A 'Psychic' Octopus Named Paul Correctly Predicted Matches During The 2010 World Cup
Paul, who resided at the Sea Life Aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany, chose his teams by placing food into or retrieving it from one of two glass cases, labeled with the teams' logos, which keepers lowered into his tank. Paul nailed every aspect of Germany's performance in South Africa, including a shocking win against Serbia, according to The Guardian.
Technically, Paul's divination started during the Euro 2008 tournament, but his performance during the last World Cup made him a household name. In fact, some Argentines, so upset over his guess of Germany's win, even threatened to cook and eat Paul, The Telegraph reported.
"Common octopuses like Paul are very intelligent. We equate their intelligence with that of a dog, and they love problem solving and figuring things out," Fiona Smith, head of animal care at Paul's facility, told The Telegraph.
And he didn't confine his omnipotence to just soccer. Paul started weighing in on football and basketball games too, before his death due to old age in October 2010. Since Paul's passing, other oracle octopuses (rudely named Paul as well) have tried to take his spot. But none have proven as successful. We'll never forget.
Today, Paul makes a triumphant return today as the Google Doodle. Watch him scratch his haloed head over the outcome of Brazil and Mexico's match.