Rachel Carlson

I mean, a can opener for a face is pretty metal, but James wanted to try this idea anyway. So he came up with a plan to make these tiny tracking backpacks, literally backpacks. They have little straps and everything, but they don't bother the parrots, and they're even designed to fall off after a couple years.

And Ernesto's cautiously optimistic for another reason. As he's continued to work on saving these parrots, he says he's seen people's views on conservation change.

And Ernesto's cautiously optimistic for another reason. As he's continued to work on saving these parrots, he says he's seen people's views on conservation change.

And Ernesto's cautiously optimistic for another reason. As he's continued to work on saving these parrots, he says he's seen people's views on conservation change.

Fingers crossed we get some good news about these parrots in the future. Gina, I loved doing this story with you. Thanks for having me.

Fingers crossed we get some good news about these parrots in the future. Gina, I loved doing this story with you. Thanks for having me.

Fingers crossed we get some good news about these parrots in the future. Gina, I loved doing this story with you. Thanks for having me.

Kwesi Lee was the audio engineer. Beth Donovan is our senior director and Colin Campbell is our senior vice president of podcasting strategy. I'm Regina Barber. I'm Rachel Carlson. Thank you for listening to Shortwave from NPR.

Kwesi Lee was the audio engineer. Beth Donovan is our senior director and Colin Campbell is our senior vice president of podcasting strategy. I'm Regina Barber. I'm Rachel Carlson. Thank you for listening to Shortwave from NPR.

Kwesi Lee was the audio engineer. Beth Donovan is our senior director and Colin Campbell is our senior vice president of podcasting strategy. I'm Regina Barber. I'm Rachel Carlson. Thank you for listening to Shortwave from NPR.

The way evolutionary biology had been done in the organismal side of this world was to look at traits that change over time, you know, butterfly wings and plant leaves and seed colors and the beaks of the Darwin's finches and things like that. And that's really hard to study when you're looking at microbes because there's no traits.

The way evolutionary biology had been done in the organismal side of this world was to look at traits that change over time, you know, butterfly wings and plant leaves and seed colors and the beaks of the Darwin's finches and things like that. And that's really hard to study when you're looking at microbes because there's no traits.

The way evolutionary biology had been done in the organismal side of this world was to look at traits that change over time, you know, butterfly wings and plant leaves and seed colors and the beaks of the Darwin's finches and things like that. And that's really hard to study when you're looking at microbes because there's no traits.

I mean, they do have different shapes and they do have different surface structures and stuff. But back in the day when we were just discovering microbes, that was really hard to even say how they were related to each other.

I mean, they do have different shapes and they do have different surface structures and stuff. But back in the day when we were just discovering microbes, that was really hard to even say how they were related to each other.

I mean, they do have different shapes and they do have different surface structures and stuff. But back in the day when we were just discovering microbes, that was really hard to even say how they were related to each other.

People were starting to use molecules, amino acids and RNA. They were starting to use those as signatures of evolution.

People were starting to use molecules, amino acids and RNA. They were starting to use those as signatures of evolution.

People were starting to use molecules, amino acids and RNA. They were starting to use those as signatures of evolution.

He had these notebooks and notebooks and notebooks, and I've seen these notebooks. There's like shelves of them, which are basically saying the size of each of these little bands in these two-dimensional gels is And based on that, he was finding relationships.