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Scientists reveal mysterious origin of Baobab trees, Rafiki's home in 'The Lion King'

Baobabs are sometimes called the "tree of life" with their thick trunks, crown of branches and flowers that only open at twilight. But theories about their geographic origin was divided among three places: the savannas of sub-Saharan Africa, the Kimberley region of western Australia and the dry forests of the island nation of Madagascar. To solve this mystery, a global research team led by scientists at the Wuhan Botanical Garden at the Chinese Academy of Sciences examined high-quality genomic data from all eight baobab species.

Have another origin story you want us to cover? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

This week in science: baobab trees, lizard-inspired building and stretching eyeballs

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Regina Barber and Emily Kwong of Short Wave about the origins of baobab trees, lizard-inspired construction, and why outside play is beneficial for kids' eyesight.

Taylor Swift joked that 'jet lag is a choice.' A sleep expert has thoughts about that

Plus, six tips on how to stay alert and minimize sluggishness when traveling rapidly across multiple time zones.

Private mission to save the Hubble Space Telescope raises concerns, NASA emails show

When a private space traveler said he wanted to take a SpaceX capsule on a mission to improve the aging Hubble telescope, NASA studied the options. Internal emails show concern about the risk.

Tiger beetles might be mimicking the sounds of poisonous bugs so bats will avoid them

Tiger beetles generate "anti bat-sonar" to prevent echolocating bats from eating them, scientists say. An experiment suggests the beetles mimic sounds created by poisonous insects that bats avoid.

Tree seeds that flew around the moon are now being planted across the U.S.

"Moon Trees" are starting to grow on Earth. They got that name because as seeds they spent some time in space.

What's worse for disease spread: animal loss, climate change or urbanization?

Scientists are looking at the ways humans change the planet — and the impact that has on the spread of infectious disease. You might be surprised at some of their conclusions.

Lots of drug companies talk about putting patients first — but this one actually did

When Amylyx Pharmaceuticals found out its ALS drug Relyvrio didn't work, the company took the unusual step of voluntarily pulling it off the market.

Why a changing climate might mean less chocolate in the future

Chocolate may never be the same. The majority of chocolate is made in just two countries and erratic weather from climate change is decreasing cocoa production. A handful of extreme weather events—from drought to heavy rainfall—could have lasting effects on the chocolate industry. Yasmin Tayag, a food, health and science writer at The Atlantic, talks to host Emily Kwong about the cocoa shortage: What's causing it, how it's linked to poor farming conditions and potential solutions. Plus, they enjoy a chocolate alternative taste test.

Read Yasmin's full article.

Have a food science story you want us to cover? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

More than 200 million seniors face extreme heat risks in coming decades, study finds

A new study warns that millions of people around the world who are 69 years or older will be at risk of dying in heat waves by 2050.

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