book club guide for young readers.
What Cephalopod Are You? Take The Quiz!
Are you an old soul? A giant genius? Answer these 8 questions to find out which cephalopod is most like you.
Hide Like A Cephalopod: Make An Octopus Den
Put your engineering skills to the test as you design a strong, but camouflaged, underwater home for an octopus.
6:16
Squid With ‘Giant’ Eggs Could Be A New Species
A deep-sea squid in the family Gonatidae was filmed cradling large eggs for its body size, which suggests it’s an entirely new species.
Monarchs of the Sea: The Extraordinary 500-Million-Year History of Cephalopods
Three hearts, eight arms, and a storied rule of the oceans. Read Danna Staaf’s ode to octopuses (and squid) with SciFri this June.
12:10
A Colossal Squid Video? That’s A Big Deal
Researchers captured the first confirmed video of a colossal squid swimming in its natural habitat—almost 2,000 feet deep.
The Ink-Credible STEAM Adventure Toolkit
Celebrate cephalopods anytime with fun party tips, mind-blowing videos, book suggestions for all ages, and exciting STEAM activities.
11:05
Why It Took Decades For This Octopus To Be Recognized
The larger Pacific striped octopus is unusually social. But it wasn’t recognized by scientists until 2015, despite one man’s efforts.
He Found A Bizarre Octopus, But No One Believed Him
In 1990, diver Arcadio Rodaniche’s findings about a highly social octopus were dismissed. Decades later, his work was validated.
16:59
Why Do Cephalopods Make Ink?
Squid, octopuses, and cuttlefish use ink to confuse predators and to communicate. But there’s still a lot we don’t understand about inking.
12:15
A See-Through Squid Success Story
Researchers will be able to study neural structure in a genetically modified line of albino squid that are essentially see-through.
33:52
Celebrating The Weird, Wonderful World Of Cephalopods
Did you know most cephalopods can only live for a year? Or that they rely heavily on taste to sense their environment?
Cephalopod Week Is Back This Summer With Trivia Nights!
Join us in NYC and Atlanta for a cephalo-bration of our favorite underwater invertebrates—plus, win some great trivia prizes!
Color Me Like A Cuttlefish: Explore Our Digital Cephalopod Coloring Book
We’re suckers for a good coloring book page. If you are too, try our all-ages cephalopod coloring challenge!
Sign Up For Our 2023 Cephalopod Of The Day Newsletter!
Get a cephalopod story in your inbox every day, for all of cephalopod week. Plus, this year we worked with an artist to create a coloring challenge!
17:33
The Strange, Scrambled Genomes Of Squids And Octopuses
For Cephalopod Week, two researchers explain the newest science about the fancy tricks and ineffable weirdness of these animals.
What Do You Call A Tiny Octopus That’s Cute As A Button?
Plus: What squid have to do with Instagram filters.
Eight Evenings Of Talks, Tentacles, And Talent At Cephalopod Movie Nights
This June, Cephalopod Week is back, with another eight days to cephalo-brate our favorite many-armed friends!
7:05
We Aren’t Squidding Around—It’s Cephalopod Week 2021!
A week-long celebration kicks off with some trivia on the origins of squiddy words.
Choose Your Virtual Cephalopod Week Adventure!
Aquariums, trivia, watch parties, oh my! From June 18 to 25, join three special virtual events in celebration of our favorite undersea buddies.
15:55
I Dream Of Octopuses, But Do They Dream About Me?
Sleepy times for these cephalopods are revealing new clues about memory and learning.
The Mysterious Swimming Habits Of The Ancient Ammonite
These extinct shelled cephalopods ruled the ocean for 300 million years. But how they swam and shaped the seas remains a mystery.
Swimming Down The Runway: Finding A Model Species For Cephalopods
Want to learn more about cephalopods? Start by learning about bobtail squids.
23:47
Closing Out The Cephalo-Party
Cephalopod genetics, the thrill of the giant squid, and a farewell to Cephalopod Week 2019.
11:38
How Humboldt Squid Talk To Each Other In The Dark
In the deep ocean, these cephalopods use a combination of skin color patterns and bioluminescence to communicate to one another.
Now Screening: Cephalopod Movie Night!
Cephalopod Movie Night returns! From June 21 to 28, celebrate our favorite undersea creatures with Science Friday at 10 cities across the nation.
How You Can Dive Into Cephalopod Week 2019
Like a cuttlefish emerging from its sandy hideaway, Cephalopod Week is back for its sixth year.
Dive Into A Reddit AMA With Three Cephalopod Researchers
They talk about octopus behavior, fossilized cuttlefish ink, and proper cephalopod grammar.
The Distributed Mind: Octopus Neurology
In a highly-anticipated experiment, researchers are attempting to decode how the octopus controls its multi-armed mind.
9:48
Sucker For Cephalopods? Cephalopod Week Has You Covered
We’re submerging again for eight days of celebrating the mighty mollusks of the ocean.
Capture The Iridescence Of Camouflaging Cephalopod Skin
Explore the deep, color-changing iridophore and leucophore layers of cephalopod skin to see they use light to camouflage themselves.
Where’s the Octopus?
When marine biologist Roger Hanlon captured the first scene in this video he started screaming.
Arm Yourself With These Cephalopod STEM Activities
Celebrate amazing cephalopods with STEM resources for kids of all ages.
Bobtails + Bacteria = BFF
This tiny squid works with bacteria to camouflage itself.
The Seamstress And The Secrets Of The Argonaut Shell
Known since Aristotle, no one understood the argonaut octopus—until a 19th-century seamstress turned naturalist took it upon herself to solve its mysteries.
Cephalopod Inc.
Will cephalopods one day be as ubiquitous in labs as mice and fruit flies?
The Making Of The Octopus In ‘20,000 Leagues Under The Sea’
In the first major underwater film production, three key inventions helped create an iconic scene featuring an impossibly large cephalopod.
15:47
After 8 Undersea Days, Cephalopod Week 2018 Draws To A Close
We wrap our tentacles around our cephalo-bration of octopus, squid, cuttlefish, nautilus, and other undersea friends.
Model The Texture-Changing Structures of Cuttlefish Skin: Papillae
Recreating this impressive feat of camouflage takes only a balloon and a bit of duct tape.
Haikus By Cephalo-Poets
The mighty cephalopod never fails to inspire. This year, cephalo-lovers around the world set their tributes to verse.
16:34
SciFri’s Tentacled Spectacle Cephalopod Week Returns
Like a kraken rising from the depths, Cephalopod Week is back!
How Big Was This Squid?
Learn how to determine the size of a Humboldt squid using a beak left behind in a whale’s stomach in this data-rich math activity.
John Steinbeck And The Mystery Of The Humboldt Squid
In 1940, John Steinbeck helped catalog wildlife in the Sea of Cortez. Now, a new creature lurks beneath the ultramarine waters.
Meet Our Cephalopod Masters
Why do we love cephalopods? They’re smart, cute, and…well…really weird.
34:29
The Cephalo-Inspired Technology Of The Future
From camouflage to jet propulsion, researchers see these tentacled creatures as inspiration for their biomimetic designs.
15:57
Love And War In The World Of The Cephalopod
The fourth annual Cephalopod Week kicks off with a cephalopod matchmaker and a researcher studying octopus defenses.
Love, Octopus-ly
Full-time biologist—part-time cephalopod matchmaker, Richard Ross invites us into his secret home lab where he studies the mating rituals of the lesser Pacific striped Octopus.
Jet Propulsion Locomotion Of Squid And Octopus
Can you engineer a jet propulsion system that mimics the speed of a squid?
This Cuttlefish Dazzles
Internet chatter suggests that the flamboyant cuttlefish—known for ambling along the seafloor and flashing brilliant displays—is toxic. What does the science say?
Make A Squid Print
Observe the different features of a squid from your local market and then create a squid print where you can document your findings.
The Giant Squid’s Biggest Mystery
Estimating how many giant squid are lurking in the deep ocean seemed unfathomable…until now!
Secrets of Cephalopod Camouflage
Ethologist Roger Hanlon has devoted a career to studying how octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish become inconspicuous.
I, Octopus
With thousands of chemically-sensitive suckers, color-changing skin, and a brain that literally stretches when they eat, octopuses seem like aliens living in our oceans.
A Shot in the Dark: Alternative Uses for Squid Ink
Stephanie Bush, a scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), suggests that squids might use ink to attract a mate, repel a predator, or even confuse their prey.
16:59
Eight (or More) Reasons to be Amazed by the Octopus
Octopus researchers help kick off our annual Cephalopod Week celebrations with a look at the octopus, from its genes to its outlook on life.
Isn’t This Octopus Adorabilis?
Stephanie Bush of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute aims to classify and name a presently undescribed deep-sea cephalopod.
The Rare Sight Of A Brooding Squid
This cephalopod will carry and brood its eggs for several months, without feeding.
Caring for Cuttlefish
Using recycled soda bottles, modified cradles, and knowledge of each species’ husbandry, the Monterey Bay Aquarium staff have nurtured to adulthood 95 percent of the cuttlefish eggs spawned.
Meet the Cock-Eyed Squid
This midwater cephalopod sports different-size eyes for different functions.
The Octopus Whisperer
To keep the brainy creatures healthy in captivity, caretakers employ a variety of tricks, including dog toys.
Run, Octopus, Run!
Chrissy Huffard explains how and why an octopus might stand up on two tentacles and run backwards.
7:46
The Strangely Social Life of the Larger Pacific Striped Octopus
A new study reveals surprising mating, dwelling, and feeding behaviors in one rare species of octopus.
Teaching Ancient Nautilus New Tricks
A series of experiments involving fish juice, blue lights, and mazes dispels the notion that the ancient Nautilus is incapable of basic learning and memory.
The Vampire Squid From Hell
Although its Latin name translates as “the vampire squid from hell,” the vampire squid is actually a gentle steward of the ocean’s depths, gracefully foraging on marine detritus.
Cephalopod Camouflage: A Beauty That’s Skin Deep
It’s a rock, it’s seaweed, it’s an…octopus? Using this hands on activity, learn how crafty cephalopods are well adapted to hide in an ocean full of predators.
13:24
Getting A Grasp On The Clever Cephalopod
The nautilus, the “living fossil” of cephalopods, can uncover the origins of the complex brain of modern cephalopods.
Where’s the Cuttlefish?
Cuttlefish change the patterns on their body for courtship rituals, when they eat a snack, and most famously when they want to blend in.
Behaviors of the Venomous, Blue-Lined Octopus
This venomous octopus packs a punch, but it’s more likely to hide than launch a poisonous attack.
16:41
Cephalopod Week Wrap-Up
A wrap of highlights from Cephalopod Week, and a check-in with SciFri education manager Ariel Zych and biologist Chuck Fisher aboard the exploration vessel “Nautilus.”
17:26
How Do You Measure the I.Q. of an Octopus?
The trick, says primatologist Frans de Waal, is to measure animal intelligence not by human standards, but by the standards of an octopus or elephant or chimpanzee.
#CephalopodWeek: Celebrating All Things Tentacled
They’re the amazing cephalopods, and Science Friday, public radio’s source for news and entertaining stories about science, celebrates them with Cephalopod Week.
6:35
Eight Arms That Send a Message
One species of octopus uses changing coloration and shifting postures to send signals to other octopuses.
How Does an Octopus Change Its Body to Blend In With Its Environment?
Watch footage of a live octopus to model different ways that these animals can camouflage themselves by changing their body’s texture, shape, size, and color.
46:44
Oliver Sacks And The Search For The Giant Squid
In this 1997 conversation, neurologist Oliver Sacks describes the island of the colorblind, then chats with a researcher searching for giant squid.
Untangling The Long-Armed Mystery Of The Bigfin Squid
The elbowed, spindly appendages of the bigfin squid have long stunned the public. But scientists say there is more to this deep-sea dweller than its ghostly appearance.
Squids On Screen: The SciFri Cephalopod Movie Night Is Back
We’re bringing the cephalo-party to L.A., San Francisco, Chicago, and New York!
Where’s The Cuttlefish
Biologist Sarah Zylinski studies how cuttlefish see the world by looking at their skin.
16:54
Ask A Cephalopod Scientist: Getting Our Arms Around Your Questions
How do you measure cephalopod intelligence? What is the largest cuttlefish? And other questions for a cephalopod scientist.
16:36
A Monterey Bay Aquarium Scientist Gives Fun Facts About Cephalopods
Learn about octopi’s dietary preferences, how to raise cephalopods, and more from staff at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Cephalopods Are Coming To A Town Near You!
This June, gather with us in Atlanta, Houston, Miami, and Thousand Oaks for another sunny Cephalopod Week celebration.
Grab This Free Kit And Celebrate Cephalopods
Celebrate Cephalopod Week with our free kit full of party tips, mind-blowing videos, book suggestions, and fun STEM activities.