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Sidedoor
Author: Smithsonian Institution
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© Smithsonian 2016
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More than 154 million treasures fill the Smithsonian’s vaults, but where public view ends, Sidedoor begins. With the help of biologists, artists, historians, archaeologists, zookeepers and astrophysicists, host Lizzie Peabody sneaks listeners through Smithsonian’s side door to search for stories that can’t be found anywhere else. Check out si.edu/sidedoor and follow @SidedoorPod for more info.
193 Episodes
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"God in a cup." "Perfection." "The world's best coffee." Panamanian geisha coffee has been called many things, but never Smithsonian Bird Friendly certified. That might soon change, however, as researchers from Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s Migratory Bird Center find new ways to grow coffee in harmony with migratory songbirds. Join us for this fully caffeinated romp through Panama’s coffee farms as we learn all about the birds and the beans.
Guests:
Ruth Bennett, research ecologist at the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s Migratory Bird Center
Katherine Araúz Ponce, fellow at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and PhD student at The University of Georgia
Maria Ruiz, owner of Ruiz Coffee Distributors
Ratibor & Aliss Hartmann, owners of Finca Hartmann, specialty coffee and ecotourism
Price Peterson, owner of Hacienda La Esmeralda
If you’ve bought a plane ticket recently, you’ve probably had the option to pay a few extra dollars to offset your carbon emissions. That money might go toward planting some trees… but how many trees? Researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute are trying to answer this very question by hand-measuring trees, weighing wood, and climbing to the top of the canopy. We tag along to see how carbon is measured, and why so much ends up in tropical forests.
Guests:
Joshua Tewksbury, director of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama
Helene Muller-Landau, senior scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute researching tropical forests and ecosystems, leader of ForestGEO Global Carbon Program
David Mitre, research manager for ForestGEO at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Sergio dos Santos, project manager for the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute’s Hydro-Meteorological and Oceanographic Monitoring Program in Panama
Luisa Fernanda Gómez Correa, intern at the Forest Carbon Lab at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Eline De Loore, graduate student at Ghent University conducting research at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
It started as a rumor in the cafeteria of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama: monkeys on an island in the Pacific were doing something no one had ever seen them do before. But when researchers went searching for these elusive capuchin monkeys, they discovered more questions than answers.
Guests:
Claudio Monteza, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute fellow and researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
Brendan Barrett, researcher at the University of Konstanz and the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
Meg Crofoot, director of the Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. Former Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute fellow
Money is power. But who's on our money - or isn’t - can be just as powerful. While Lady Liberty has graced American coins and dollars for most of our history, it wasn’t until the 1970s that a real woman appeared on a circulating American coin. But that's about to change. Congress recently authorized the creation of twenty new quarters featuring American women from history. But how do we decide whose likeness gets engraved in our national story? And who makes these decisions? We’ll follow the money to find out.
Guests:
Jennifer Schneider, former program manager at Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, current assistant registrar of outgoing and government loans at the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Tey Marianna Nunn, former director of the American Women’s History Initiative at the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, current associate director for content and interpretation at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino
Ellen Feingold, curator of the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History
Joseph Menna, chief engraver at the United States Mint
Tim Grant, public affairs manager at the United States Mint
Dave Clark, supervisor of blanking annealing and upsetting at the United States Mint
Did you know a person born on February 29 is called a "leapling"? This special episode is hopping with Leap Day trivia! Like, why do we need an extra day every four years anyway? And will I get paid for working an extra day in February? It's the lowdown on Leap Day in an episode that's as off-kilter as the earth's axis.
Guest:
Bob Craddock, Geologist at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum's Center for Earth and Planetary Studies
They say love is eternal. What about heartbreak? This Valentine’s Day, we bring you some of Japanese theater’s most popular tales of scorned lovers seeking vengeance from beyond the grave — with a burning passion.
Guests:
Frank Feltens, Curator of Japanese Art at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art
Kit Brooks, Japan Foundation Assistant Curator of Japanese Art at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art
From brontosauruses with bronchitis to birds on a wire to flying space rocks and a botched heist at 20 thousand feet. In this episode, Lizzie and Sidedoor producer James run all around the Smithsonian to answer listeners' questions from the Sidedoor mailbag.
Guests:
Lynn Heidelbaugh, curator at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum
Sara Hallager, curator of birds at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
Jim Nollman, composer and pioneer of the “interspecies music” genre, conceptual artist, and environmental activist
Cari Corrigan, research geologist at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and curator of the Antarctic Meteorite Collection
Sharon Bryant, marketing specialist at the Smithsonian’s Office of Communications and External Affairs
Matthew Carrano, research geologist and curator of Dinosauria at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History
As long as there have been wars, animals have joined their human companions on the battlefield. But a few have served so bravely they’ve been memorialized at the Smithsonian. In honor of these furry and feathered war heroes, we bring you the tales of dogs, cats and birds who went above and beyond the call of duty.
Guests:
Jennifer Jones, curator of military history at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History
Frank Blazich, curator of military history at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History
Ann Bausum, author of Stubby the War Dog and Sergeant Stubby: How a Stray Dog and His Best Friend Helped Win WWI and Stole the Heart of a Nation
Scot Christenson, author of Cats in the Navy
Chris Willingham, president of the United States War Dogs Association
Virginia Hall dreamed of being America’s first female ambassador. Instead, she became a spy. Joining the ranks of the U.S.’s first civilian spy network, she operated alone in occupied France, where she built French Resistance networks, delivered critical intelligence, and sold cheese to the enemy. All on one leg.
Guests:
Sonia Purnell, author of “A Woman of No Importance: the Untold Story of the American Spy who Helped Win World War II.”
Randy Burkett, CIA Staff Historian
Christina Gebhard, museum specialist at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History
It’s a song we often hear at the start of the new year. But what does “auld lang syne” even mean? And how did it come to be associated with New Year's Eve? With a little musical sleuthing, we find Charlie Chaplin might have something to do with it…
Guests:
James Deutsch, curator of folklife and popular culture at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
North American River Otters are popping up in places they haven't been seen in decades and nobody really knows why. As we search for answers we discover a trail of fish heads, poop splats and cuddle parties.
Guests:
Katrina Lohan, head of the Coastal Disease Ecology Laboratory at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Alejandra Morales Picard, psychologist at Montgomery College
Rebecca Sturniolo, assistant curator of the America Trail at the Smithsonian National Zoo
Patty Storms & Morty Bachar, otter neighbors
When Maggie Kuhn was forced to retire from the job she loved at age 65, her colleagues gave her a sewing machine as a parting gift. Outraged, she shut the sewing machine in a closet and, instead, stitched together the first-ever movement against ageism in the U.S. The Gray Panthers would galvanize gray haired citizenry and youth alike to challenge the way Americans think about aging.
Guests:
Katherine Ott, curator and historian in the Division of Medicine and Science at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History
Emily Krichbaum, founding director for the Center for Girls' and Young Women's Leadership at Columbus School for Girls and scholar of women’s history
Paul Nathanson, founder and former executive director of Justice in Aging (formerly the National Senior Citizens Law Center), a national advocacy group for the elderly poor
Jack Kupferman, president of Gray Panthers NYC
All three Giant Pandas are leaving the Smithsonian's National Zoo for China by the end of the year. What's up with that?! We sat down with the director of the Zoo, Brandie Smith, to find out why the pandas are leaving, and whether China plans to send more. This might truly be the end of a beara ... we mean era!
Guests:
Brandie Smith, John and Adrienne Mars Director of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
Stephen Powers, panda fan
The Smithsonian Institution was founded on principles of reason and scientific inquiry. So why is the Smithsonian home to countless tales of unexplained phenomena and—dare we say—ghost sightings? Inspired by an apparition at the National Museum of American History, we creak across museum attic floorboards, sneak into an old house in the woods, and even travel back in time to bring you a collection of spooky stories that can only be found at the Smithsonian.
Guests:
Molly Horrocks, Collections Manager, Division of Political and Military History at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History
Pamela Henson, Institutional Historian at the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives
Cpl. Ronald Howlin, Security Officer at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Deborah Hull-Walski, Collections Manager, Education Collections at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History
Melissa Johnson, daughter of Deb Hull-Walski and former skeptical teenager
Kim Dixon, former volunteer at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Looks like these criminals used correct postage, 'cause justice is about to be delivered. Okay, there are no snappy one-liners in this crime scene investigation, but there are explosions, collisions, manhunts and even a cow who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. On the centennial of "The Last Great Train Robbery," we re-examine the evidence to find out how U.S. Postal Inspectors tracked down a band of old school outlaws using cutting edge criminal forensics...and postmarked them for prison.
Guests:
Lynn Heidelbaugh, curator at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum
Chelsea Rose, Director of the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology
Kate Winkler Dawson, author of American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics and the Birth of American CSI
Cellphones put the power of the world at our fingertips. With the touch of a finger, you can instantly connect with your doctor, have food delivered to your office or simply obliterate your niece at Words with Friends. And it's all made possible by rocks formed millions of years ago, deep underground. Join us as we bust open our devices to figure out how these stones power our phones.
Guests:
Joshua A. Bell, curator of globalization at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History
Michael Wise, geologist in the department of mineral sciences at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History
Josh Lepawsky, professor of geography at Memorial University of Newfoundland
Icky Gunk. Moldy Hay. Kermit. You might recognize one of these names. Before Kermit joined Miss Piggy and Big Bird, he was kicking it with Sam and Friends — a local tv show in Washington, D.C. that launched Jim Henson's career. We journey back to 1955 to figure out how this eccentric cast of puppets built the foundation for everything Jim Henson would do afterwards, from Sesame Street, to The Muppet Show and even Labyrinth (we see you, David Bowie fans). And we venture into the conservation labs to learn what it took to revive these crumbling hunks of foam and fabric when they landed at the Smithsonian.
Guests:
Ryan Lintelman, curator at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Sunae Park Evans, senior costume conservator at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Bonnie Erickson, a director of The Jim Henson Legacy; creator of Miss Piggy
Craig Shemin, author of Sam and Friends: The Story of Jim Henson's First Television Show
Sidedoor returns for its tenth season on Wednesday, September 13th!
In 1860 the fastest way to get a message to a family member, partner, or colleague wasn’t by text but by hoof…specifically, a pony’s. In just ten short days the Pony Express delivered mail between St. Louis and Sacramento. To find out what it was like to travel this legendary trail, there’s only one way: get on a horse and follow all 2,000 miles of it. That’s what writer Will Grant did, retracing the route from Missouri to California over four and half months. This guest episode of the Outside podcast brings you an epic camping tale in the name of history.
We’ll be back with new episodes of Sidedoor in September! If you enjoyed this episode, find more stories from Outside at https://www.outsideonline.com/podcast
When a 200-year-old legal document anonymously arrived at his office, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives conservator William Bennett assumed it would be full of boring legal jargon. Instead, he found a juicy tale of family betrayal that would forever change what we thought we knew about the founding of the Smithsonian. In honor of the Smithsonian’s 177th birthday, we’re sharing one of our favorite stories from the Sidedoor collection.
Guests:
William Bennett, conservator at the Smithsonian Institution Libraries and Archives
Social: @rwilliab (Instagram), @SirWilliamB (Twitter)
Heather Ewing, author of The Lost World of James Smithson, and Associate Dean at New York Studio School
Social: @HPealeEwing
Richard Kurin, Smithsonian Distinguished Scholar and Ambassador-at-Large
I love hearing about Orangutans
According to the BBC, the non-renewal of the loan has nothing to do with reproductive life issues. Instead, they claim it is a reflection of the political climate.
@06:26: This was pretty dumb. The guy could've simply noted that the tools used to make a wooden chair use mined materials. It would've saved him from that absurd stretch of his.
great story
I appreciated hearing this story as a matter of history, but was quite disappointed by the over-simplified, self-righteous advocacy masquerading as facts or expertise. This podcast is quite often childishly simplistic and obnoxiously preachy when it deals with complex subjects.
Very interesting episode. Too bad the post-script story cut off at the end.
Sounds like a guy so identified with victimhood that he takes offense at perfectly innocuous interactions. This sort of uncharitable, eagerly vengeful mock frailty is antithetical to liberalism and social capital. It shouldn't be celebrated.
I'm grateful to the people who help people like me learn these histories that I haven't heard otherwise. Many of these stories and facts are gut-wrenching, but I would rather know them than not.
@32:25: "Alums"?! Are they salts? No, good grief; you mean alumni.
Kim Sajet's relentless self-promotion seems to pay off for her. Rather than promoting the work and people of the National Portrait Gallery, she seems to take every opportunity to act as if she *is* the NPG. Maybe once in a blue moon, someone else at NPG could be interviewed--maybe even actual experts.
It's unfortunate that this episode did not mention that, whereas planting most milkweeds benefits monarchs, planting *Mexican* milkweed in more northern latitudes can signal some monarchs to end their southern migrations prematurely.
I kept waiting for a reasonable discussion of race in this episode, but as with so much other racially charged blather, it's just a bait-and-switch fueled by identity-based victimhood and salacious race-baiting. The actual merits all related to income and poverty, yet the host and guest sanctimoniously acted as if all black people are poor and all poor people are black, neither of which is true. We don't need to use race as a blunt proxy for income, wealth, or socio-economic status. Doing so needlessly imputes racism. Moreover, if these virtue-signalling race-baiters actually think race is a reasonable proxy for wealth, then they seemingly have no basis for objecting to banks, landlords, and employers doing likewise, but that would be ludicrous. And it is equally ludicrous to do so for political convenience or social inflammation. I suppose it would've been too much to expect that the producers might ask whether various minority groups (presumably not just racial ones) are under-re
It would've helped to as the bishop what she means by "spiritual" and "religious" and, if they are at least partially supernatural, what the supernatural aspect adds. (I don't think it would've been fruitful to ask that of Teddy. He didn't seem strongly committed to meaning in words; he seemed more interested in the vernacular of ultra-liberal signalling.)
That was utterly heart-rending. It's the sort of story that helps us understand why so many people would rather forget or look away, and why we absolutely must not.
@24:21: Why do people use double negatives only to trip over them? I think he meant "no overstatement."
I just can't listen to that old-timey pseudo-folksy, aw-shucks propaganda that weaves together scarce apocryphal tidbits with yards of wholecloth.
You guys should take another look at this episode...maybe a new interview with the same guy??
My kid's and I loved the Apolo's 12 close call, what a great history told by your team. Keep up with the good work. YUPPIE
This is really one of my favorite podcasts. Tried it after I read a review in New Scientist. Keep up the great work. It's such fun to do the gardening alongside. Cheers!
Love Dinosaur Wars. Great show