"Wild Minds: What Animals Really Think"

Kids who’ve always wondered what’s going on in the noggins of dolphins, orangutans and dogs don’t have to guess any longer. “Wild Minds: What Animals Really Think,” now open at the New York Hall of Science, explores the evolutionary and cognitive links that humans share with animals. Divvied up into four sections—communicating, using tools, recognizing self and solving problems—the exhibit allows museum-goers to understand how animals make decisions through hands-on activities. Parents beware: Some of the games and quizzes may even stump you! Here are six things not to miss.

Are these animals thinking? 
Is a dolphin thinking when it creates bubble rings in the water? How about when ants harvest leaves? Or when spiders weave different webs every night? Little investigators weigh in on whether the animal behaviors they observe on a large touch screen are hard-wired or require “thinking.” 

Decoding dog barks 
Children will feel like Dr. Dolittle with this computer activity that offers up different dog barks. Young visitors are asked to decide what the canine is communicating with each.  

Remembering numbers at a glance
Kids may be surprised at how smart chimpanzees are when they are asked to take the same memory test—listing numbers in order on a touch screen—posed to an ape.

Mimicking sounds from the environment
After watching a short clip about the lyrebird, which can imitate sounds as complex as a car alarm, kids try to determine what the bird is mimicking. 

The thinking octopus
Octopuses are mysterious creatures that have been mesmerizing scientists for years. Little ones see a mimic octopus—a species with a strong ability to imitate other creatures—and try to guess the type of poisonous animal the octopus is mimicking as a line of defense. 

Getting-the-peanut experiment
How would you get a peanut out of a tube? How do you think an orangutan would do it? Kids determine the way they would tackle the challenge, then see the intelligent and hilarious solution an orangutan has come up with.

"Wild Minds: What Animals Really Think" at the New York Hall of Science runs through Jan 15, 2012 (718-699-0005, nysci.org).