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Eight arms, endless skills: New study finds an octopus' arms can do it all

By Nell Greenfieldboyce

Published September 16, 2025 at 4:08 AM EDT

Researchers studied octopuses in the wild to learn whether they favor one of their eight arms over the others for certain jobs, but found the creatures give new meaning to ambidextrous.

Nell Greenfieldboyce

Nell Greenfieldboyce is a NPR science correspondent.

See stories by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Stories From This Author

Scientists celebrate a decade of listening to black holes

Nell Greenfieldboyce

Researchers have spent 10 years improving the massive detectors they use to catch shockwaves from colliding black holes. Now the science is precise enough to test one of Stephen Hawking's key ideas.
After 10 years of black hole science, Stephen Hawking is proven right

Nell Greenfieldboyce

Researchers have spent 10 years improving the massive detectors they use to catch shockwaves from colliding black holes, and now the science is precise enough to test one of Stephen Hawking's key ideas.
Solar flares are hotter than previously thought

Nell Greenfieldboyce

Solar flares can be many times the size of Earth and can damage things like satellites. A new study suggests that eruptions from the sun can be even hotter than researchers thought.