Every pet owner thinks their own dog, cat, fish or hamster is a genius. What makes Can Fish Count? so exciting is the way it unveils just how widespread intelligence is in nature.
Pioneering psychologist Brian Butterworth describes the extraordinary numerical feats of all manner of species ranging from primates and mammals to birds, reptiles, fish and insects. Whether it’s lions deciding to fight or flee, frogs competing for mates, bees navigating their way to food sources, fish assessing which shoal to join, or jackdaws counting friends when joining a mob – every species shares an ability to count.
In conversation with Matt Gaw