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Sidedoor

Smithsonian Institution
Sidedoor
Latest episode

258 episodes

  • Sidedoor

    The Baby Elephant and The Elixir of Poo

    10/07/2026 | 35 mins.
    When baby Asian elephant Linh Mai was born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, her mother rejected her. Then things got worse. Linh Mai couldn’t digest her formula, she was losing weight, and her care team was running out of time.
    Join us behind the scenes at the National Zoo to learn how curators and "turd nerds" race to save Linh Mai with an unusual treatment: a fecal microbiota transplant. But not just any poop will do!
    Roll up your sleeves (and pinch your nose) as we explore the extraordinary lengths people will go to save one very big baby.
    Guests: 
    Sally Bornbusch, Microbial Ecologist with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Center for Conservation Genomics and Department of Nutrition Science
    Robbie Clark, Curator and Manager for Elephant Trails at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
    Erin Kendrick, Clinical Nutritionist at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
  • Sidedoor

    It's Season 13!

    09/30/2026 | 1 mins.
    Season 13 of Sidedoor is almost here! Follow us behind the scenes at the National Zoo to meet the new baby elephant, Linh Mai. We open the vaults to see some of the weirdest beetles in the collection. And we track the wild journey of the Declaration of Independence after it was signed (which was actually not on July 4, 1776). New episodes begin next week!
  • Sidedoor

    The Accidental Rise of Botox

    09/16/2026 | 25 mins.
    One of the deadliest poisons known to man is now used to treat wrinkles, migraines, and even, maybe, depression. How did that happen? 
    This is a special episode from Unexplainable  podcast from Vox and the Vox Media Network. 
    Guests: 
    Jean Carruthers, ophthalmologist and “godmother” of cosmetic Botox. 
    David Simpson, neurologist at Mount Sinai hospital in New York. 
    Axel Wollmer, psychiatrist at the Asklepios clinic in Hamburg, Germany.
  • Sidedoor

    The Art of Slowing Down

    09/02/2026 | 27 mins.
    What happens when we slow down enough to really experience art? We visit a museum to discover how slow looking at art can cultivate awe, empathy, and a greater sense of connection in a distracted world.
    This episode comes from the podcast The Science of Happiness. 
    Science of Happiness on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-science-of-happiness/id1340505607
    Science of Happiness on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4dq0wmiZlk58Eu0NcqgWei?si=6756c114ff904008
    Science of Happiness Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scienceofhappinesspod/
    Science of Happiness Website Landing Page: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/podcasts/series/the_science_of_happiness
  • Sidedoor

    A Nature Lover Confronts Her Fear of Spiders

    08/19/2026 | 25 mins.
    How do you stop being so afraid? Tracy Twombly had such a strong phobia of spiders, it was messing with her life — stressing her out while she was working at her native plant nursery or hiking through the woods. So, she embarked on a journey to make peace with her eight-legged neighbors (even the extra hairy ones).
    This is a special episode from the Up From Dust podcast, produced by the NPR Network, KCUR Studios, and the Kansas News Service.
    Artwork for this episode by, Jessica Cornelison
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About Sidedoor
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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