Best American Museum Of Natural History Podcasts (2024)

1
History Speaker Series with Will McLean Greeley and the Birdman of the Senate 1:15:35

15h ago1:15:35

1:15:35

In this episode, Will McLean Greeley discusses his recent book, a Connecticut Yankee Goes to Washington: Senator George P. McLean, Birdman of the Senate, a biography of politician George MacLean, a Gilded Age and Progressive Era reformer and conservationist whose best known accomplishment was the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. Will Greeley hold…

1
Bankers in the Boudoir 32:08

3h ago32:08

32:08

In the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Frodo becomes invisible when he puts the Ring on his finger. Well, at banks in the 1970s, this is basically what happened when a woman put a wedding ring on her finger. Her credit cards would no longer work, and the banks wouldn't count her income as part of the household income. This led to a fight for women's fin…

1
Sons Of The Revolution In The State Of New York Inc Constitution Week Meeting 1:10:55

6d ago1:10:55

1:10:55

Join the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York, Inc. to celebrate the signing of the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787, featuring a lecture on the formation and implementation of the United States Constitution by Tom Hand, author of An American Triumph: America’s Founding Era through the Lives of Ben Franklin, George Washin…

1
Jim the Penman 37:36

13d ago37:36

37:36

During the mid-1800s, one third of all paper money in America was thought to be fake. It was the golden age of counterfeiting, and one exceptionally talented con artist stood out from all the rest. His fakes were nearly perfect…but for a trademark tell. Known to law enforcement only as “Jim the Penman,” this celebrity criminal led many Americans to…

1
It's Season 11 1:23

20d ago1:23

1:23

Sidedoor returns for its eleventh season on Wednesday, September 18th!By Smithsonian Institution

1
The End of Everything with Dr. Katie Mack Part 2 24:33

23d ago24:33

24:33

How did the universe evolve, and more importantly, how might it end? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome theoretical cosmologist and astrophysicist, Dr. Katie Mack, author of the recently published book, “The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking).” In Part 2, we look at dark matter, Gravitational Memory Effect, and mor…

1
Are Robots About to Level Up? 39:31

1M ago39:31

39:31

Within just a few years, artificial intelligence systems that sometimes seem to display almost human characteristics have gone from science fiction to apps on your phone. But there’s another AI-influenced frontier that is developing rapidly and remains untamed: robotics. Can the technologies that have helped computers get smarter now bring similar …

1
Serpent in Eden: Foreign Meddling and Partisan Politics in James Madison's America 1:00:53

1M ago1:00:53

1:00:53

In this lecture, Tyson Reeder traces early America's rocky beginnings, when foreign interference and political conflict threatened to undermine its aspirations and ideals, even its very existence. Spanning the period from the Revolution to the War of 1812, and focusing particularly on the career of James Madison, it reveals a nation adjusting to ra…

1
The End of Everything with Dr. Katie Mack Part 1 36:14

1M ago36:14

36:14

How did the universe evolve, and more importantly, how might it end? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome theoretical cosmologist and astrophysicist, Dr. Katie Mack, author of the recently published book, “The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking).” You’re going to need your thinking caps for this episode, because the t…

1
Social Media and the Subway 21:28

2M ago21:28

21:28

There aren’t many portrait artists who get recognized on the street, but it happens to Devon Rodriguez all the time. After quietly honing his skill for a decade, Devon started posting videos of his live drawings of New York City subway commuters to social media. The videos took off, earning him some 50 million followers and placing portraiture in f…

1
History Speaker Series with Kristen Engel and Henrician Spectacle 1:15:43

2M ago1:15:43

1:15:43

In this episode, Kristen Engel discusses her experiences in a graduate program at the University of Connecticut and her dissertation research, which uses courtly spectacle to examine the portrayals of political and cultural ideals in the courts of Henry VII and Henry VIII, which led to political and cultural transformations in early Tudor England. …

1
Making Space Accessible with Celene Shimmen 39:48

2M ago39:48

39:48

How do you go from a small town in Colorado to being a scientist-astronaut candidate in Australia? And how can you make space accessible for disabled astronauts? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome scientist-astronaut candidate Celene Shimmen. As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the new …

1
Archiving the Underground 38:06

2M ago38:06

38:06

Next up in our summer playlist, we bring you an episode of The Kitchen Sisters Present, a podcast featuring sound-rich stories ‘from the b-side of history.’ This one is a musical treat! The Kitchen Sisters delve into the story of the founding of the Hiphop Archive and Research Institute at Harvard by Dr. Marcyliena Morgan, Professor of African and …

1
History Speaker Series with Dr. Jamie Goodall and Pirate Black Sam Bellamy 44:03

2M ago44:03

44:03

In this episode, Dr. Jamie Goodall discusses her new book, The Daring Exploits of Pirate Black Sam Bellamy: From Cape Cod to the Caribbean, which describes the political, cultural, legal, and economic relationships between pirates and the coast of colonial New England. Dr. Goodall teaches American history at Southern New Hampshire University and is…

1
Sharing Space with Astronaut Cady Coleman, Part 2 27:24

3M ago27:24

27:24

We jump right back in where we left off in Part 1 of our interview with Dr. Cady Coleman, astronaut, chemist, engineer, flautist, and most recently, the author of “Sharing Space: An Astronaut's Guide to Mission, Wonder, and Making Change.” (If you missed it, listen to Part 1 here.) Chuck asks Cady to tell us more about NASA’s decision to not includ…

1
Environmental Legacies: How the War of Independence Affected the Natural World 1:08:23

3M ago1:08:23

1:08:23

We don't always consider the powerful impact that the War of Independence had on the physical landscape of 18th century America – much less how those impacts might still be seen and felt today. Join Professor David C. Hsiung for fascinating insights into the lasting legacies of the Revolution on the natural world, including deforestation at Valley …

1
Rocket Man 40:53

3M ago40:53

40:53

In the twentieth century, the jetpack became synonymous with the idea of a ‘futuristic society.’ Appearing in cartoons and magazines, it felt like a matter of time before people could ride a jetpack to work. But jetpacks never became a mainstream technology, leaving many to wonder…why? In this episode of 99 Percent Invisible, producer Chris Berube …

1
It Happened Here - July 4 Symposium at Fraunces Tavern Museum 2:27:58

3M ago2:27:58

2:27:58

It is a truism that Lower Manhattan has been America's town square since its founding in 1524, even though its history is much deeper. Virtually every aspect of global, local and national significance can be in some manner traced to this Downtown stage. Some have been forgotten and some have been transformative in our culture and many have fallen b…

1
When Washington Burned: The British Invasion of the Capital and a Nation's Rise from the Ashes 1:13:01

3M ago1:13:01

1:13:01

Perhaps no single day in US history was as threatening to the survival of the nation as August 24, 1814, when British forces captured Washington. This unique moment might have significantly altered the nation's path forward, but the event and the reasons why it happened are often forgotten. In this lecture, Dr. Robert Watson explores the British ca…

1
Sharing Space with Astronaut Cady Coleman, Part 1 30:00

3M ago30:00

30:00

What is the overview effect? Why is slow fast when you’re spacewalking? And what would happen to Chuck and Allen’s hair in space? To get the answers to these and other questions, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome back astronaut, chemist, engineer, flautist, and most recently, the author of “Sharing Space: An Astronaut's Guide to Mission…

1
A Giant Listening Project 25:26

3M ago25:26

25:26

It’s been called ‘the most noble and absurd undertaking ever attempted by any state.’ During the height of the Great Depression, the U.S government hired out-of-work writers and laid-off reporters and sent them out to record the stories of all kinds of Americans. Called the Federal Writers’ Project, historians have called the program a giant “liste…

1
The French Are Coming! The Franco-American Military Alliance 1780-1782 59:27

3M ago59:27

59:27

The opening of Fraunces Tavern Museum's new special exhibition, Lafayette: A Hero's Return, was celebrated with featured lecturer Général de Brigade Vincent de Kytspotter, PhD, Head of the French Defense Mission to the United Nations. This lecture speaks to Marquis de Lafayette's role in the American Revolution, the powerful Franco-American militar…

1
The Pursuit of Happiness 1:04:59

3M ago1:04:59

1:04:59

What did “the pursuit of happiness” mean to our nation’s founders and how did that famous phrase become the foundation of our democracy?The Declaration of Independence identifies “the pursuit of happiness” as one of our unalienable rights, along with life and liberty. In his new book, National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen pro…

1
The Lost Woolly Dog 41:07

3M ago41:07

41:07

For thousands of years, fluffy white dogs could be found across the Pacific Northwest. Their exceptionally soft, crimpy hair was shorn like sheep’s wool, spun into yarn, and woven into blankets and robes by indigenous women who carefully tended them in communities across Coast Salish territory. But a hundred years ago, the woolly dog quietly vanish…

1
Chuck GPT 3.0: Gravity, rocket Propulsion, space Tethers, and more! 47:02

4M ago47:02

47:02

Does sound travel faster in space? Is the multiverse theory true? Can gravity escape a black hole? In our latest episode of our popular “Chuck GPT” series, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome our Social Media/Patreon Community Director Stacey Severn to answer fan questions collected from Patreon patrons, students, Facebook and YouTube. As…

1
Cosmic Journey II: Voyage into the Abyss 32:10

4M ago32:10

32:10

Hitch a ride on the Chandra X-ray Observatory as it scours deep space for some of the most enigmatic and misunderstood objects in the universe: black holes. What are they good for? Absolutely something. This is the second episode of a two-part journey celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Smithsonian Astrophysica…

1
Composing the Cosmos – Musical Explorations of Deep Space with Bruce Lazarus 34:09

4M ago34:09

34:09

Is there really a music of the spheres? And why is space so inspirational for creativity? To ponder these cosmic questions, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome noted composer and pianist Bruce Lazarus. As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, this time in honor of our guest: the fact that the movie “Oppen…

1
History Speaker Series with Dr. Allen York and Civil War Pittsburgh 1:22:02

4M ago1:22:02

1:22:02

In this episode, Dr. Allen York discusses his new book, Our People Are Warlike: Civil War Pittsburgh and Home-Front Mobilization, which connects the wartime experience of Pittsburgh into the larger narrative of the war revealing how the mobilization of the community was shaped by both prewar and frontline events and forces. Dr. York teaches militar…

1
Cosmic Journey I: "Stellar Buffoonery" 34:37

4M ago34:37

34:37

Black holes could unlock the mysteries of creation and live at the heart of nearly every galaxy. But these invisible balls of extremely dense matter have never been fully understood, especially when they were only a theory. We travel through a cosmic wormhole back to the 1930s to learn how the first astrophysicist to successfully theorize a black h…

1
Cosmic Pathways with Dr. Ronald Gamble 38:29

5M ago38:29

38:29

Do gravitons exist? What are blazars? How did our universe begin? To grapple with questions on a cosmological scale, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Dr. Ron Gamble, a theoretical astrophysicist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the gravitational wave bac…

1
Cicadapalooza 33:04

5M ago33:04

33:04

The cicadas are back for some fun in the sun, and this time, they’re louder than ever! For the first time since 1803, Broods XIII and XIX will be emerging at the same time, covering the American South and Midwest with trillions of cicadas. As Smithsonian entomologist Floyd Shockley readies his nets for the biggest bug invasion in centuries, we look…

1
Volcanoes on Earth and in Space with Dr. Samantha Tramontano 41:28

5M ago41:28

41:28

Volcanoes in space...supervolcanoes here on Earth... and lava lakes everywhere! To get an expert opinion on eruptions, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Dr. Sam Tramontano, a Post-Doctoral researcher in geology and Earth sciences at The American Museum of Natural History. As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosm…

1
The Birds and the Beans 37:21

5M ago37:21

37:21

"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 …

1
Neurobionics with Dr. Nicki Driscoll 40:31

6M ago40:31

40:31

How does the brain actually work? And is there anything we can do when it doesn’t? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Dr. Nicki Driscoll, CTO and Co-Founder of NeuroBionics. As always, though, we start off with the day’s joyfully cool cosmic thing, the recently announced discovery of Super-Earth TOI-715 b that is within its …

1
History Speaker Series with Dr. Luke Peterson and the U.S. Military in the Print Media 1:04:21

6M ago1:04:21

1:04:21

Dr. Luke Peterson teaches Arabic and Middle Eastern history at Southern New Hampshire University and Duquesne University. In this episode, Dr. Peterson discusses his new book, The U.S. Military in the Print News Media: Service and Sacrifice in Contemporary Discourse, which “analyzes the history of the popular discourse in the United States concerne…

1
A Revolutionary Friendship: Washington, Jefferson, and the American Republic 1:02:11

6M ago1:02:11

1:02:11

Martha Washington’s worst memory was the death of her husband. Her second worst was Thomas Jefferson’s awkward visit to pay his respects subsequently. Indeed, by the time George Washington had died in 1799, the two founders were estranged. But that estrangement has obscured the fact that for most of their thirty-year acquaintance they enjoyed a pro…

1
Dude, Where’s my Carbon? 32:36

6M ago32:36

32:36

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 climbi…

1
The Great American Eclipse 36:33

6M ago36:33

36:33

The total solar eclipse is almost here! In this special episode of The LIUniverse, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu bring you both the basics and some more in-depth investigations of how eclipses work, how to see them, and what makes them so unique. This episode includes clips from Chuck’s recent public talk at the College of Staten Island to …

1
ChuckGPT 2.0 – Three Body Problem Q&A 36:55

6M ago36:55

36:55

What is the science behind the science fiction in Three Body Problem? In our second episode of “ChuckGPT” Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome two members of our production team: Jon Barnes, our Editor, and Stacey Severn, our Social Media/Patreon Community Director, to delve into the questions and answers posed by the award-winning novel a…

1
Monkeyin' Around on the Devil's Island 28:24

6M ago28:24

28:24

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 Tropi…

1
God Save Benedict Arnold: The True Story of America's Most Hated Man 1:02:52

6M ago1:02:52

1:02:52

Although among the best-known Revolutionary War soldiers, Benedict Arnold is overwhelmingly remembered as little more than a traitor — yet his enormously important contributions to the patriot cause in the early years of the war are, in many ways, far more important than his treason. Join Jack Kelly, author of God Save Benedict Arnold: The True Sto…

1
Ancient Astronomy with Hannah Liu 39:24

7M ago39:24

39:24

What does the study of archeology, the study of the human past, offer to the astronomers of today? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome archaeology expert Hannah Liu, MEd, to connect the past, the present, and the future of astronomy in an episode Allen has described as, “A Fistful of Lius.” As always, though, we start off wit…

1
Face Value 31:54

7M ago31:54

31:54

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 Ame…

1
Lucy and L'SPACE with Freya Holloway 35:40

7M ago35:40

35:40

How can college students who would like to work in the space industry and at NASA get their foot in the door? And what is the purpose of the Lucy mission to the Trojan Asteroids? To get the answers to both of these questions, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Freya Holloway, a NASA L’SPACE Lab Tech at ASU. As always, though, we start of…

1
Jeepers Leapers! 13:30

7M ago13:30

13:30

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, Geologi…

1
Solar Flares and Deep Space Nine with Dr. Jimmy Negus 27:23

8M ago27:23

27:23

Welcome to the Season 3 premiere of The LIUniverse, your happy half-hour dose of cosmic conversation and geeky banter with host Dr. Charles Liu! In this episode, Chuck and co-host Allen Liu welcome back Dr. Jimmy Negus, who was our guest on our very first episode, to talk about Solar Flares, “Deep Space Nine,” and more. As some of you may remember,…

1
Til Death Do Us Part? 29:20

8M ago29:20

29:20

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 …

1
Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York, Inc. Tallmadge Day Meeting 2024 1:24:33

8M ago1:24:33

1:24:33

On Monday, January 22, 2024, SRNY commemorated the birthday of Frederick Samuel Tallmadge, the second President of the Sons of the Revolution℠ in the State of New York, Inc., whose generosity enabled the Society to acquire Fraunces Tavern in 1904.Our featured speaker was Eric Schnitzer, co-author of a recent book, Campaign to Saratoga - 1777. This …

1
Long Island City in 1776: The Revolution Comes to Queens 1:16:35

8M ago1:16:35

1:16:35

1775 belonged to Boston but after April of 1776, the Revolutionary War's focus became New York City and the highly strategic Long Island, from Brooklyn's terminal moraine high ground to Queens's Hell Gate. 1776 was the year when revolution came to Long Island, and in particular the future Long Island City. The failures, defeats and eventual occupat…

1
Huzzah! Drinking With John Hancock during the American Revolution 59:25

8M ago59:25

59:25

When John Hancock needed to win people over, he didn’t talk about resisting taxes or policy improvements; instead, he served alcohol. He offered rum punch and wine at his home and paid for lavish meals in taverns to bring people together. Guests included lower class men, French officers, and Black women and men. By throwing parties, Hancock gained …

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