We should be open to the idea that human intelligence isn't as special as we like to think it is

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WE LIKE to think that the human mind is special. One sign of our superiority is self-awareness, which is generally seen as the pinnacle of consciousness. Only a select group of species has passed the test of being able to recognise themselves in a mirror. Most, including elephants, apes and dolphins, are notoriously smart. But now a scrappy little fish, the cleaner wrasse, has joined their ranks (see “A species of fish has passed the mirror test for the first time”). What are we to make of this?

Admittedly, the mirror test is a questionable way of probing the minds of other animals. But the finding does fit with an emerging idea that the ability to recognise oneself is more related to an animal’s lifestyle than to its brain size. Self-awareness is likely to occur in creatures whose survival is dependent on reading the minds of others. In fact, by this way of thinking, it is nothing more than an accidental by-product of evolution, a simulation created by the brain, or even just a hall of mirrors giving the illusion of complexity (see “Smoke and mirrors job: the mystery of self”).

The cleaner wrasse lives on coral reefs and provides a service by nibbling parasites off the scales of bigger fish, a delicate relationship that may require insight into the minds of its clients. Such “theory of mind” has long been seen as another cornerstone of human mental superiority. The possibility that fish possess it is not, however, the only threat to our human exceptionalism. It may not be long before computers give us a run for our money, too.


Researchers have created a set of tests to look for theory of mind in artificial intelligence – and some systems are on the verge of passing (see “AIs are being tested to see how well they understand our thoughts”). We probably don’t need to worry about robots that can recognise themselves in mirrors. But we might want to be more open to the idea that human intelligence isn’t quite as special as we like to think.

A note from the editor Emily Wilson There are only two weeks to go now until New Scientist Live. The four-day show is a unique mixture of fascinating talks from scientists and an amazing array of exhibits, from a slime Olympics to a virtual reality tour of the brain. It’s an enormous and joyful celebration of ideas, and we call it “the world’s greatest science festival” because we really think it is. Last year, more than 30,000 people came through the doors at ExCeL in London and it was a privilege for us to get to know so many of you. If you’re in striking distance from 20 to 23 September this year, please come along. I’m most looking forward to introducing astronaut Tim Peake’s talk on the Thursday, but whatever day you come, there will be something brilliant going on. Check out the programme at newscientistlive.com.

This article appeared in print under the headline “Like looking in a mirror”