Cassandra Extavour

Cassandra Extavour, an evolutionary biologist at Harvard, explores the intriguing use of crickets as model organisms in scientific research. Despite her neutral feelings about crickets, she discusses their potential to advance our understanding of genetics and brain functions. Crickets uniquely retain stem cells in their adult brains, offering insights into neurodegenerative diseases. She emphasizes the importance of diverse model organisms in research and how crickets could reshape our approach to studying human health and biology.