Human Elements: Why an octopus might think like an alien

Researcher Dominic Sivitilli goes to the bottom of the sea to study the bizarre mind of the giant pacific octopus.

Sarah Hoffman

Sarah Hoffman Jun 27, 2025

Apr 27, 2020

Republish Article

You can republish articles in print or online. Simply copy the HTML below, which includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline, and credit to Cascade PBS. Republishing of the photos or videos embedded in an article can occur only if the photo or video is a copyright of Cascade Public Media ("CPM") and not of a third party. Photos and videos that are a copyright of CPM are not required to appear in the republished article, but if they are used, they must be embedded where they appear in the original article and must include the attribution to the CPM photographer.

You may reprint in any medium
You may edit only for tense and timeliness
If republishing in print you can edit for length if you follow our print republishing guidelines.
You may write your own headline
Include a byline and shirttail with credit and link to Cascade PBS
Include our tracking pixel
Remove if we ask

          <article>
            <header>
              <hgroup>
                <h1>Human Elements: Why an octopus might think like an alien</h1>
                <h2><p>Researcher Dominic Sivitilli goes to the bottom of the sea to study the bizarre mind of the giant pacific octopus.</p></h2>
              </hgroup>
               <p>By <a href="/author/shoffman-kcts9-org/">Sarah Hoffman</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Apr 27, 2020</time></p>
            </header>
            <p>To understand how aliens might think, Dominic Sivitilli went to the bottom of the sea to find the closest thing: an octopus. Its sophisticated nervous systems and sensitive suckers allow it to do incredible things like escape aquariums — but Sivitilli is learning how each of an octopus' eight arms might actually have a mind of its own. We don’t know yet if alien life exists. But if they do, they might think like an octopus.</p>
          </article>

To understand how aliens might think, Dominic Sivitilli went to the bottom of the sea to find the closest thing: an octopus. Its sophisticated nervous systems and sensitive suckers allow it to do incredible things like escape aquariums — but Sivitilli is learning how each of an octopus' eight arms might actually have a mind of its own. We don’t know yet if alien life exists. But if they do, they might think like an octopus.

Our members' donations make local journalism happen.

Support once for $1

Support monthly for $7

Cascade PBS Passport
Mossback members-only newsletter
Print Viewer Guide (opt-in)

Support monthly for $25

Invitation to quarterly news and original programming video conference
Annual in-person meet-up with news & programming teams
Special event perks (reduced price or free tickets, cocktails, etc.)

Continue

By Sarah Hoffman

Sarah Hoffman is a senior video producer at Cascade PBS, focusing on science and the environment. Previously she worked as a visual journalist for the Omaha World-Herald and The Dallas Morning News. F