Episodios

  • A Message Regarding the Shutdown
    Oct 10 2025

    Please be advised that new episodes will not be released during the government shutdown. For up-to-date information on the status of the Smithsonian, please visit our website at si.edu.

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    Menos de 1 minuto
  • Monkey Mystery: The Case of the Capuchin Kidnappers
    Oct 1 2025

    Why are capuchin monkeys kidnapping howler monkey babies in Panama? We investigate this bizarre case of primate abduction with researchers working with the Smithsonian to get to the bottom of this bizarre behavior. We'll talk about their discoveries, the social dynamics between capuchins and howler monkeys, and the bizarre island conditions that might be driving this behavior. Is it boredom? Is it social learning? Or is something else entirely at play? Travel with us to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama to uncover this monkey mystery!

    Guests:

    Zoë Goldsborough, visiting researcher at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama and a behavioral ecologist at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior

    Brendan Barrett, visiting researcher at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama and an evolutionary behavioral ecologist and evolutionary anthropologist at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior

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    23 m
  • The Music of Jeopardy! From a Lullaby to $100,000,000
    Sep 17 2025

    It’s the most recognizable TV theme in America. But Jeopardy’s “Think Music” wasn’t originally written for a game show… It was written for a toddler. In this episode, we trace the unlikely journey of the Jeopardy theme, from Merv Griffin’s living room to over 10,000 episodes across six decades. Along the way, we explore the show’s sonic evolution, including honking buzzers, 80s synths, and orchestral remixes. Featuring Lisa Broffman, Jeopardy’s Consulting Co-Executive Producer.

    This episode was written & produced by Casey Emmerling.

    Visit the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History to see some of the Jeopardy objects we have in the collection.

    MUSIC FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE

    Harry Endivo - Don’t Bore Me Alberto!

    Medité - This Round's On Me

    Flickering - The Squad

    Andreas Dahlbäck - 808 or 909

    Trevor Kowalski - Watercolor Motion I

    Gavin Luke - The Power of One

    Art by Michael Zhang.

    This episode of Twenty Thousand Hertz is part of our summer playlist to keep you entertained while Sidedoor is on summer break. We’ll be back in the fall with brand new episodes of Sidedoor.

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    24 m
  • Extreme Botany
    Sep 3 2025

    Ana María Bedoya's work takes her to some unlikely places: steep cliffs, river rapids, and tumbling waterfalls— all in search of vulnerable aquatic plants.

    Through lively stories and conversations with scientists, gardeners, artists, and experts, join the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) for deep dives into everything from food systems and horticulture to botanical breakthroughs in the lab and the field, and the many ways our daily lives are sustained by plants.

    This episode of Plant People is part of our summer playlist to keep you entertained while Sidedoor is on summer break. We’ll be back in the fall with brand new episodes of Sidedoor.

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    34 m
  • Back to School: Origins of the Pledge
    Aug 20 2025

    Children say it every day in school, but have you ever wondered why we recite the pledge of allegiance? We journey back to the late 1800s to understand how a massive wave of immigration and sagging magazine subscriptions gave rise to this vow of patriotism. From the Civil War to anti-immigrant nativism and Cold War politics, this one pledge tells many stories.

    Guests:

    Debbie Schaefer-Jacobs, curator for the history of education collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

    Marc Leepson, author of Flag: An American Biography

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    32 m
  • Bear Trouble
    Aug 6 2025

    When a black bear in Minnesota woke up from hibernation in the middle of winter and attacked three people and a dog, researchers were left with one question: Why?

    ***

    This episode of the Points North podcast is part of our summer playlist to keep you entertained while Sidedoor is on summer break. We’ll be back in the fall with brand new episodes of Sidedoor.

    Credits:
    Producer: Ellie Katz
    Editor: Morgan Springer
    Additional Editing: Michael Livingston, Dan Wanschura
    Additional Production: Matthew Mikkelsen of Hayloft Audio
    Music: Blue Dot Sessions

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    17 m
  • Shellshocked II: Turtle Thieves
    Jul 23 2025

    Turtles are built like tiny tanks—ancient, armored, and famously tough. But in the modern world, that toughness may be their greatest vulnerability. In part two of our turtle two-parter, we dive into the shadowy world of turtle trafficking, where backyard collectors, international smugglers, and unsuspecting pet owners all play a role. From sting operations to turtle triage, we meet the unlikely defenders working to stop the trade—and care for the reptiles caught in the middle. Because once a turtle is taken from the wild, getting it home again is a lot harder than you’d think.

    Guests

    Thomas Akre, head of the Turtle Conservation Ecology Lab at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

    John (JD) Kleopfer, State Herpetologist for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources

    First Sergeant Tim Dooley, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Special Operations for the Virginia Conservation Police, Department of Wildlife Resources

    Connor Gillespie, Director of Outreach at the Wildlife Center of Virginia

    Dr. Karra Pierce, Director of Veterinary Services at the Wildlife Center of Virginia

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    30 m
  • Shellshocked I: Turtles vs. The World
    Jul 9 2025

    Turtles have been around for 200 million years—outliving dinosaurs, surviving ice ages, and basically minding their own business the whole time. Tough on the outside, chill on the inside, they seem built to last. So why are they suddenly disappearing? In part one of this two-part series, we hit the trail in search of one surprisingly elusive reptile: the eastern box turtle. These ancient creatures may seem slow, but their decline is happening fast. And the scariest part? We barely understand what it could mean.

    Guests:

    Thomas Akre, head of the Turtle Conservation Ecology Lab at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

    Maxwell Earle, outreach and engagement coordinator for the Turtle Conservation Ecology Lab at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

    Chris Polinski, lab manager for the Turtle Conservation Ecology Lab at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

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    31 m