Sci-fi blog io9.com points us to this blog by a cephalopodaphiliac named Mike Lisieski, wherein he posts three arguments in favor of cephalopod consciousness. The points of consideration: learning and object-recognition, tool use and adaptible behavior, and brain behavior. Lisieski contends that cephalopods (more specifically, octopi) do indeed demonstrate tool use and adaptive behavior, and that their brains do have “lateralized” brains allowing for complex processing of “thought”, but that the jury is still out on self-awareness. But that still gives them an enormous advantage over your average Tea Party member.
They left out eldrich knowledge of the Ancient Ones.