Octopus Brains [UNCUT, 30-MINUTE VERSION]

Everybody loves cephalopods—that class of animals containing octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish. But why? What makes these non-fluffy, non-mammals so appealing?

Last August, I attempted to answer that question in a presentation for a University of New Mexico IGERT symposium (http://www.chtm.unm.edu/incbnigert/20...). "Those Fabulous Octopus Brains" is a speech linking cephalopod neurobiology to cephalopod behavior, and asking what it really means to call a species "intelligent". It'll get you caught up on what we do, and don't, know about cephalopod smarts—and what studying these amazing creatures means for the future of human technology, and our understanding of the human brain.

Don't have time to watch the entire thing? Never fear. The intrepid editors at BoingBoing Video have put together a highlights reel that will enlighten you in a 1/3 of the time.

Short version here (10 minutes): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyGazP...

• Category

  Science & Technology

[htn1986]

I was wishing the narrator would just take a drink of water. That sticky saliva sound is so annoying

[ZukiChaaaaan]

You guys are dumb, this was obviously created by The Lord Arceus.

[Bruce R Cordell]

This video is an appropriate companion for reading the story "Measure of Intelligence" in Stupefying Stories (bit.ly/MeasureOfIntelligence)

[ronisin710]

A lot of great information, but this is a video. Show us what you're talking about. Not endless slides.

[ezekieloak]

Have you been to Albuquerque? It's impossible to drink enough water there. Anyway I found the fascinating things she had to say much more distracting. 

;-)

[HagenSteele]

Awesome indeed.

[Bentley Zohner]

The Bible is true and unedited, says the Bible. Defeating Atheists all day with logic. ;)

[JUNIOR OMNI]

JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME JEHOVAH GOD..........

JESUS IS THE CREATOR OF ALL THINGS VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE.....

JESUS IS THE TRUE AND OANLY GOD!

Colossians 1:16, 17

[Cesar Chavez]

read the bible! Now that's really dumb-people still reading fictional books about some god in the skies. Science is where it is, because of science you and I communicate through the internet, drive a car, use the iphone, etc.

god didn't give you that, god gives us nothing, simpletons still believing in a supreme being.