People have this odd urge to bring order into everything. When I was in college studying biology, I had an extensive introduction to the field of taxonomy - the categorization of life on Earth. Taxonomists officially put octopus into the same phylum as clams, snails, and slugs - mollusca. In doing so scientists decided to classify octopus as well developed, intelligent slugs. After spending significant time with a curious specimen last weekend, I started to get the feeling that all these classifications are a moot point. Intelligent life is the same regardless of phylum. This individual was almost human in its curiosity. I think the emotion in these photos speaks for itself.