Sidedoor
by Smithsonian Institution
More than 154 million treasures fill the Smithsonian’s vaults. But where the public’s view ends, Sidedoorbegins. With the help of biologists, artists, historians, archaeologists, zookeepers and astrophysicists, host Lizzie Peabody sneaks listeners through the Smithsonian’s side door, telling stories that can’t be heard anywhere else. Check out si.edu/sidedoor and follow @SidedoorPod for more info.
Copyright: © Smithsonian 2016
Episodes
Welcome Back, Otter
26m · PublishedNorth 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
Wrinkled Radicals
31m · PublishedWhen 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 AmericanHistory
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
Farewell Giant Pandas
29m · PublishedAll 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 ofthe 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
Resurrected: Spooked at the Smithsonian
37m · PublishedThe 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
CSI: Southern Pacific
38m · PublishedLooks 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 Rock
28m · PublishedCellphones 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
The 'Gentle Anarchy' of the Muppets
33m · PublishedIcky 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
It's Season 10!
1m · PublishedSidedoor returns for its tenth season on Wednesday, September 13th!
A Wild Ride on the Pony Express
30m · PublishedIn 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
The Hungerford Deed
29m · PublishedWhen 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
Sidedoor has 204 episodes in total of non- explicit content. Total playtime is 86:30:01. The language of the podcast is English. This podcast has been added on March 5th 2023. It might contain more episodes than the ones shown here. It was last updated on May 3rd, 2024 12:42.