91. What Can an Octopus Teach Us About Intelligence? (Prof Jennifer Mather)

What does intelligence really mean? Throughout history humans have looked in the mirror and defined intelligence in their image. Tests have been designed to measure people, and even animals, against a narrow definition of intelligence. Although in recent times there have been advances in understanding the flaws in how we test for intelligence, and it’s been recognized that there are more diverse forms, there is still a long way to go. The octopus is a mysterious creature that defies what we consider intelligence to look like. Studying and appreciating the different forms of intelligence of the octopus, and other living creatures, can free us from too narrow assumptions of what it is and open us up to the possibilities of other forms of intelligence and problem solving. As humanity strives to design artificial intelligence and other technologies, it is humbling and imperative to look at all forms of life and what they can teach us about intelligence and problem solving. My guest in this episode is an expert in octopus behaviour and was the scientific advisor on the award winning Netflix documentary My Octopus Teacher. Prof Jennifer Mather is Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Lethbridge in Canada, and is a leading expert in the ethics of octopus. Prof Mather has been studying octopuses for more than 40 years and found her love of sea life while growing up in Victoria, British Columbia. She served as the scientific advisor on the 2021 Oscar-winning documentary My Octopus Teacher. The film tells the story of how Craig Foster, a South African filmmaker, spent a year with a wild octopus in the Great African Seaforest. In this time, he built a connection with the creature and started to understand the incredible intellect of the octopus. This connection between humans and animals is something Prof Mather studies extensively and has created the popular course called Human-Animal Interactions. In 2017 she received the Distinguished Teacher award at the University of Lethbridge for her innovative approach to teaching. Prof Jennifer Mather: https://directory.uleth.ca/users/mather