Scientists Train Pigs to Engage with Miniature Video Game
Pigs Get Game-Ready: Mastering Video Games with a Twist of Intelligence
Buckle up, mainstream gaming world, because piggy players are on the rise. Researchers from Pennsylvania State University have taken the gaming scene by storm, teaching pigs the knack of operating a joystick and playing simple video games. This may seem like an odd spectacle, but it's a testament to just how intelligent these barnyard buddies truly are.
The dynamo duo behind this mind-bending study Googled "Candace Croney" and "Sarah Boysen" and found themselves delighted with their discovery. These brilliant brains led four pigs - Hamlet and Omelette, the Yorkshire titans, along with Ebony and Ivory, the tiny Panepinto crew - on a wild adventure into the world of eSports.
First things first: training. Croney and Boysen commenced their research with a series of exercises to acclimate the pigs to a mock joystick and their newfound gaming lifestyle. Once they got the hang of it, they graduated to a pig-sized arcade cabinet with a simple objective - move a white dot towards a blue wall on the screen. Catch the blue wall, earn a tasty treat!
The researchers put their players to the test by varying the number of targets from one wall to four. While the pigs had a ways to go compared to primates, they handled it like champs - especially Ivory, who boasted a high score of 76% when working with one-walled targets.
Imagine that: pigs mastering gaming with their snouts! But wait, there's more! This research offers a tantalizing glimpse into the profound intelligence of these curious creatures. Dr. Stanley Curtis, the mastermind behind the study, explained:
"It's one thing for an animal to learn a simple task, but it's another for them to understand the cause-and-effect relationship between their actions and the outcome. That pigs can do this to some degree is quite remarkable, implying that they possess cognitive skills far beyond what we initially thought."
Now, here's the twist. After 12 weeks of intense training, Hamlet and Omelette had to take a much-needed break. You see, their love for the game had led to rapid growth, causing them to outgrow the test pen and making it difficult for them to stand for prolonged gaming sessions.
Venture over to the journal Frontiers in Psychology to delve deeper into this groundbreaking study. The enlightening revelations and profound implications for pig intelligence are worth the read! It's time to give these underestimated creatures their due credit - they've officially joined the pantheon of highly intelligent animals, taking their rightful place alongside primates and dogs.
In conclusion, pig gamers are here to stay, and there's no telling what they'll conquer next! Now, put on those thinking caps, grab a joystick, and let the pigs teach you a thing or two about cognitive skills and gaming prowess!
Intrigued by intelligence beyond just primates and dogs, researchers turned their gaze to technology, gadgets, and science, incorporating video games into a study with pigs led by Candace Croney and Sarah Boysen. After weeks of training, the pigs amazed everyone with their ability to navigate simple video games, demonstrating a level of intelligence that defied expectations and expanded our understanding of their cognitive skills in the realm of technology.
