Bonus Episode: The Social Lives of Octopuses

Octopuses are some of the ocean’s most enigmatic creatures. Highly intelligent, curious, playful, and, as more and more research is showing, sometimes social. But although we’re witnessing more instances of octopuses interacting with one another—sharing dens, cooperatively hunting, or gathering in large numbers—can they form social bonds with humans? If an octopus seems to reach out to touch us, is it making a connection or just exploring the strange thing in front of it?

In this special episode Hakai Magazine managing editor Adrienne Mason and guests discuss how octopuses perceive their environments, the current understanding of octopus social behaviors, and how we might interpret interactions between humans and octopuses. Guests are researcher Piero Amodio, who studies the behavior and cognition of cephalopods (octopus, cuttlefish, and squid), and Ferris Jabr, who researched and wrote "Can We Really Be Friends with an Octopus?"

If you prefer to watch the discussion in video format, you can find it on YouTube, here: https://youtu.be/mU64zgVrtNU?t=170