The intelligence of octopuses: a mystery that continues to amaze scientists around the world

The intelligence of octopuses is a topic that is increasingly attracting the attention of scientists. These creatures, halfway between an ocean alien and a brain with suction cups, have an amazing mind. One detail, the more than 500 million neurons that cephalopods have are in their tentacles, and with them they explore, feel, smell and even make decisions.

Those who work in aquariums or oceanographic research know that the animals that usually cause the most problems are octopuses. All those responsible for these facilities usually tell fascinating stories about how these animals They manage to escape and even get into nearby tanks and steal food from other marine species.. They are fascinating.

For many scientists, however, the unusual intelligence of cephalopods is nothing remarkable. There are those who say that all these abilities respond to a simple ecological intelligence. That is, the animals They develop certain strategies depending on the demands of the environment. Therefore, octopuses are nothing more than those beings that manage to obtain food from almost anywhere.

However, there is one striking fact. Piero Amodio, a scientist at the University of Padua, Italy, recorded a video that soon went viral. In it, we see an octopus that manages to obtain a shell and get inside. Later, the animal keeps it and takes it with him because He knows that it is his “tool” and that it can be useful in the most ingenious ways.. There we clearly see planning.

The intelligence of octopuses: characteristics and mysteries

More than 275 million years ago, cephalopods had an external shell. This characteristic helped them defend themselves from predators, but it had a limitation: it made it difficult for them to search for food. Freeing themselves from this escape has allowed them to explore with greater ease, enter through narrower gaps, gain strength to break shells and rocks and also to hunt with greater precision.

However, not having a shell makes them vulnerable. Hence be great engineers when it comes to looking for “substitutes” with which to protect themselves. However, the intelligence of octopuses goes far beyond these tasks. One of the greatest experts on the subject is Peter Godfrey-Smith, an Australian philosopher who is in constant contact with these creatures. His goal is to explore the origin of consciousness through cephalopods.

So, The octopus, the sea and the deep origins of consciousness It is a work as striking as it is curious. which is worth diving into to better understand these beings and, in turn, part of ourselves. In it, Godfrey-Smith tells us about his encounter with a giant cuttlefish in Australia, an animal that, far from being afraid of him, observed him and approached him to “pet him” with enormous curiosity. That delicate contact marked him forever.

Octopuses modify their own genetic code

This data is striking. Eli Eisenberg, a scientist at Tel Aviv University, conducted a study on the intelligence of octopuses to discover that these animals They are capable of “manipulating” their own genetic code.

Cephalopods “improve” their nervous system depending on the climatic demands of the environment. What their organisms do is a recombination of ribonucleic acid (RNA), thus sending themselves new proteins to the genes to improve their adaptation. Something that human beings achieve slowly through evolution, they achieve based on needs.

The same number of neurons as our dogs

Octopuses have approximately 500 million neurons, the same as a dog. Now, cephalopods have their nervous system distributed in their legs, so that They have 9 brains: one central and eight peripheral.

Tentacles are undoubtedly an indispensable part of octopus intelligence. With them they explore, smell, taste and even decide. That is, each “tentacle” can make a specific decision separately from the others; However, together they work in harmony and without disagreements.

They communicate, play and are creative

Biologists have discovered that some squid communicate with each other using a system similar to Morse code. Likewise, those who are used to observing the behavior of octopuses know that they are tremendously creative.

They build their own hiding places, they are able to solve problems creatively, they overcome challenges, they open plugs.boxes, hunt with great originality and, even more, demonstrate human-like behaviors.

When they are in a place they do not like, they are capable of launching jets of water at their caregivers when they see them. They develop manias and also philias. They have favorite objects and also those that they dislike and that they do not hesitate to destroy. They are mischievous and develop attachment to some caregivers and hatred for others.

To conclude, as philosopher Peter Godfrey-Smith points out, delving into the intelligence of octopuses is also delving into our own consciousness. The mind ultimately emerged from the sea, the origin of all life comes from the oceanic world and, therefore, To look into the eyes of a cephalopod is to be aware that we have a shared history with them..

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