Where are the majority of an octopus's neurons located?
Chapter 1

The mastermind of the deep

Chapter 2

The genetic rulebreakers

Chapter 3

Jumping genes in the deep

Chapter 4

Rewriting the future on the fly

YOUR GOAL

Master of The secret genetics of octopus intelligence

Ch 1 · The mastermind of the deep
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007skaty The coconut octopus exhibits rare tool-using behavior.

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007skaty Smart Mollusk Evolution

They folded up their ancient DNA to make a brand-new space, Rearranging the puzzle to win the brainy race!

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007skaty The intelligence of octopuses puzzles evolutionary biologists.

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The escape artist of New Zealand

007skaty In April 2016, Inky squeezed his football-sized body through a 150-millimeter drainpipe in Napier into the Pacific Ocean.

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A brain spread across eight arms

007skaty Octopus arms taste, smell, and make decisions without waiting for the central brain.

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Clever Coco Buddy
BETA

007skaty Match ancient gene sequences to discover how the coconut octopus evolved its clever intelligence.

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Fun Fact

Octopus play: In 2010, scientists observed octopuses repeatedly bouncing pill bottles off aquarium water jets, proving they engage in play just like mammals.

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Glossary
octopus (noun)
A marine mollusk with a soft rounded body, a large head, and eight arms equipped with suckers. In 2026, University of Vienna researchers discovered that ancient DNA rearrangements shaped this creature's complex brain.

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Gossip

Which octopus superpower would you want most?

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Quiz

In which country did Inky the octopus escape from an aquarium in April 2016?

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007skaty The octopus distributes its nervous system throughout its body.

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Gossip

Would you keep a super-smart octopus as a pet?

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Quiz

How wide was the drainpipe that Inky the octopus squeezed through during his 2016 escape?

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007skaty The escape of Inky the octopus from a New Zealand aquarium

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Quiz

Approximately how many neurons does an octopus have in its entire nervous system?

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Quiz

Where are the majority of an octopus's neurons located?

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Quiz

In which Indonesian island's waters did researchers first document octopuses using coconut shells as tools in 2009?

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Quiz

What do coconut octopuses use discarded coconut shells for in the wild?

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Quiz

Which of the following mollusks is known to lack a proper brain entirely?

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Quiz

To which animal phylum do octopuses, squids, snails, and oysters all belong?

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