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Multimediali
Do you really need a brain to be intelligent?
In the previous rooms, we saw that neurons and the brain are at the foundation of how we usually think about intelligence — and that many brains working together can lead to extraordinary results.
But what can we say about all those living beings that perform remarkable behaviours and yet don’t have a single neuron — let alone a brain?
We’re talking about fungi, bacteria, protists and, of course, plants.
Can we draw a red string on our investigator’s board that connects the word intelligence to these organisms?
To attempt an answer, we need to reflect on the definition of intelligence we are using — and continue the investigation. In this room you’ll explore some of the most emblematic scientific discoveries in this field. You’ll find their original publications, but to read them you’ll need a classic scientific tool: a magnifying glass.
You’ll notice it’s natural for us to interpret these findings in anthropomorphic terms.
But what happens if we try — as much as possible — to describe them objectively instead?