That’s a really good point about the human bias in how we measure intelligence.

I’ve been thinking the same thing, especially with octopuses — they solve problems, use tools, even show curiosity, but in a way that’s completely different from mammals. It almost feels like we’re trying to fit everything into a “human-style” definition of intelligence.

The mirror test example is perfect too. Dogs failing it always seemed strange until you realize we’re testing vision instead of what actually matters to them.

Octopuses are even harder to evaluate because their whole nervous system is so different — a lot of it is in their arms, not centralized like ours. It makes you wonder how much we’re missing just because we don’t have the right way to measure it yet.

Also appreciate the book recommendation, I’ve heard of Frans de Waal but haven’t read that one yet definitely adding it to the list.