Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness

by Peter Godfrey-Smith

A wide range of animals use found objects for shelters (hermit crabs are an example), and some use tools for collecting food (including chimps and some crows). But to assemble and disassemble a “compound” object like this, and put it to use, is very rare. It’s not clear what to compare this behavior to, in fact. Many animals combine a variety of materials when making nests—a lot of nests are “compound” objects. But those are not disassembled, carried around, and put back together. The coconut-house behavior illustrates what I see as the distinctive feature of octopus intelligence; it makes clear the way they have become smart animals. They are smart in the sense of being curious and flexible; they are adventurous, opportunistic.