#37 - Cognition, Consciousness, and Cephalopods: A Dialogue with Alex Schnell

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Alex Schnell about cognition, intelligence, and consciousness in cephalopods. They briefly discuss comparative psychology and its use alongside other fields. They discuss the evolutionary basics of cephalopods and some of the similarities and differences between the various species. They talk about the mating strategies of cuttlefish such as male fighting and female receptivity and the implications of the behaviors of cuttlefish on intelligence and cognition. They discuss her recent paper on cuttlefish passing a version of the marshmallow test and the importance of understanding self-gratification and self-control in cuttlefish. They also talk about consciousness in animal minds (specifically cephalopods) and implications of studying intelligence and cognition in other animals and many other topics. 

Alex Schnell holds a PhD in Behavioral Ecology and currently conducts research for the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge. She has research experience in comparative psychology, marine biology, and evolutionary biology. Most of her research on various cephalopods can be found here and here. Twitter: @dr_alexschnell

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