A century ago, teacher John Scopes was charged with the “crime” of teaching evolution. But Scopes was hardly a defiant Galileo, nobly standing up for truth. In fact, he never even taught evolution. (Really.) But he was still a hero. Episode below! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Astronomer Jules Janssen was desperate to escape the siege of Paris and observe an eclipse. So he decided to flee in a balloon—despite the German army’s promise to shoot him if he tried. Episode below! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... @sciencehistory.org sciencehistory.org/stories/disa...

In the 1970s, paramedic units were illegal in the United States. One (very bad) television show, Emergency!, set out to change that—and saved tens of thousands of lives in the process. Episode below! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... @sciencehistory.org sciencehistory.org/stories/disa...

A British spy (and murderer) convinced biologists that the Forest Owlet was extinct. But after his frauds were exposed, one biologist grew obsessed with finding out whether it was still alive. Episode below! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... @sciencehistory.org sciencehistory.org/stories/disa...

He was a brilliant ornithologist—and a spy so colorful that James Bond was based on him. Richard Meinertzhagen was also a liar and a thief, and perpetrated the biggest fraud in biology history. Episode below! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... @sciencehistory.org sciencehistory.org/stories/disa...

Taxonomy has an ugly history of naming species after despicable people—even Adolf Hitler. But taxonomists have resisted most efforts to change such names, for reasons both good and bad. Episode below! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... @sciencehistory.org sciencehistory.org/stories/disa...

The eagle that made John James Audubon famous—the Bird of Washington—was a fraud. In fact, historians now know that much of Audubon’s legendary life was built on lies. Episode below! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... @sciencehistory.org sciencehistory.org/stories/disa...

In 1826, John James Audubon’s career was in ruins—until he hatched a desperate plan, involving a rare eagle. When the gamble paid off, it made Audubon the most famous ornithologist in history. New episode below! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... @scihistoryorg sciencehistory.org/stories/disa...

This Thursday, 1pm EST, I'm chatting online about Dinner with King Tut with the fabulous @scifri.bsky.social crew! Join for a lively discussion and Q&A. Free and open to all at this link: www.youtube.com/live/xkD-bPg...

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor bizarre research that makes you laugh, then think—like this levitating frog. Some scientists despise them. But they benefit science in surprising ways. Episode below! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... @scihistoryorg sciencehistory.org/stories/disa...

It's Nobel Prize week. Winning a Nobel is good—mostly. But laureates often go kooky and promote bizarre things like ESP, AIDS denialism, and worse. Psychologists now understand why. New podcast season starts today! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... @scihistoryorg sciencehistory.org/stories/disa...

DC folks - don't miss my talk at the Georgetown @barnesandnoble.com on Thursday night, the 4th, at 7pm. I'll have the mummy fish. 🐟 Hope to see you there! stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/978006...

Reminder: I’m giving a talk online about Dinner with King Tut tomorrow at 6:30p EST. Anyone in the world can watch, so don't miss out! Register below... www.si.edu/events/detai...

Hey, all, I’m speaking about my new book, Dinner with King Tut, on the world wide interwebs next week—August 14th, 6:30p, with the Smithsonian! Register below... www.si.edu/events/detai...

New York reminder: I'm speaking about my new book, Dinner with King Tut, @strandbookstore.bsky.social‬ tomorrow night at 7pm, along with @depthsofwikipedia.bsky.social of Depths of Wikipedia! You can purchase signed copies, even if you can't make the event: www.strandbooks.com/events/event...

A reminder: I'm speaking about my new book, Dinner with King Tut, @politicsprose.bsky.social tomorrow night, 7pm. Joining me is the wonderful @melissablock.bsky.social of NPR fame! Hope to see you there... (Streaming link here: politics-prose.com/sam-kean)

To those in New York - I'm speaking about my new book, Dinner with King Tut, at ‪@strandbookstore.bsky.social‬ a week from today, July 9th, at 7pm. Joining me is the fabulous Annie Rauwerda of Depths of Wikipedia @depthsofwikipedia.bsky.social‬! Hope to see you there...

Hey, DC - I'm speaking about my new book, Dinner with King Tut, @politicsprose.bsky.social a week from tomorrow, July 8th, at 7pm. Joining me is the wonderful @melissablock.bsky.social! Hope to see you there... politics-prose.com/sam-kean

Ever wonder how to make a mummy at home? You can learn right now, in this sneak-peak audiobook preview of my new book, Dinner with King Tut... podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Get the adventure started early!🔎 Anyone who pre-orders my NEW BOOK, Dinner with King Tut, can get a sneak peek and read the introduction and first chapter now. Just fill out the form at hachettebookgroup.formstack.com/forms/dinner...

Why did so many doctors and engineers enthusiastically embrace the Nazis? Vanity, opportunism, and pseudoscience. Listen now—and get a DISCOUNT PROMO CODE for my new book, Dinner with King Tut: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... @scihistoryorg sciencehistory.org/stories/disa...

My new book Dinner with King Tut was named a top nonfiction read of the summer by the New York Times! You can preorder now: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dinner-wit... www.amazon.com/Dinner-King-... www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/b...

When Charles Dickens included a scene about spontaneous combustion in one of his novels, some scientists went ballistic. It ignited one of the strangest controversies in literary history. New episode below! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... @scihistoryorg sciencehistory.org/stories/disa...

It was one the largest epidemics in American history, resulting in 30,000 cases of paralysis. And it would be forgotten today if not for blues musicians who recorded the details in their songs. New podcast below! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... @scihistoryorg sciencehistory.org/stories/disa...

Asbestos was once considered a miracle substance, due to its ability to stop the fires that plagued every city. Sadly, it also shreds people’s lungs—until one crusading doctor ended this scourge. Full story below! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... @scihistoryorg sciencehistory.org/stories/disa...

Although forgotten today, rickets once devastated children, leaving their bones twisted. Finding the cause took decades, but ended with a startling discovery—nothing less than human photosynthesis. Story below! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... @scihistoryorg sciencehistory.org/stories/disa...

Attention @barnesandnoble members! Through Friday, get 25% off my NEW BOOK, Dinner with King Tut. Act fast before the deal expires: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dinner-wit...

Compared to his father Charles, Leonard Darwin felt like a failure—a mediocre military officer and two-bit politician. Then Leonard found his calling: the dark world of eugenics. Hear his chilling tale below... podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... @scihistoryorg sciencehistory.org/stories/disa...

The birds and the bees and the ... frogs? 🐸 Last century, the best pregnancy tests in the world relied on our little croaking friends, who initiated a revolution in health care. Full story below! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... @scihistoryorg sciencehistory.org/stories/disa...

In the 1950s, French doctor Marthe Gautier discovered the cause of Down syndrome. But a colleague allegedly stole credit from her—and is now on track to become a certified Catholic saint. Full story below! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... @scihistoryorg sciencehistory.org/stories/disa...

The question seems simple: how many chromosomes do humans have? But every textbook in the world cited the wrong number, until a fiery Indonesian scientist went to war with his boss and proved the world wrong. Full story below! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... sciencehistory.org/stories/disa...

The 1910 return of Halley’s comet was greeted with rapture—at least until some scientists started running their mouths off, and caused a deadly worldwide panic. ☄️The new season of Disappearing Spoon starts today! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... @scihistoryorg sciencehistory.org/stories/disa...

I’m thrilled to announce my NEW BOOK, Dinner with King Tut! It comes out July 8th. You can preorder NOW at these links. Details about the book below... bookshop.org/p/books/dinn... www.amazon.com/Dinner-King-... www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dinner-wit...