Time: 7:00-9:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 30th

Location: Armenise Amphitheater at Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston (link to directions)

Speakers: Juliana Rhee

Graphics: Olivia Foster Rhoades

Have you ever wished you had an invisibility cloak? While this may sound like science fiction to us, coleoid cephalopods – octopus, cuttlefish, and squid – can change the color of their skin to disappear into the background in the blink of an eye. Beyond controlling their appearance, cephalopods also use tools and solve puzzles, which are skills we commonly associate with intelligence. However, unlike us and most animals we consider intelligent, the majority of their nervous system is distributed outside of their heads. How their unique brains and bodies support such complex behaviors, particularly their masterful camouflage abilities, remains an exciting mystery in neuroscience today. In this lecture, we will discuss what is currently known about camouflage in cephalopods and how these fascinating animals have inspired new technologies.