Funny coincidence, I was just reading "Sphere" by Michael Crichton, and the zoologist in the novel was presenting the same argument about the the intelligence of octopuses. Side-note, this book is driving me crazy, the characters seem to be the dumbest persons alive, although they supposed to be the smartest scientists.

You can actually prevent them from starving themselves by destroying a small part in their brain.

Strange! Anywhere I can read more about that? And ideally the study about how they figured that out!

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/198/4320/948 and a more recent one https://jeb.biologists.org/content/221/19/jeb185751

From Wikipedia:

> Octopus lifespan is limited by reproduction: males can live for only a few months after mating, and females die shortly after their eggs hatch. ... Octopus reproductive organs mature due to the hormonal influence of the optic gland but result in the inactivation of their digestive glands, typically causing the octopus to die from starvation. Experimental removal of both optic glands after spawning was found to result in the cessation of broodiness, the resumption of feeding, increased growth, and greatly extended lifespans.

TIL

Damn, how greatly?! Why do they leave us hanging? What were the natural causes they died of?

Some of the octopus are still alive today.

For anyone looking for a serious answer, the 1977 experiment seems to have extended life for several months (which is almost double the lifespan in some species), before they died for another reason which was not explained.

What I gather is that the optic gland controls all hormone secretion, and although they were able to prevent the digestive system from being blocked by removing it, the same gland likely is necessary in other areas.

That's an unfortunate evolutionary rut to be stuck in.