What if I told you
we discovered an alien species
with an adaptable body?
Advanced intelligence?
And astounding camouflage skills?
Enter the octopus.
Wait.
What did you think I was talking about?
Alright, it’s time
to put your tinfoil helmet on,
because today
we’re getting a little “out-there”.
Octopuses are as cool
as they are mysterious.
So mysterious that some scientists
are putting the theory forward
that they aren’t even from our planet.
Octopuses are incredibly intelligent creatures
and are masters of disguises.
They can use their color-changing cells
to blend in with the environment,
move their arms to impersonate
other ocean species,
and are excellent problem solvers.
So what if they are so smart
that they've pulled a fast one on all of us?
What if they're really aliens,
and have only convinced us
that they originated here on Earth?
"It's genetics..."
"Absolutely unearthly."
The theory goes that 500 million years ago,
an icy meteorite carrying an alien life-form
fell to Earth.
This life-form?
Fertilized octopus eggs.
Mind blown!
Case closed!
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Okay, I can see you’re skeptical,
so let’s go a little deeper.
You’re probably asking
how the heck is an alien life-form
going to survive in the cold reaches of space
before getting to Earth?
Well, here’s the thing.
Microbes, such as those seen in bacteria,
are extremely tough.
Microbes can thrive in temperatures
as low as -18°C (-0.4 °F)
and can even be preserved
in liquid nitrogen
at -196 °C (-321 °F).
This means that they couldn't care less
about the extreme pressures of space,
and in theory,
could float around for billions of years
before hitting a planet.
But if the octopus did crash-land on Earth
500 million years ago,
where did it come from?
Well, we know the octopus is a water creature,
so let’s start there.
Our bet is on Europa,
one of Jupiter’s moons.
Europa has an icy exterior
and might have a liquid ocean underneath.
Seems like a cozy space
for an interplanetary octopus, right?
Could a massive asteroid
have smashed into Europa
500 million years ago
resulting in huge chunks of debris
being torn out into space?
And if so,
could some of that debris
have held octopus eggs in it?
The answer is
ehhhhh, maybe.
Call me Fox Mulder,
because I want to believe,
but this is some really far-out stuff.
Is calling an octopus an alien
the only way to explain them?
I mean, we have plenty of
weird creatures on Earth without
extraterrestrial interference.
In 2015,
scientists were able to map
the genome of the octopus.
Did they find some surprises?
Sure they did,
but an alien origin story
wasn’t one of them.
The most significant discovery was that
their genes split off from squids
about 135 million years ago.
Which is long after they, allegedly,
crashed into Earth.
So, could octopuses really be from outer space?
Well, it’s a fascinating theory,
but as of today,
it doesn’t have the science to back it up.
And even though they’re not from outer space,
it doesn’t mean we can’t still learn from them.
But don’t take our word for it.
Ask award-winning environmental journalist,
and the director of “My Octopus Teacher,”
Pippa Ehrlich.
Join us on What If Discussed
to take a deeper dive into the world
of these fascinating creatures.