logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2023
10m 2s

Congrats! It's A Tomato

NPR
About this episode
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/40UO6v2

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Jul 9
Evolution Went On Trial 100 Years Ago. Where Are We Now?
This week marks the 100th anniversary of the Scopes "Monkey Trial" — where a teacher was charged with the crime of teaching Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. At the time, it was illegal in Tennessee to "teach any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creatio ... Show More
12m 37s
Jul 8
Itchy? Air Pollution May Be Making It Worse
Short Wave producer Hannah Chinn has adult-onset eczema. They're not the only one. Up to ten percent of people in the United States have it, according to the National Eczema Association — and its prevalence is increasing. Despite its ubiquity, a lot about this skin condition rema ... Show More
13m 11s
Jul 7
Sea Camp: Why Are Ocean Currents Shifting?
A warming climate doesn't just affect dry land — it affects the ocean, too. For years, Earth's ocean has acted as a heat sink for climate change: A large part of the heat generated by human use of fossil fuels is being absorbed by the ocean. And while the deep sea is largely unaf ... Show More
12m 6s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2023
Do climbing plants know where they’re going?
CrowdScience listener Eric, in New Zealand, has noticed his wisteria growing towards a neighbouring tree. He thinks that it actually knows where it’s going. But how can a plant have a sense of direction? Plants don’t have the advantage of brains or eyes, but that doesn’t seem to ... Show More
29 m
Jun 2018
Do Plants Talk about Sex?
Sex – for most organisms - is about meeting the right partner. But what if you and your mate are stuck far apart with no ability to travel? This dilemma could put a bit of a downer on your sex life, but is faced by plants everywhere. Presenter Anand Jagatia uncovers the happy fac ... Show More
26m 28s
May 2019
Forensic science provision, optimal garden watering strategy, and a mystery knee bone
A damning House of Lords' report into the provision of forensic science in England and Wales makes for uncomfortable reading for some but is broadly welcomed by those in the field. Prof. Niamh Nic Daeid, one of many who gave evidence to the Science and Technology Committee, gives ... Show More
28m 39s
Aug 2020
Tomato, Tomato, Part 1
While the so-called “golden apple” has at times been viewed with suspicion, it has become a staple of summertime cuisine and may one day follow us to farms on other worlds. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe consider the tomato. Learn more about your ad-ch ... Show More
54m 17s
Jan 2021
Plant scientist Dale Sanders
Professor Dale Sanders has spent much of his life studying plants, seeking to understand why some thrive in a particular environment while others struggle. His ground breaking research on their molecular machinery showed how plants extract nutrients from the soil and store essent ... Show More
27m 39s
Oct 2018
From the Vault: Carnivorous Plants
Are humans truly safe from the hunger of meat-eating plants? Can we trust the trees that loom over us? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss myths and fictions of killer trees, the science of carnivorous plants and the curious absence of mean-eating p ... Show More
1h 10m
May 2019
Les plantes sont-elles intelligentes?
Qui n’a pas été interpellé en rayon par la couverture du best-seller «La vie secrète des arbres» ou de son rival «La révolution des plantes»? Leurs auteurs Peter Wohlleben et Stefano Mancuso appellent à la reconnaissance d’une troisième forme d’intelligence, après celle du règne ... Show More
25m 17s