If Humans Vanish, Could Octopuses Rise to Rule Earth?

Earth after humans is explored as a thought experiment: Oxford biologist Tim Coulson suggests that while extinction is inevitable for all species, humans leaving the scene could let other life forms fill ecological roles, with octopuses highlighted as potential civilization-building successors due to their problem-solving abilities and decentralized nervous system—though they’d still face challenges adapting to land; evolution remains unpredictable and intelligence could emerge in surprising ways.