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. 

Corrections:

In this episode we state that Chol Soo Lee had a mustache in the photo that appeared in the mug book. Correction: He did have a mustache at the time of the killing, but he did not have a mustache in that photo.

We state that K.W. Lee learned of Chol Soo Lee stabbing a fellow inmate from a TV news segment. Correction: He learned about it in a news briefing. 

We state that K.W. Lee was at the premiere of the documentary “Free Chol Soo Lee.” Correction: He attended the premiere virtually in January of 2022. He physically attended a screening in August of 2022 when the film was released in theaters.

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