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Human Elements: The Veterinarian

The Veterinarian

A team helps endangered Vancouver Island marmots find their place in the wild.

Why an octopus might think like an alien

To understand how aliens might think, Dominic Sivitilli went to the bottom of the sea to find the closest thing: an octopus. Its sophisticated nervous systems and sensitive suckers allow it to do incredible things like escape aquariums — but Sivitilli is learning how each of an octopus' eight arms might actually have a mind of its own. We don’t know yet if alien life exists. But if they do, they might think like an octopus.

Remembering the Viaduct and the views that no longer exist

Photographer Eirik Johnson is an artist in search of transformation. Often, he finds it in hidden places. Sometimes it is out in the open. And every once in a while it is impossible to ignore. That was the case with his most recent project, in which the Seattle native recorded the last days of the Alaskan Way Viaduct as it was unwoven from the fabric of the city. In the fall of 2018, the city's Office of Arts and Culture commissioned Johnson to document the demolition of the iconic structure, which was systematically torn down over the course of eight months in 2019, the climax of a massive yearslong waterfront redevelopment. In the latest installment of The Teardown, he discusses his approach to his work and contemplates what comes next for the waterfront.