Abigail Desmond

Jun 17, 2024 | qoshe.com | Abigail Desmond |Michael Haslam

What has intelligence? Slime moulds, ants, fifth-graders, shrimp, neurons, ChatGPT, fish shoals, border collies, crowds, birds, you and me? All of the above? Some? Or, at the risk of sounding transgressive: maybe none? The question is a perennial one, often dusted off in the face of a previously unknown animal behaviour, or new computing devices that are trained to do human things and then do those things well.

Feb 9, 2024 | nautil.us | Michael Haslam |Abigail Desmond

A tiny blanket octopus, floating in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, holds venomous jellyfish tendrils along its arms for protection. A macaque on a Thai beach smashes shellfish open with a stone. Searching for a mate, a cricket in southern India carefully carves a hole in a leaf to amplify his love song. Like you—and the device you’re reading this on—these creatures are using tools. Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now .

Feb 7, 2024 | sapiens.org | Michael Haslam |Bridget Alex |Stephen Wessels |Abigail Desmond

✽A tiny blanket octopus, floating in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, holds venomous jellyfish tendrils along its arms for protection. A macaque on a Thai beach smashes shellfish open with a stone. Searching for a mate, a cricket in southern India carefully carves a hole in a leaf to amplify his love song. Like you—and the device you’re reading this on—these creatures are using tools.