Best Smithsonian Institution Podcasts (2024)

1
What can music teach us that science can’t? - MAX COOPER - A/V Artist, Musician, Fmr. Computational Biologist 50:10

6h ago50:10

50:10

How is being an artist different than a machine that is programmed to perform a set of actions? How can we stop thinking about artworks as objects, and start thinking about them as triggers for experiences? In this conversation with Max Cooper, we discuss the beauty and chaos of nature and the exploration of technology music and consciousness. Max …

1
Don Morrison Commentary: The End of the World 3:23

1d ago3:23

3:23

Don is an author, lecturer, member of The Berkshire Eagle’s Advisory Board, a commentator for NPR’s Robin Hood Radio, European editor of the British magazine Port, ex-Time Magazine editor, and a longtime part-time resident of the Berkshires.

1
Hong Kong Media and Asia's Cold War 1:34:36

3d ago1:34:36

1:34:36

Hong Kong was a key battlefield in Asia's cultural cold war. After 1948-1949, an influx of filmmakers, writers, and intellectuals from mainland China transformed British Hong Kong into a hub for mass entertainment and popular publications. Hong Kong Media and Asia's Cold War discusses how Communist China, Nationalist Taiwan, and the U.S. fought to …

1
105. Building a Better Visitor Experience with Open Source Software 14:58

3d ago14:58

14:58

While working at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History during the pandemic, Dr. Morgan Rehnberg recognized the institution's limited capacity to develop new digitals exhibits with the proprietary solutions that are common in big museums. This challenge led Rehnberg to start work on Exhibitera, a free, open-source suite of software tools tail…

1
Don Morrison Commentary: What Would Trump Do? 3:20

9d ago3:20

3:20

Don is an author, lecturer, member of The Berkshire Eagle’s Advisory Board, a commentator for NPR’s Robin Hood Radio, European editor of the British magazine Port, ex-Time Magazine editor, and a longtime part-time resident of the Berkshires.

1
Dude, Where’s my Carbon? 32:36

9d 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
Marriage Unbound: State Law, Power, and Inequality in Contemporary China 1:06:52

10d ago1:06:52

1:06:52

On a hot summer day, Wang Guiping attended her divorce trial at the Xiqing Peoples Tribunal. Taking an unfaithful spouse to court would, Guiping thought, help her end a hopeless relationship and actualize her lawful rights upon divorce. Later that day, Guiping would find herself betrayed not only by her husband, but by the court system and her own …

1
Don Morrison Commentary: Period of Uncertainty 3:24

16d ago3:24

3:24

Don is an author, lecturer, member of The Berkshire Eagle’s Advisory Board, a commentator for NPR’s Robin Hood Radio, European editor of the British magazine Port, ex-Time Magazine editor, and a longtime part-time resident of the Berkshires.

1
From Chinatown to Every Town: How Chinese Immigrants Have Expanded the Restaurant Business in the United States 1:29:23

16d ago1:29:23

1:29:23

Based on his new book, this presentation explores the recent history of Chinese immigration within the United States and the fundamental changes in spatial settlement that have relocated many low-skilled Chinese immigrants from New York Citys Chinatown to new immigrant destinations. Using a mixed-method approach over a decade in Chinatown and six d…

1
Don Morrison Commentary: The Cruelest Season 3:24

22d ago3:24

3:24

Don is an author, lecturer, member of The Berkshire Eagle’s Advisory Board, a commentator for NPR’s Robin Hood Radio, European editor of the British magazine Port, ex-Time Magazine editor, and a longtime part-time resident of the Berkshires.

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

23d 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
How to Live a Good a Life - Stoic Wisdom & the Founding Fathers - Highlights - JEFFREY ROSEN 12:27

23d ago12:27

12:27

"I love Bernstein's excitement in talking about how he says, for Beethoven, was he the best harmonist? No. Was it his orchestral abilities? Absolutely not. It was just that each note that he chose was exactly the right note to follow the note that proceeded it as if he had 'a private telephone wire to Heaven' and that he was channeling the note tha…

1
The Pursuit of Happiness - JEFFREY ROSEN - President & CEO of the National Constitution Center 42:38

23d ago42:38

42:38

What is the true meaning of the pursuit of happiness? What can we learn from the Founding Fathers about achieving harmony, balance, tranquility, self-mastery, and pursuing the public good? Jeffrey Rosen is President and CEO of the National Constitution Center, where he hosts We the People, a weekly podcast of constitutional debate. He is also a pro…

1
The Children of This Madness 1:07:31

29d ago1:07:31

1:07:31

In The Children of this Madness, Gemini Wahhaj pens a complex tale of modern Bengalis, one that illuminates the recent histories not only of Bangladesh, but America and Iraq. Told in multiple voices over successive eras, this is the story of Nasir Uddin and his daughter Beena, and the intersection of their distant, vastly different lives.…

1
Disciplinary Futures: Sociology in Conversation with American, Ethnic, and Indigenous Studies 1:15:34

29d ago1:15:34

1:15:34

There is a growing consensus that the discipline of sociology and the social sciences broadly need to engage more thoroughly with the legacy and the present day of colonialism, Indigenous/settler colonialism, imperialism, and racial capitalism in the United States and globally. In Disciplinary Futures, edited by Nadia Y. Kim and Pawan Dhingra, a cr…

1
Don Morrison Commentary: The Volunteer 3:22

29d ago3:22

3:22

Don is an author, lecturer, member of The Berkshire Eagle’s Advisory Board, a commentator for NPR’s Robin Hood Radio, European editor of the British magazine Port, ex-Time Magazine editor, and a longtime part-time resident of the Berkshires.

1
Don Morrison Commentary: Our Man in Havana 3:25

1M ago3:25

3:25

Don is an author, lecturer, member of The Berkshire Eagle’s Advisory Board, a commentator for NPR’s Robin Hood Radio, European editor of the British magazine Port, ex-Time Magazine editor, and a longtime part-time resident of the Berkshires.

1
Face Value 31:54

1M 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
What does it mean to have an ecological mind? - Highlights - PAOLA SPINOZZI 11:53

1M ago11:53

11:53

"The humanities are all about representing the world, while the sciences are all about knowing the world. But I believe the roles are deeply intertwined, and that literature, the humanities, philosophy, history, and the arts are all ways of knowing the world. They do exactly the same thing in our understanding of the world. And it is really importa…

1
Literature, Humanities & Sustainability: PAOLA SPINOZZI - Coordinator, Phd Programme, Environmental Sustainability & Wellbeing, UNIFE 41:36

1M ago41:36

41:36

How can we create positive change? What does it mean to have an ecological mind? How can interdisciplinary collaborations help us move beyond educational silos and create sustainable futures? Paola Spinozzi is Professor of English Literature at the University of Ferrara and currently serves as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Internationalisation. She is th…

1
The Art of Bringing Stories to Life - Highlights - LISA EDELSTEIN 14:22

2M ago14:22

14:22

"In the paintings, the imagery that I'm looking for are images that don't feel posed or, even if they were intended to be posed, there are things in there that weren't necessarily meant for public display. So I am really interested in telling secrets in that way. You know, I've always made things made objects, but always very privately. And being m…

1
LISA EDELSTEIN - From Acting to Directing, Writing & Visual Art 49:36

2M ago49:36

49:36

How can the arts help us examine and engage with social issues? How do our families shape our views, memories, and experience of the world? From her role as Dr. Lisa Cuddy on the hit Fox series House, to her starring role as Abby McCarthy in Bravo's first scripted series Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce, Lisa Edelstein's range of roles are as diverse …

1
Don Morrison Commentary: Two Women, One Dream 3:23

2M ago3:23

3:23

Don is an author, lecturer, member of The Berkshire Eagle’s Advisory Board, a commentator for NPR’s Robin Hood Radio, European editor of the British magazine Port, ex-Time Magazine editor, and a longtime part-time resident of the Berkshires.

1
Don Morrison Commentary: Go Fund Trump 3:09

2M ago3:09

3:09

Don is an author, lecturer, member of The Berkshire Eagle’s Advisory Board, a commentator for NPR’s Robin Hood Radio, European editor of the British magazine Port, ex-Time Magazine editor, and a longtime part-time resident of the Berkshires.

1
Jeepers Leapers! 13:30

2M 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
What does the future hold for our late-stage capitalist society with mega-corps controlling everything? - Highlights - KYLE HIGGINS, KARINA MANASHIL & KID CUDI 14:22

2M ago14:22

14:22

The Making of Moon Man “So, as we started talking and going through what this could look like. I run a creator-owned superhero universe at Image Comics called the Massive-Verse, which is spearheaded by the main book I write called Radiant Black. I like to describe it as it's like Power Rangers with adult problems. It's very contemporary kind of rei…

1
Comics, Music, Ethics & AI: KYLE HIGGINS, KARINA MANASHIL & KID CUDI on the Making of Moon Man 1:07:18

2M ago1:07:18

1:07:18

What does the future hold for our late-stage capitalist society with mega-corporations owning and controlling everything? How can the world-building skills of the makers of films and comics help us imagine a better future? Kyle Higgins is an Eisner award-nominated #1 New York Times best-selling comic book author and award-winning filmmaker known fo…

1
104. What Large Institutions Can Learn From Small Museums 14:52

2M ago14:52

14:52

The Murney Tower Museum in Kingston, Ontario, Canada is a small museum. Open for only four months of the year and featuring only one full-time staff member, the museum is representative of the many small institutions that make up the majority of museums. With only a fraction of the resources of large institutions, this long tail distribution of sma…

1
Don Morrison Commentary: The Politics of Taylor Swift 3:30

2M ago3:30

3:30

Don is an author, lecturer, member of The Berkshire Eagle’s Advisory Board, a commentator for NPR’s Robin Hood Radio, European editor of the British magazine Port, ex-Time Magazine editor, and a longtime part-time resident of the Berkshires.

1
Til Death Do Us Part? 29:20

2M 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
Don Morrison Commentary: American Rhapsody 3:24

2M ago3:24

3:24

Don is an author, lecturer, member of The Berkshire Eagle’s Advisory Board, a commentator for NPR’s Robin Hood Radio, European editor of the British magazine Port, ex-Time Magazine editor, and a longtime part-time resident of the Berkshires.

1
Smithsonian Asian Pacific American History, Art, and Culture in 101 Objects 1:11:47

2M ago1:11:47

1:11:47

Asian Americans are the fastest growing group in the United States and include approximately 50 distinct ethnic groups, but their stories and experiences have often been sidelined or stereotyped. Smithsonian Asian Pacific American History, Art, and Culture in 101 Objects offers a vital window into the triumphs and tragedies, strength and ingenuity,…

1
How can the arts help cultivate our intuitive intelligence? - Highlights - JONATHAN YEO 12:19

2M ago12:19

12:19

"What are you trying to do with the portrait? On a basic level, you're trying to communicate something about the essence of who someone is. You're trying to figure out who they are, not necessarily who they present themselves as. The two things can quite often be different. And then, you're trying to find ways of showing that through their face, th…

1
JONATHAN YEO - Celebrated Portrait Artist on the Importance of Connection & Intuitive Intelligence 47:28

2M ago47:28

47:28

How can the arts help cultivate our intuitive intelligence? What does visual art teach us about consciousness and the human condition? Jonathan Yeo is one of the world’s leading figurative artists and portrait painters. From celebrated figures such as Sir David Attenborough, peace activist Malala Yousafzai, the Duke of Edinburgh, Nicole Kidman, and…

1
To Sidedoor, With Love 36:22

3M ago36:22

36:22

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…

1
From Ancient Wisdom to the Language of the Earth 10:45

3M ago10:45

10:45

Scientists, artists, psychologists, conservationists, and spiritual leaders share their stories and insights on the importance of connecting with nature, preserving the environment, embracing diversity, and finding harmony in the world. Music courtesy of composer Max Richter. All voices in this episode are from our interviews for The Creative Proce…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Smithsonian Institution Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide