Short Wave
Extracting Brains ... For Science
Feb 25, 2025
Ari Daniel, a science reporter covering the fascinating work of neuroscientist Kamilla Souza, dives into the urgent quest to collect a baby humpback whale's brain for research. They discuss the race against time in Brazil's heat to preserve the delicate specimen and the groundbreaking insights it can provide about cetacean behavior and adaptation. The conversation also highlights the challenges faced in marine brain research, the inspiring mission to build a comprehensive brain collection, and the sheer joy that comes from such scientific discovery.
11:27
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Quick takeaways
- Neuroscientist Camila Sousa's groundbreaking extraction of a baby humpback whale's brain highlights the urgency and significance of cetacean research in Brazil.
- Through her work, Camila aims to build Brazil's marine mammal brain collection, fostering local scientific initiatives and understanding of cetacean neurological health.
Deep dives
The Urgency of Brain Collection
A Brazilian neuroscientist named Camila Sousa is dedicated to studying cetacean brains, as she believes they hold essential insights into whale and dolphin biology. When an opportunity arises to collect a baby humpback whale's brain, Camila swims ashore to extract it, marking a significant achievement in her research efforts. This particular extraction represents the first of its kind in Brazil and contributes to her goal of building the largest collection of marine mammal brains in Latin America. By highlighting her commitment and the urgency of her work, we see how quickly conditions can change, emphasizing the need to act swiftly when collecting samples.
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