Imagine a creature with arms that seem to think for themselves, a being that can unscrew jars, mimic other species, and ...

Nature showcases diverse nervous systems beyond a single command center. Several animals, including octopuses, leeches, and ...

The nervous system of this common octopus, Octopus vulgaris, is far larger and more complex than that of most invertebrates. Can it think? Is it conscious, as some scientists and philosophers suggest?

Octopuses have a large nervous system, with the average octopus having about 500 million neurons or brain cells. That puts it in the same “brain range” as smaller mammals such as dogs.