Sidedoor

Latest Episodes:

Will the Real Uncle Sam Please Stand Up? Jan 07, 2026

Show notes

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

A Very Cold Case Dec 24, 2025

Show notes

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

A Mold with a Grudge Dec 10, 2025

Show notes

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

The Secret of Lincoln's Watch Nov 26, 2025

Show notes

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

It's Season 12! Nov 19, 2025

Show notes

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

A Message Regarding the Shutdown Oct 10, 2025

Show notes

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.

Monkey Mystery: The Case of the Capuchin Kidnappers Oct 01, 2025

Show notes

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

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

Show notes

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.

Extreme Botany Sep 03, 2025

Show notes

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.

Back to School: Origins of the Pledge Aug 20, 2025

Show notes

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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