Adriana Briscoe, a professor of biology and ecology at UC Irvine, studies vision in butterflies. Turns out, butterflies are really cool.

Adriana also answers questions you might’ve never thought to ask like: Why they bask in the sunlight? And why do some of them have ‘hearts’ in their wings?

Plus, you’ll never guess where their photoreceptors are.

We also discuss the importance of teachers and mentors in diversifying the STEM fields, which Adriana has written about.

This episode was produced by Rebecca Ramirez and Brent Baughman, edited by Deb George, and fact-checked by Rebecca Ramirez.

Short Wave Podcast

It’s science for everyone, using a lot of creativity and a little humor. Join host Maddie Sofia for science on a different wavelength.