Ari Daniel

Right, okay. So that's when this Brazilian neuroscientist I met named Camila Souza gets the call she's been waiting for. A baby humpback whale is adrift just offshore in the waters off southeastern Brazil. It's just died. And she wants its brain.

Right, okay. So that's when this Brazilian neuroscientist I met named Camila Souza gets the call she's been waiting for. A baby humpback whale is adrift just offshore in the waters off southeastern Brazil. It's just died. And she wants its brain.

Right, okay. So that's when this Brazilian neuroscientist I met named Camila Souza gets the call she's been waiting for. A baby humpback whale is adrift just offshore in the waters off southeastern Brazil. It's just died. And she wants its brain.

I know. I know. But there are some really important reasons to study the brains of whales and dolphins. And I will get to that.

I know. I know. But there are some really important reasons to study the brains of whales and dolphins. And I will get to that.

I know. I know. But there are some really important reasons to study the brains of whales and dolphins. And I will get to that.

Great. I'm glad. But first, let me finish telling you what happened to that baby humpback.

Great. I'm glad. But first, let me finish telling you what happened to that baby humpback.

Great. I'm glad. But first, let me finish telling you what happened to that baby humpback.

By the time Camila and her colleagues arrive on the scene by boat, the whale has washed ashore on a tiny island. And they have a problem. They can only get so close without running aground.

By the time Camila and her colleagues arrive on the scene by boat, the whale has washed ashore on a tiny island. And they have a problem. They can only get so close without running aground.

By the time Camila and her colleagues arrive on the scene by boat, the whale has washed ashore on a tiny island. And they have a problem. They can only get so close without running aground.

So Camila grabs her scalpel and saw and swims to shore.

So Camila grabs her scalpel and saw and swims to shore.

So Camila grabs her scalpel and saw and swims to shore.

She swims. She really wants that brain. Wow. She gets to the beach, and she's totally soaked. But she whips out her tools, and after a couple of hours, she manages to extract the fresh, intact brain from the recently deceased whale.

She swims. She really wants that brain. Wow. She gets to the beach, and she's totally soaked. But she whips out her tools, and after a couple of hours, she manages to extract the fresh, intact brain from the recently deceased whale.

She swims. She really wants that brain. Wow. She gets to the beach, and she's totally soaked. But she whips out her tools, and after a couple of hours, she manages to extract the fresh, intact brain from the recently deceased whale.

She is elated.

She is elated.