Publish at August 01 2022 Updated August 01 2022
They have existed for millions of years, have eight arms, nine hearts and three brains: octopuses are extremely fascinating marine beings. Their intelligence stands out among all animal species. The classic experiment of an octopus learning in a few minutes to unscrew a lid on a jar in order to reach a bait has been around the world. Some researchers like Edward Steele have even dared to hypothesize a creature from elsewhere in the universe.
More seriously, however, the animal has long been perceived as a negative figure. In Japanese mythology, it wears a cloak of both danger and eroticism. Among the Vikings, it appears as the Kraken, a huge octopus that can sink a fleet if the mood strikes it.
Villains have additionally taken his form or name, whether it be the sentinels stalking humans in The Matrix (1999) or James Bond's terrible enemy in Octopussy (1983). Nevertheless, more recent filmmakers have shown the pacifism of this cephalopod and its great cerebral capacities. So much so that French naturalist Theodore Monod concluded that the day humans become extinct, the next dominant species could be one with many arms, hearts and brains.
Time: 5min30
Picture credit: en.depositphotos.com
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