OtherMinds

Although mammals and birds are often considered the most intelligent animals on earth, recent research has revealed that cephalopods, including the squid, cuttlefish, and especially the octopus, have also evolved higher levels of intelligence. Octopuses have been observed in captivity keeping track of individual human caretakers, raiding neighboring tanks for food, turning off lightbulbs with water, plugging drains, and even escaping. It is fascinating that such creatures with advanced cognitive abilities have evolved from an entirely different branch of the evolutionary tree. This discovery raises important questions: How did these intelligent creatures develop? What can we learn from this encounter with an "intelligent alien"?

In "Other Minds," philosopher of science and scuba diver Peter Godfrey-Smith explores the intriguing story of how subjective consciousness emerged in nature through his analysis of the evolutionary lineage of marine animals. Godfrey-Smith traces the development of nervous systems and explores the intellectual abilities of various marine creatures, from primordial organisms to the cephalopods, which abandoned their shells and evolved towards greater intelligence. Mammals and birds also took their own evolutionary paths towards unique forms of consciousness.

However, it is puzzling to consider the nature of the cephalopod intelligence. Godfrey-Smith delves into recent scientific research and his own undersea experiences to unlock the mysteries of these animals. What makes octopuses so clever? How does the anatomy of their eight tentacles, each containing an abundance of neurons, contribute to their extraordinary cognitive capacities? What happens when they leave their solitary existence and begin to form groups? How does the cephalopod mind differ from that of mammals?

Godfrey-Smiths book offers a fascinating journey from the ocean's depths to the roots of inner life on earth. Through this exploration of the remarkable cognitive abilities of cephalopods and other intelligent creatures, he casts valuable new insights into the workings of the human mind.

作者简介

PeterGodfrey-SmithisadistinguishedprofessorofphilosophyattheGraduateCenter,CityUniversityofNewYork,andaprofessorofhistoryandthephilosophyofscienceattheUniversityofSydney.Heistheauthoroffourbooks,includingTheoryandReality:AnIntroductiontothePhilosophyofScienceandDarwinianPopulationsandNaturalSelection,whichwonthe2010Lak...