Molly Webster

Like, you know, like my mother is just like incredibly helpful and useful.

I mean, that's data point of one.

It's not scientific, but we feel how this is like makes some amount of sense to be true.

So this hypothesis is just like your evolutionary purpose is to be a mom, even if you are no longer being a mom.

Yeah, I mean, that's kind of the cultural takeaway.

That's like what most of us think of, if you've ever heard of this before.

But when you look at the whales, it goes way beyond that.

Like the older killer whale female, she's actually kind of running the show.

They play diplomat or keeper of the peace, especially with the younger male whales.

But also they're like hunter-in-chief, leading the pod to find food to feed everybody.

Granny and her family have basically always exclusively eaten salmon.

But Granny, with her 11-pound, super-intelligent brain, she can remember things from like 25 years ago.

And the scientists could like literally see this play out as they were watching the whales on these hunts.

They're like totally crucial to the survival of the group.

Does it make you think about your experience as a woman?

I mean, whenever I ask scientists this question, they're like, don't ask this question.

But I guess did like looking the orca in the eye and thinking about granny change anything for you?

I mean, that sounds great.

I love the idea of, like, being an orca.

But there is something in me that, like, just sort of fundamentally chafes at the idea that I have to be useful in some way.