Jellyfish have a bad reputation. They knock out power plants, shut beaches, sink boats and wipe out fish farms.¹

They have no brains. But scientists have found the Caribbean box jellyfish is smarter than it looks. It can learn to spot and avoid obstacles.

"This is big news," says marine biologist Anders Garm. The research helps us understand how memory is created and lost.

Sea jellies have existed for over 500 million years. There are thousands of species, from microscopic gloop to the Lion's Mane, up to 36.5 metres long.

And some have amazing abilities. They can clone themselves to create huge jelly blooms. And one species called the immortal jellyfish can reverse its life cycle and, in theory, live forever.

Some have deadly weapons. The Australian box jellyfish is the most venomousPoisonous. marine animal. Its sting is the fastest thing in the animal kingdom.

But jellyfish can also repair themselves without scarring. Researchers believe tentacle extract may be useful in medicine.

And one jellyfish has won a Nobel PrizeOne of a set of prizes, laid out in the will of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, given each year to people who "have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind". .² Aequorea jellies glow green. Scientists use this special bioluminescence to track genes and the movement of cells around the human body.

But are jellyfish intelligent? They can learn, remember, and use their 24 eyes and hair-trigger sting cells to hunt their prey. Impressive for a brainless creature that is 95% water.

Scientists have discovered signs of intelligence in unexpected places, from fungal sporesCells produced by fungi for reproduction. They are dispersed over a wide area.  to the roots of trees. However, others argue that intelligence is a human superpower.

"Sitting on your shoulders is the most complicated object in the known universe," says theoretical physicist Michio Kaku. And this super brain allows us to ask important questions about the origins of intelligence.

Yes: Learning without a mind is a neat evolutionary trick. They have survived every mass extinction by keeping it simple, growing big without wasting energy on heavy-duty organs like brains.

No: This research confirms growing evidence that intelligence is widespread across the natural world. It is not extraordinary or a jelly superpower, but it is much older than previously thought.

Or... Sea jellies are not just one trick superheroes. They have deadly venom, self-healing skin, the ability to clone themselves and turn back the clock. They glow in the dark and have 360-degree vision.

Venomous - Poisonous.

Nobel prize - One of a set of prizes, laid out in the will of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, given each year to people who "have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".

Spores - Cells produced by fungi for reproduction. They are dispersed over a wide area.