What's this super-aging butterfly’s longevity secret?

2026-07-14 · 13 min · 13 entities

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discusses Life Sciences concept

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discusses Daily News concept

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discusses Nature concept

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Episode description as stored

What if there were a great ape species that could live over 1,000 years? That’s basically Heliconius in the butterfly world. The insects live around 25 times longer than their butterfly cousins, and scientists think they have one clue as to why: pollen. But as Katie Wu , a science writer at The Atlantic , explains, that’s not the whole story. She and host Nate Rott also talk about how bats sip from the fountain of youth – and what it all may mean for humans. Read Katie's full story here . If you liked this episode, check out our episode on a pill that could extend dogs’ lives …and maybe yours someday. Interested in more science about aging? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org . Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. It includes perks like bonus episodes, early access, archive access, curated playlists and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy