i.telegraph.co.uk / CC

In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the dolphins know to leave Earth before the planet is destroyed—and it looks like Douglas Adams was on to something.

No, the planet isn't in immediate peril (depending on your definition of "immediate"), but dolphins really are geniuses, second only to humans in intelligence, according to a new study.

This study revealed that the brain cortex of dolphins has the same complicated folds associated with human intelligence, and it has the scientific community buzzing. Thomas White, professor of ethics at Loyola Marymount University, argues that dolphins (i.e. "non-human persons") deserve rights and "qualify for moral understanding as individuals." PETA couldn't agree more! And because we wouldn't force our relatives to live in cages tanks, we're writing a letter to the National Marine Fisheries Service, asking it to place a permanent ban on issuing permits allowing dolphins to be captured and used as attractions at theme parks and resort hotels.

Dolphins are thoughtful animals with distinct personalities, and each dolphin has a strong sense of self. They think, plan, and communicate with one another. In the wild, they spend their entire lives in large groups; removing them from their natural communities is traumatizing and often results in stress-related illness and premature death. If we don't start treating our cognitive cousins with more respect, in the end we might really be left holding that note that reads, "So long, and thanks for all the fish."

Posted by Logan Scherer

Those of you who still need convincing that fish sea kittens are smarter than a 5-year-old should check out today's New York Times. Molecular biologist and geneticist Sean B. Carroll writes about recent studies indicating that fish who inhabit coral reefs can learn to differentiate between targets marked with different designs and colors in order to obtain food. Other studies of coral-reef fish in their natural habitat show that fish are more drawn to "dummies" that closely resemble beneficial "cleaner fish" than to dummies with similar coloring but different markings.

animal-world / CC

If you can stand the cuteness, check out this photo of a teeny-tiny damselfish poking a target marked with an asterisk with his (or her) teeny-tiny nose.

Of course, it comes as no surprise to us here at Sea Kitten Central that fish are smart cookies. Previous studies have shown that fish have long-term memories and can learn to avoid nets by watching what other fish do. "[T]hey are capable of learning quickly," says Dr. Chris Glass, director of marine conservation at the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences in Massachusetts. Dr. Phil Gee, a psychologist at the University of Plymouth in the U.K., says that fish can even tell what time of day it is: Dr. Gee trained fish to collect food by pressing a lever at specific times.

Still not convinced? You leave me no choice but to unleash … goldfish soccer.

Posted by Alisa Mullins

homeschoolingaddkids / CC

Recent research shows that dogs are at least as clever as a 2-year-old human child—but dear Rex won't yell "No!" at everything, like a kid in the throes of the "terrible twos."

Dogs can learn, on average, between 250 and 165 words, depending on which study you read. They have basic math skills (and can even call us out when we add incorrectly), and they're skilled problem-solvers. Perhaps they are more like 20-year-olds.

Come to think of it, this might explain why Lassie always had to save Timmy from falling down wells.

If you really want to get inside another animal's head, allow me to direct you to New Orleans, where a virtual-reality exhibit allows humans to experience what it must be like to have the heightened senses of sight and hearing that other species enjoy naturally.

The exhibit allows visitors to see in ultraviolet light, as birds do, and hear the ultra-low frequencies that whales and other animals communicate in every day.

It looks as if Mark Twain was on the right track when he said, "It is just like man's vanity and impertinence to call an animal dumb because [he or she] is dumb to his dull perceptions."

Posted by Jeff Mackey

movies.msn / CC

Sam Neill, star of that "oldie but goodie," er …

(pause)

… Shoot, what was that one?

… Oh, yeah, Jurassic Park! Anyway, Sam Neill's fossilizing career now has him plugging the consumption of artery-clogging meat from abused cows, pigs, and other animals in commercials for Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA).

In the ads, MLA has Mr. Neill suggesting that eating meat will make a person smarter (hardly) and more energetic (not so). And as if that weren't offensive enough, Sam's co-star in the two spots is an orangutan named Dennis.

Jason Baker, director of PETA Asia-Pacific, wasted no time—or words—in his letter to Mr. Neill:

"Seeing you pimp for an industry that is linked to the main killers of human beings as well as of animals is, well, sad."

Jason continues:

"Some of the most accomplished and brilliant thinkers in history were vegetarian—including Einstein, Leonardo de Vinci, Plato, Pythagoras, Mahatma Gandhi and Isaac Newton. Studies published in the British Medical Journal have shown that people with a higher IQ are more likely to go vegetarian—yes, it really is the smart choice."

It's a no-brainer. A vegetarian diet is better for your brain, animals, and environment. Hopefully, Mr. Neill will realize this and get out of the meat-promoting business before his career reaches full-blown extinction.

Posted by Karin Bennett