Re: Evolution of the mind

On 10/27/2024 5:40 AM, Burkhard wrote:

A discussion with  Peter Godfrey-Smith to introduce his latest book,
Living on Earth: Forests, Consciousness, and the Making of the World, -
https://nautil.us/motion-made-minds-1010268/
 I haven't read that one yet, but I loved the precursor in the trilogy,
Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness
 

The mollusc brain may be the best functional brain in the animal kingdom.  It is small and can function in a cold blooded animal, so it has to be very energy efficient.  It may be better than avian brains in terms of being able to do amazing problem solving things with such a small brain.  There was a recent video of an octopus recruiting fish as hunting partners, and the octopus would punch fish that were not participating correctly on the team.
Ron Okimoto