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About This Podcast
More than 154 million treasures fill the Smithsonian’s vaults. But where the public’s view ends, Sidedoor begins. 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.
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Recent Episodes
S12E15 How Can You Forget Me
Everyone thought ghosts lived in the basement of Stockton, California's old Daguhoy Lodge. So, nobody went down there. But when one man refused to be spooked, he made a discovery that would bring the…
S12E14 High Art, Low Ride
How did a car with chopped suspension and hydraulics become a symbol of pride and self-expression for an entire community? We'll cruise back in time to see how lowriders emerged from the post-WWII…
S12E13 The People in the Pictures
At the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, archivists are working with Native communities to correct the historical record … one photo at a time.In this episode, we go inside the…
S12E12 May the 4th Be With You
A long time ago, in movie theaters not far away, Star Wars: A New Hope revolutionized American entertainment. In honor of May the 4th, we explore how a scrappy space fantasy reinvented a tale as old…
S12E11 Broad Stripes, Bright Stars, and White Lies
As we approach the nation's 250th birthday, we are looking back at some of the most important moments in American history. One of those moments is when Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag. But,…
S12E10 Tapir Caper
When a Smithsonian archaeology intern opened a dusty box of bones in a Panamanian warehouse, she didn't expect to find a mystery, let alone a potential crime scene. But Nina Hirai’s discovery of a…
S12E9 Made in America
What does it look like for something to be made in America? Through the photography of Christopher Payne, we journey across the past, present and future of American manufacturing to answer this…
S12E8 Dark Matter, Bright Mind: How Vera Rubin Saw the Unseen
Something dark and invisible makes up as much as 90 to 95 percent of the universe—and it took a little girl staring out a bedroom window at the night sky to bring it to light. As a child, Vera Rubin…
S12E7 Chinatown Murder Case
A string of unsolved murders in San Francisco's Chinatown in the 1970s led police to the door of a young Korean immigrant named Chol Soo Lee — who was quickly arrested and sentenced to life in…
S12E6 The Wright Sister
Orville and Wilbur Wright have been immortalized as the men opened the skies to human flight. But could they have achieved such great heights without the wind beneath their wings — their sister?…
S12E5 The King of Zydeco
Clifton Chenier grew up in rural Louisiana, watching how his father’s accordion could magically turn front porches into dance parties. When he was old enough to play himself, Chenier began blending…
S12E4 Will the Real Uncle Sam Please Stand Up?
He’s a symbol of patriotism, protest, and power. But behind the red, white, and blue is a real man—and a disputed American origin story. How did a real guy go from meatpacker to meme, to…
S12E3 A Very Cold Case
American newspaper publisher and all-around eccentric, Charles Francis Hall, was an unlikely candidate to become an Arctic explorer. Nevertheless, he made three trips to the frozen north, until he…
S12E2 A Mold with a Grudge
It started with a messy lab and a mysterious mold. But turning “mold juice” into the world’s first antibiotic would take a sick policeman, a market cantaloupe, and an extraordinary wartime…
S12E1 The Secret of Lincoln's Watch
A mystery hidden in time. Wrapped in gold. Stowed secretly in Lincoln's pocket. We dig into the family story of a secret message etched inside Abraham Lincoln's pocket watch. Is this a tall tale or a…
S12 It's Season 12!
Sidedoor returns for its twelfth season on Wednesday, November 26th!
A Message Regarding the Shutdown
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.
S11E28 Monkey Mystery: The Case of the Capuchin Kidnappers
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…
S11E27 The Music of Jeopardy! From a Lullaby to $100,000,000
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…
S11E26 Extreme Botany
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…
Frequently Asked Questions
Sidedoor has published 248 episodes since October 2016, covering topics in Society & Culture.
Sidedoor is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 29m.
Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Sidedoor, including email and social media links.
