Roger Hanlon

Marine biologist

As a Senior Scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, Roger Hanlon delves into the undersea world of chameleon-like, color-changing marine animals -- and the practical applications that will emerge when we crack their secrets.

Why you should listen

According to Roger Hanlon, "The diversity and sophistication of marine animals fascinates me, and my cornerstone passion is animal behavior. I particularly enjoy diving in different ocean habitats and studying animals that change color and pattern -- especially octopus, cuttlefish and squid, but also various coral reef fishes.

"I stumbled on to this journey while casually diving in Panama as a college junior and, decades later, I am still striving to figure out how these magnificent animals do what they do -- and why they do it. I am keenly interested in the 'visual ecology' of rapid adaptive coloration used for both camouflage and communication."

Roger Hanlon’s TED Talk

Roger Hanlon
The amazing brains and morphing skin of octopuses and other cephalopods
13 minutes 20 seconds
Octopus, squid and cuttlefish -- collectively known as cephalopods -- have strange, massive, distributed brains. What do they do with all that neural power? Dive into the ocean with marine biologist Roger Hanlon, who shares astonishing footage of the camouflaging abilities of cephalopods, which can change their skin color and texture in a flash. Learn how their smart skin, and their ability to deploy it in sophisticated ways, could be evidence of an alternative form of intelligence -- and how it could lead to breakthroughs in AI, fabrics, cosmetics and beyond.
Posted May 2019

Roger Hanlon

Why you should listen

Roger Hanlon’s TED Talk

More news and ideas from Roger Hanlon

Oddballs with high-level intelligence: a Q & A with Roger Hanlon about the amazing octopus

In Case You Missed It: Highlights from day 2 of TED2019

Intelligence: Notes from Session 3 of TED2019