00:00Oh, the capybaras. I bet your social networks are full of these adorable creatures,
00:06lazing around in warm baths, totally indifferent to the worries of this world.
00:11As I understand you, the biggest rodents in the world may not seem to be very fond of their happy attitude,
00:17but in reality, they are quite intelligent. Studies show that they would be even smarter than two-year-old children and most dogs.
00:26Although dogs can be trained, capybaras are independent thinkers, with their own way of doing things.
00:33So, if you ask them to run a lap, they could say to themselves, what now?
00:38They would probably think of an original way to do it, or they could simply decide not to do it at all.
00:45Another aspect of their intelligence lies in the complexity of their communication.
00:50Capybaras whistle when they feel a danger, purr when they are happy,
00:55gurgle in groups, and snap their teeth when they are excited by food.
01:00Their repertoire is impressive, and imagine what they could accomplish if they became as intelligent as humans overnight.
01:08With their unique vocal abilities, capybaras could excel in sound production,
01:12producing sounds far beyond human abilities, and bringing a touch of realism to the animals in the films.
01:21This would at least remedy the fact that the capybara in Disney's Encanto has no voice.
01:27Capybaras could even organize swimming competitions, making them the Michael Phelps of the animal kingdom.
01:34Okay, I'm getting a little carried away, but they move with much more fat underwater than on land.
01:40Ah, and you remember those capybaras taking hot baths.
01:43It's not just for social networks.
01:46They go crazy because it helps to treat their skin problems and keep their heat.
01:51With a little more intelligence, they would probably take control of hot springs and jacuzzis, defeating humans.
01:58Imagine signs reserved for capybaras, written on their own paws.
02:04You know, when you feel depressed, and suddenly your cat purrs and rubs against you to cheer you up,
02:11it's not as if these felines had a crystal ball to predict the days of blues.
02:15However, cats seem to have the disturbing gift of feeling the mood of their owner.
02:21This is explained by the fact that perceiving other people's emotions is essential for social animals.
02:26Thus, cats detect their master's habits and perceive when something is wrong.
02:33Now, imagine this sixth sense combined with human intelligence.
02:38Cats would open their own center of well-being to moustaches,
02:41offering therapist services trained to perfection.
02:45If you don't know how to express your discomfort during therapy, no worries,
02:50they can simply purr on your knees for an hour, but you will still be charged for that.
02:56Feline therapists wouldn't even need little notepads to file complaints from their patients,
03:01because they have an excellent memory.
03:04Just like humans, cats don't have a hard time remembering significant or extreme experiences,
03:09like the moment they found themselves stuck in a closet, or when you gave them their first treat.
03:16Thanks to an impressive procedural and spatial memory,
03:20cats can remember and keep these memories for 10 years or more.
03:25Whether they are happily climbing a hill, or going to a bamboo mukbang,
03:29there is something about pandas that fascinates us.
03:31YouTube is full of thousands of videos showing these adorable plantigrades
03:35cabrioleting backwards and in all directions.
03:38Theories suggest that they roll for many reasons,
03:42such as regulating their body temperature or waking up their muscles,
03:46after a long period of sedentary life.
03:48But there is another crucial factor, laziness.
03:53After all, why walk when you can use gravity and ride along hills, right?
03:59If pandas were as smart as humans,
04:02they could create the world's first employment training center for lazy people,
04:06like working on motocross circuits,
04:08rolling all the way to ensure that the slope is perfect.
04:13They would also be experts in detecting lies,
04:16which would make them excellent lawyers, human resources professionals or negotiators.
04:22I know, I know,
04:24we often imagine them as these big clumsy black and white teddy bears,
04:28and not really as the protagonists of the series Lie to Me.
04:32But after years living among humans,
04:34they have learned to distinguish our expressions of anger and joy.
04:38With a brain equivalent to ours,
04:40they could easily become experts in body language.
04:46What would you say if I asked you which marine animal is the smartest?
04:49I bet the first word that comes to mind is dolphin.
04:52Indeed, these are known for their intelligence.
04:56They use, for example, sponges to protect their muzzles while fishing,
05:00a technique they learned nearly 200 years ago.
05:04But do you know who discovered the use of tools long before dolphins?
05:08Well, it's sea otters.
05:10I know, we are often charmed by their adorable appearance when they float on the water.
05:15But it is easy to forget that their small hands and small brains
05:19can accomplish feats.
05:21Thanks to their legs,
05:22previously equipped with retractable claws and robust cushions,
05:26sea otters can rub, grab, twist, pull or tear objects with surprising dexterity.
05:33So don't be surprised to see them perform feats
05:36such as hiding their favorite toys in their bellies
05:39or participating in the cleaning of pools.
05:43These behaviors are really fun to watch,
05:46but they have also learned amazing tricks in the wild,
05:49such as the use of rocks as a hammer to open shells.
05:54In a world where these otters would be as intelligent as humans,
05:57they would probably own five-star seafood restaurants all over the world.
06:03Indeed, they have incredible skills
06:06to manipulate the shells of urchins, squids and crabs.
06:11In addition, their impeccable taste for gastronomy
06:14would only sharpen after a training at the school of the blue cord.
06:19The fact that the brain of an elephant is three times bigger than that of an average human
06:23does not mean that elephants are three times smarter than us.
06:26Sure, they have three times more neurons,
06:29but only a small part of them is in the cortex,
06:32the region responsible for complex tasks such as problem solving and learning.
06:37However, elephants are remarkably developed on the emotional level.
06:42Although empathy is often considered a mark of human intelligence,
06:46elephants also have this quality.
06:49They are perfectly able to put themselves in the shoes of others.
06:53These sensitive beings can discern when their peers are suffering or feeling down,
06:58and they offer comfort when it is necessary.
07:02With a more developed intelligence,
07:04they could immerse themselves in the world of art
07:07and express their complex emotions on vast canvases by means of their trunks,
07:12thus creating masterpieces worthy of Jackson Pollock.
07:16Let's go from a huge brain to a tiny one,
07:19the size of the nail of your little finger.
07:22Yes, we are talking here about the brain of the hamster.
07:25These adorable companions are among the cleanest animals in the world.
07:30And it's not just their personal toilet.
07:34They really like to keep their habitat clean,
07:36whether in captivity or in nature.
07:39Thus, hamsters, by digging their deep burrows,
07:43create distinct spaces for nesting, waste and food.
07:48If hamsters had the intelligence of humans,
07:51they could transform this obsession with cleanliness
07:54into a real financial mania.
07:57Imagine the sparkling roar of joy.
08:00The first hamster in the world to publish a book
08:03adapting Marie Kondo's techniques to keep its cage impeccably clean and neat.
08:08Yuki, come here my baby.
08:11Did you really think this list would end without mentioning the dogs?
08:14Let me guess.
08:15You probably think that your best friend is the smartest companion ever.
08:20And you are very proud that Yuki knows his own name, don't you?
08:25Well, Yuki may be much smarter than you thought.
08:29Indeed, dogs can understand up to 165 words.
08:33In our hypothetical world,
08:35I am sure that dogs would be the first animals to invent their own complex language
08:40and would open drinking schools all over the planet.
08:43We can easily imagine dogs giving interviews
08:46where they declare they have had enough of being called the best friend of man
08:50and would prefer to be recognized as good-humored coaches.
08:54Indeed, they excel in interactions
08:57and can even try to deceive humans or their congeners
09:00in order to get delicious rewards.
09:03So much the better for them, I guess.
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