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In Disney's new animated feature 'Strange World,' a band of multigenerational explorers journeys to the center of their fantastical homeland. Along the way, they fend off, make friends with, and unearth secrets about the curious creatures who call this place home. There's the filterlopes, six-legged deer-forms with fan-like antennae. Or scouts, squishy blue balls with 12 elastic limbs. But as fantastical as these creatures sound, each one is grounded in the physics and biology of its real-world counterpart.Enter married couple Elizabeth Rega and Stuart Sumida, professors of anatomy and paleontology, respectively. They've worked as science consultants on more than 70 films, from 'Ratatouille' to 'Guardians of the Galaxy.' Film crews bring the duo onboard as biology experts, to help animators figure out how their animal creations — and sometimes their imaginary beasts — should look and move. But 'Strange World' may be their biggest undertaking yet; Elizabeth and Stuart entered at the earliest stages of production to help envision the kinds of creatures that would fill this world with science and wonder. Short Wave's Aaron Scott talks to Elizabeth Rega and Stuart Sumida about their experiences as science consultants on film sets, and the science fueling Disney's imagined new world.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A few years ago, a team of scientists set out on a field expedition in the rugged, dry Northern Territory of Australia. There, they found a plant that was both strange and familiar hiding in plain sight. After careful research during the pandemic, the newly described tomato recently made its debut in PhytoKeys, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal. Today, Short Wave Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber talks to lead author Tanisha Williams about the plant's journey from the side of a trail in the Australian Outback to a greenhouse in rural Pennsylvania. Check out more of our favorite plant episodes:- When Autumn Leaves Start To Fall https://n.pr/3YuWOP6- Traditional Plant Knowledge Is Not A Quick Fix https://n.pr/3E4CUSU- New Discoveries In Underwater Plant Sex https://n.pr/3I4W9wC- Yep, We Made Up Vegetables https://n.pr/3xo6yyw- Micro Wave: Does Talking To Plants Help Them Grow?https://n.pr/40UO6v2Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

You may have heard of the "love hormone," or oxytocin. But you may not know that scientists have relied on cuddly rodents like the prairie vole to help us understand how this protein works in our brains.Voles are stocky, mouse-like little mammals that range over most of North America. One species in particular, the prairie vole, is known for its fidelity: Prairie voles pair-bond and mate for life. And so, for years, scientists have known that oxytocin is important in facilitating the feeling of love in both humans and voles. However, a new study suggests love can prevail even without the "love hormone" – at least among prairie voles.On today's episode, NPR's science correspondent Jon Hamilton tells Short Wave co-host Emily Kwong how prairie voles, once again, are helping us understand and appreciate something as abstract as love. Struck by cupid's arrow and wondering what's love got to do, go to do with it? Email us at shortwave@npr.org. You can follow Short Wave on Twitter @NPRShortWave.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy