Popular Mechanics reports that former Navy Admiral and NOAA Administrator Tim Gallaudet suggests there might be forms of non-human intelligence lurking in the world’s oceans. He stated, “I don’t think they are part of the natural world as we understand it. While they may originate from Earth, I don’t believe they fit within the plant and animal kingdoms we recognize.”
This is a fascinating statement from Tim Gallaudet, and it certainly raises intriguing questions about the mysteries of our oceans. While we tend to think of life forms in terms of established categories like plants and animals, the ocean is still largely unexplored, with many species and ecosystems remaining uncharted. The idea of non-human intelligence existing in the depths invites us to consider not just the known species, but also potentially undiscovered life forms that may exhibit intelligence in ways we don’t yet understand.
Moreover, Gallaudet’s suggestion that these intelligences might not belong to the natural world as we know it prompts deeper contemplation about what intelligence truly means. It challenges us to expand our definitions beyond our terrestrial experiences and to remain open to the vast possibilities that the ocean’s depths may hold. As we continue to explore and study this mysterious environment, who knows what we might find? The search for such intelligences could not only reshape our understanding of life on Earth but also expand the horizons of our perception of intelligence itself.