The Animal With Many Brains That Makes Us Rethink Intelligence
The octopus and its cousins are the closest things to alien intelligence. Their neurobiology coupled with their strange abilities raises many provoking questions.
In 2016, a daring New Zealand inmate planned a careful escape from its prison. This inmate decided to slip away at night. The stunning disappearance of this inmate did not go unnoticed. A small trail of water was left behind, leading to a narrow drainpipe.
Inky, the octopus, escaped from a New Zealand aquarium. Slipping through a small hole in the aquarium, Inky slipped towards a narrow drainpipe leading to the open ocean.
These strange underwater dwelling creatures perform impressive cognitive feats. The octopus belongs to the class Cephalopoda that also includes their intelligent evolutionary cousins, squid and cuttlefish. These odd invertebrates evolved and adapted for thriving in an underwater environment. Their brain and nervous system are downright alien to us.
Their abilities, like camouflaging-at-will, are ripped straight from the pages of comic books. While they are nowhere near as social as humans or other primates, they nonetheless are capable of complex communication. The way these…
