New KUOW podcast takes kids behind the scenes at the Burke

KUOW launched a new podcast Tuesday. Spectacular Specimens delves into the collections at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, the oldest museum in Washington state and home to some 16 million artifacts. The show is geared toward curious kids, and adults, with an ear toward better understanding some remarkable creatures. Hosts Paige Browning and Brandi Fullwood told KUOW’s Kim Malcolm what to listen for.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Kim Malcolm: Tell us more about Spectacular Specimens. What should people expect from each episode?

Brandi Fullwood: Paige and I go behind the scenes at the Burke Museum, and we pretty much open up the drawers and closets and freezers and really whatever the Burke will let us open. And we talk to each other about a bunch of animals that we learn about.

Paige Browning: And we ask the scientists what we know about this specimen now that you have it right here in front of you. Here's one of the worlds we enter: “It's the Cretaceous Period. Theropods, or three-toed dinosaurs like the Triceratops and the Tyrannosaurus Rex are all around the area.”

So, there is some mystery there for the kids, right?

Paige: There's a lot of mystery, and that's what science is all about. Because you have a hypothesis, you think you know what might have happened, and then you search for the answers.

Brandi: And you might find out that you're wrong several times in a row. Science is like a list of unending questions that you have until maybe decades later, you have some more questions.

Paige: We think this is really great for kids age 8-10, but really it's fun for anyone to listen to. We're silly, but also talk about hard science, and we go over some basics, like, what actually gets all the specimen bones clean enough that they can sit on the shelves and hang from the walls at the museum.

"But very few know that it's the beetles making sure those bones are pristine, that there aren't little bits of guts and blood still dried on. You might see a beautiful wolverine skeleton on display. That's not just for show. It's a specimen for scientific research. Specimens are almost like a time capsule of information for scientists."

Tell us more about some of the specimens we're going to learn about in the show.

Brandi: We'll have seven total. There's one that is alive, like the dermestid beetles, but there will be dinosaur specimens, coyote specimens, and some really special sea otters.

“It may help to think of this furry animal as a pro wrestler."

"Huh? A wrestler?"

"These animals are the fighters of the shallow ocean waters. Meet Slick the Smasher! Just trust me on this. You're going to be a fan.”

Is there a way that listeners can contribute to the podcast?

Paige: We would love if people, after you listen to the episode, draw us a picture of something you heard. We also have an activity book that's really fun, so you can get involved with the podcast by downloading the book and filling it out. And you can join our text club. Text “spectacular” to 206-926-9955.

Listen to the interview by clicking the play button above.