What octopus and shrimp can tell us about workings of the animal mind

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Octopus vulgaris at the State Museum for Natural History, Karlsruhe, Germany. Photo by H.Zell (Wikicommons)

If you go back far enough in time our common ancestor might be a cuddle fish or an octopus. Though evolution has taken us on different paths, there is still much that connects us to the animal world and to the thoughts and experiences that give it shape. Philosopher and scientist Peter Godfrey-Smith explores the oceans and provides some illuminating insight on the origins of the mind and the nature of consciousness. Also poet and author Aimee Nezhukumatathil on how observing the natural world may mean more than we realize for our physical and mental health.

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Producer:

Andrea Brody