More Series from Crosscut
Human Elements
The world of science is full of facts and figures, but behind the study are the people. In the end, it becomes a question not of how they do science — but why.
Why an octopus might think like an alien
To understand how aliens might think, Dominic Sivitilli went to the bottom of the sea to find the closest thing: an octopus. Its sophisticated nervous systems and sensitive suckers allow it to do incredible things like escape aquariums — but Sivitilli is learning how each of an octopus' eight arms might actually have a mind of its own. We don’t know yet if alien life exists. But if they do, they might think like an octopus.
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Credits© Crosscut, Published 2/3/20
Human Elements
Production Team: Sarah Hoffman, Shaminder Dulai, Amy Mahardy, Ted Alvarez