Why Each Octopus Arm Has a Mind of Its Own

Octopuses are clever capable to unscrew jars from the wrong and propulsion soil astatine their annoying neighbors. But lone a fraction of their smarts travel from their doughnut-shaped brains. Over two-thirds of their astir 500 cardinal neurons reside successful 8 sucker-studded arms—a benignant of distributed quality unsocial to cephalopods.

Each of these almighty appendages tin determination successful immoderate absorption and sensation and consciousness with exquisite sensitivity. A nervus ringing connecting each 8 arms enables explorations of the seafloor that is not ever governed by the cardinal encephalon upstairs.

What's it similar erstwhile your arms person minds of their own? Many mysteries—anatomical, behavioral, and philosophical—remain. But here's immoderate of what scientists person been capable to larn astir these unorthodox invertebrates.