Court of the Golden Fishes, Part 3
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In the third and final episode of their 'Fishes of Gold' series, hosts Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the surprising scientific capabilities of goldfish, focusing on their ability to learn complex tasks beyond their natural environment. They delve into a 2022 study where goldfish were trained to operate a fish-operated vehicle (FOV)—a water-filled tank on motorized wheels—using head orientation and LIDAR technology to navigate toward a pink target for food rewards. The fish demonstrated remarkable adaptability, improving from hitting the target just two or three times in 30 minutes to over 17 times after training. A follow-up 2025 study further revealed that goldfish could compensate for persistent steering malfunctions and even retain learned behaviors, though they didn’t relearn the task faster the second time, suggesting a unique learning mechanism distinct from mammals. The episode then shifts to goldfish in space, examining real experiments with killifish and later goldfish on NASA and Soviet missions. These studies showed that goldfish, like humans, adapted to microgravity by relying on visual cues when their vestibular systems were disrupted, though they exhibited looping and rolling behaviors initially. The hosts speculate on the broader implications for animal cognition, space adaptation, and the future of cyborgs, referencing sci-fi stories like 'Scanners Live in Vain' and 'Man Plus' that explore sensory deprivation and human-machine integration. The episode concludes with a call for listener contributions and a reminder of the podcast’s weekly schedule.
Goldfish can be trained to drive a fish-operated vehicle using head movement and sensor feedback, demonstrating advanced spatial learning and adaptability.
Goldfish adapt to microgravity by relying on visual cues when their vestibular system is impaired, similar to human astronauts.
Despite their reputation, goldfish have better memory and learning capabilities than commonly believed, challenging the myth of their three-second memory.
Goldfish show unique motor adaptation patterns—learning to compensate for steering errors but not relearning them faster, suggesting differences from mammalian learning.
The study of goldfish in extreme environments (land, space) reveals universal principles of animal navigation and the brain’s ability to transfer skills across domains.
…and 1 more takeaway available in PodZeus
Sponsor Segments and Podcast Introductions
Multiple iHeartRadio podcast promotions are aired, including 'Earn Your Leisure', 'Math & Magic', 'A Slight Change of Plans', 'The Cino Show', and 'The Nick Dickens Poll Show', each highlighting financial literacy, marketing insights, personal transformation, and candid conversations.
Goldfish Driving: The Fish-Operated Vehicle Experiment
“They're piloting their mechs to the pink board to get the pellet.”
Learning and Adaptation in Goldfish: Beyond the First Trial
“The fish did learn how to compensate. So once again, of course, they did learn how to use the fish-operated vehicle. The training worked. They did learn how to compensate for steering problems.”
Goldfish in Microgravity: Space Adaptation and the Vestibular System
“The visual system alone wasn't enough to make up for what was lacking from the vestibular sense of gravity.”
Sci-Fi, Cyborgs, and the Future of Space-Faring Humans
“It's a fun little story. Basically, there's a murder plot that emerges when the scanners and the Habermans learn that a normal human will soon publicly reveal a method that allows normal humans to avoid the great pain of space.”
“The visual system alone wasn't enough to make up for what was lacking from the vestibular sense of gravity.”
“It's a fun little story. Basically, there's a murder plot that emerges when the scanners and the Habermans learn that a normal human will soon publicly reveal a method that allows normal humans to avoid the great pain of space.”
“You can have opinions, you can have like a strong stance. And then there's your body having its own program.”
Hosts
goldfish
other
carp
other
koi fish
other
iHeartRadio
organization
fish-operated vehicle
other
NASA
organization
Bob Pittman
person
Given et al.
other
Takabayashi et al.
other
Skylab 3
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