Paul the octopus

14 Stories

Activists: Quit It With Oracle Animals
 Activists: 
 Quit It With 
 Oracle Animals 
EURO 2012

Activists: Quit It With Oracle Animals

'Tasteless' soccer trend annoys animal rights groups

(Newser) - World Cup wonder Paul the octopus has been succeeded by Nelly the elephant and a menagerie of other animals allegedly capable of predicting soccer outcomes, but the trend has gotten out of hand during Euro 2012, animal rights groups complain. "It's too much, almost every dog and pig...

Euro 2012 Animal Oracles Doing Shockingly Well

Can any of them replace Paul the octopus?

(Newser) - Paul the octopus stunned the world with his eight-out-of-eight correct predictions during the 2010 World Cup—but sadly, he died shortly thereafter . Der Spiegel looks at a menagerie of his would-be successors, and finds that the latest animal oracles are doing surprisingly well at predicting the outcome of the European...

Meet Nelly, the New Soccer Oracle

Sad trumpet: Yanks will lose Women's Cup Finals

(Newser) - Move over Paul the Octopus (OK, so maybe he can't move because he's dead ). The latest amazing oracle of World Cup winners is Nelly the adorable baby elephant. The 18-month-old predicting pachyderm has so far picked the winner of every German match and the semifinal victors in...

The 10 Strangest Stories of 2010
The 10 Strangest
Stories of 2010

The 10 Strangest Stories of 2010

You know, like an octopus prognosticator....

(Newser) - There were a lot of strange stories in 2010. The DAFTA Awards give a little recognition to the world's odd events. Here are the winners:
  • The Penis Tattoo (Crazy Crime)—A man wanted to get a yin - yang tattoo. His former friend and tattoo artist decided that a footlong
...

Cover Up Floated in Octopus Death

Paul, we hardly knew ye

(Newser) - No sooner had Paul the psychic octopus died than the conspiracy theories started rolling in. Some believe the hapless sea creature who predicted World Cup soccer winners with deadly accuracy actually died months ago and was replaced by a doppelganger because, well, he was a big celebrity and no one...

RIP, Paul the Octopus
 RIP, Paul the Octopus 

RIP, Paul the Octopus

It was natural causes, German officials swear

(Newser) - Maybe he saw it coming: Paul the octopus, the unlikely hero of the 2010 World Cup, has been found dead in his German aquarium, reports Der Spiegel. Officials cite natural causes rather than angry German soccer fans, and say that the beloved psychic cephalopod will be cremated, not turned into...

Iran Prez Slams 'Decadent' Octopus

Pampered Paul Nonplussed

(Newser) - Paul the "psychic" octopus has already ticked off nations whose World Cup defeats he predicted, but now he's got a new enemy: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The Iranian leader has denounced the octopus in several recent speeches, accusing him of being a symbol of decadence and of "western propaganda...

Seer Octopus Gets Agent
 Seer Octopus Gets Agent 

Seer Octopus Gets Agent

Paul raising funds for endangered Greek turtles

(Newser) - The world's most famous octopus has retired from predicting soccer outcomes but he'll be staying in the public eye. Paul the octopus—who correctly predicted eight of eight World Cup games—now has an agent, according to his German aquarium home. The octopus is believed to be worth millions in...

Germany to Spain: No Way You're Getting Paul

Psychic octopus transfer bid rejected

(Newser) - Paul the octopus' German hosts are less than impressed by the Madrid Zoo's offer to trade some coral or small sharks for the world-famous cephalopod oracle. Spain is eager to get its hands on the octopus that predicted its World Cup win, and has offered money if the Germans aren't...

Psychic Octopus on Team Jacob
 Psychic Octopus on Team Jacob 
good choice, paul

Psychic Octopus on Team Jacob

This proves the octo has 'still got it'

(Newser) - Paul the psychic World Cup octopus may have retired , but not before settling one last important question: Team Edward or Team Jacob? Proving that he “actually is brilliant,” writes Megan Gibson in Time , he chose Jacob (a Twilight character, for those of you over the age of 16)....

Vengeful TV Host Throws Octopus Into Blender
 Vengeful TV Host 
 Throws Octopus 
 Into Blender  
world cup fallout

Vengeful TV Host Throws Octopus Into Blender

Relative of Paul the psychic cephalopod meets grisly end

(Newser) - And you thought the run on octopus recipes was bad—a relative of Paul the newly retired World Cup psychic wound up in a blender on Argentine TV, reports the UK Sun . "Adios," Roberto Pettinato croons to the "pulpo Nazi" as he takes shooting the messenger to...

Paul the World Cup Octopus Retires

No more psychic stuff for this cephalopod

(Newser) - Paul, the octopus who correctly predicted eight out of eight World Cup outcomes, including the final match , is retiring. He’s taking a “step back from the official oracle business,” a spokesperson for his Germany aquarium tells the AP . “He won't give any more oracle predictions—either...

Spain Fans Party in the Streets
 Spain Fans Party in the Streets 
world cup

Spain Fans Party in the Streets

World Cup victory over the Netherlands sparks nationwide celebrations

(Newser) - Cries of "Viva Espana" are echoing through the streets of Spain as fans celebrate the national team's first World Cup title. "It's an extraordinary feeling, of happiness and nerves," one reveler in Madrid tells AFP . Says another: "We are very proud and very happy." Spotted...

Octopus Predicts Spain Will Win World Cup

So go call your bookie

(Newser) - It's official: Spain is going to win the World Cup. Paul the Octopus has decreed it, the Daily Telegraph reports. The psychic cephalopod is 6 for 6 this World Cup, and went 4 for 5 in Euro 2008, missing only when he predicted his beloved Germans to defeat Spain in...

14 Stories