Sidedoor

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, as we discovered, there’s actually no proof that Ross sewed the first flag. In fact, we don't even know what the first American flag even looked like! In this episode of Sidedoor, we unravel this vexillological tall tale to find out how this myth got started, and who Betsy Ross really was. Sidedoor also recently teamed up with the popular 99% Invisible podcast to explore the lesser-known history of the American flag. The episode, “Flag Days: Unfolding a Moment,” is available to listen to now. Guests: Jennifer Locke Jones, political and military history curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History Marc Leepson, journalist, historian and author of the book Flag: An American Biography Marla R. Miller, historian and author of Betsy Ross and the Making of America

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 tapir skull riddled with what appeared to be bullet holes sparked an investigation that would lead her several miles up the Panama Canal and nearly forty years into the past. Join us as we unspool the strange, unresolved story of a tapir named Alice, and ask what it means to live with uncertainty when the past refuses to explain itself. Guests: Nina Hirai, former archeology intern at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Nicole Smith-Guzmán, archeology curator at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Ashley Sharpe, research archeologist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Aureliano Valencia (“Yeyo”), archeological research technician at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Phyllis (Lissy) Coley, professor emerita in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Utah and research associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Monica Brenes Lynan, former veterinarian at Parque Municipal Summit in Panama Andres Ramos, lider de guardabosques del Monumento Natural Barro Colorado / head park ranger at Barro Colorado Island

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 question. From centuries-old textile mills to modern assembly lines, Payne’s photographs offer a rare, behind-the-scenes view of how everyday objects—from pencils to airplanes to marshmallow Peeps—are made. With the help of Smithsonian curator, Susan Brown, and author, Rachel Slade, we also explore the history behind these factories, and how the story of American manufacturing is the story of our nation itself. Guests: Christopher Payne, Industrial photographer Susan Brown, associate curator, and acting head of textiles at Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum; curator of the exhibition Made in America Rachel Slade, author of the book Making it in America: The Almost Impossible Quest to Manufacture in the U.S.A. (and How it Got That Way)

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 built her own telescope. As an adult, she uncovered a problem no telescope could solve: stars at the edges of galaxies were moving just as fast as those near the center. The math contradicted everything astronomers expected to see...unless the universe was filled with unseen matter. This is the story of how Vera Rubin pushed through the gender barriers of the 1950s and turned a fringe idea into one of astronomy’s biggest open questions. What is dark matter? How did Rubin help prove it was real? And what does it mean that most of the universe is made of something we can’t see? Guests: Ashley Yeager, Associate News Editor at Science News and Author of Bright Galaxies Dark Matter and Beyond: The Life of Astronomer Vera Rubin Ramona Rubin, Granddaughter of Vera Rubin Deidre Hunter, Astronomer at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona Amruta Jaodand, Astrophysicist at the Chandra X-Ray Center in the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory

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 prison. But when investigative journalist K.W. Lee started digging into the case, he discovered a world of twisted law and order that went far deeper than one man. The articles K.W. wrote about what he uncovered in Chinatown shocked Asian Americans across Northern California to stand up and demand justice for Chol Soo Lee — and themselves. Guests: Sojin Kim, curator at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Ranko Yamada, friend of K.W. Lee and Chol Soo Lee Julie Ha, journalist, writer and co-director of the documentary film "Free Chol Soo Lee"

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? Katharine Wright was her brothers' biggest champion, official spokesperson, closest confidante and the only one of the Wright siblings with a college degree. For years, Katharine, Wilbur and Orville were inseparable — until tragedy and a love affair upended everything. This is the story of the Wright sibling that history almost left out. Guests: Thomas Paone, museum specialist at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Tom Crouch, curator emeritus of the aeronautics division at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum and author of The Bishop’s Boys: A Life of Wilbur and Orville Wright

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 the Creole zydeco of his childhood with R&B and blues sounds of the 1940s and ’50s. His style packed dance halls across Louisiana and eventually carried zydeco to stages around the world. Through rare archival recordings and firsthand stories, we trace Chenier’s journey from a sharecropper’s son to the undisputed King of Zydeco. Guests: Adam Machado, director of the Arhoolie Foundation and producer of the retrospective box set, King of Louisiana Blues and Zydeco CJ Chenier, son of Clifton Chenier and lead singer and saxophonist for CJ Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band Dickie Landry, saxophonist, composer, and photographer Maureen Loughran, director and curator of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings This episode features archival interview recordings of Clifton Chenier courtesy of the Arhoolie Foundation. You can find the full interviews and archival photographs here.

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 personification of a nation and, eventually, the most famous Army recruiter in history? I WANT YOU… to listen and find out. Guests: Frank Blazich, curator of modern military history at the Smithsonian's National Musuem of American History Kathy Sheehan, executive director of the Hart Cluett Museum in Troy, New York; The Redela County and Troy City historian

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 died there under suspicious circumstances. Sharpen your powers of deduction and join us on Sidedoor for an epic frozen whodunit, featuring shipwreck, romance, and a social media darling with a dark secret. We’re resharing this longtime favorite from 2021 to bring you some wintry vibes. Guests: Stephen Loring, anthropologist and archeologist at the Arctic Studies Center of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History Heidi Moses, volunteer with the Smithsonian Transcription Center Emily Niekrasz, social media manager, Smithsonian Institution

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 collaboration between scientists, governments, and industry. This is the story of how penicillin changed the world. Guests: Kevin Brown, Trust Archivist to Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and curator of the Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum at St. Mary’s Hospital; author of Penicillin Man: Alexander Fleming and the Antibiotic Revolution Diane Wendt, curator in the Division of Medicine and Science at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History

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 hidden piece of history waiting to be discovered? Join us as we dive into this incredible tale of family lore, historical detective work, and the Smithsonian's decision to open a priceless artifact. Guests: Lisa Kathleen Graddy, curator of American political history at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History Harry Rubenstein, curator emeritus in the Division of Political History at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History Doug Stiles, great-great-grandson of watchmaker Jonathan Dillon

Sidedoor returns for its twelfth season on Wednesday, November 26th!

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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