Seattle Culture
Creepy, Crawly, and Full of Mysteries
KUOW’s new podcast uncovers stories behind Burke Museum’s incredible specimens
By Sarah Stackhouse January 25, 2025
Did you know the Burke Museum is home to more than 16 million artifacts? From dinosaur bones to preserved sea otters, to teeny-tiny shells, the place is packed with natural history that helps tell the story of our planet. Now, there’s a podcast to go with it: Spectacular Specimens, a new series from KUOW in collaboration with the Burke, explores the stories these specimens reveal about life on Earth.
Hosted by KUOW producer Brandi Fullwood and a voice familiar to many Seattleites, Paige Browning, the podcast is designed for kids (ages 8-12 is the sweet spot) and grown-ups who still nerd out over fossils and beetles. Each episode takes listeners behind the scenes at the Burke. “We pretty much open up the drawers and closets and freezers and really whatever the Burke will let us open,” Fullwood told KUOW. “And we talk to each other about a bunch of animals that we learn about.”
The first three episodes are out now:
- Fierce Behind the Fluff takes a closer look at sea otters, deceptively cute with a reputation for being scrappy survivors.
- A 66-Million-Year-Old Mystery asks: What happened to Fly By the Triceratops? The team uncovers clues from ancient rocks to solve this prehistoric case.
- The Flesh-Eating Cleanup Crew highlights dermestid beetles, tiny insects that play a vital role in keeping museum specimens clean for study.
“There’s a lot of mystery, and that’s what science is all about,” Browning says. “Because you have a hypothesis, you think you know what might have happened, and then you search for the answers.”
The podcast also comes with a free activity book.
One of my favorite exhibits is in the Our Material World gallery — a wall that shows how long our waste (tires, clothing, pill bottles, apple cores, etc.) sticks around. It’s sobering and endlessly fascinating.
The Burke Museum, located on the University of Washington campus, is home to working labs, Northwest Native art, and cultural artifacts from around the globe. It was founded in 1885 by a group of teenagers inspired by Seattle’s rapid transformation.
Follow Us
Saying Goodbye to Barney
Seattle’s oldest harbor seal, the first born at the Aquarium, leaves behind nearly 40 years of memories
The aquarium and the city have lost a good friend. Barney, the Seattle Aquarium’s longtime harbor seal, has passed away at the age of 39 — roughly the equivalent of a centenarian in human years. He was the first harbor seal born at the Aquarium in 1985. He was also one of the oldest harbor…
Gratuities Have Reached a Tipping Point
Washington residents are among the least generous in the country
How much do you tip? How much should you tip? Maybe you don’t tip at all? The average tip in Washington state is 17.51% of the check, about 1.3% below the national average. Only California residents tip less, 17.4%. TradingPedia surveyed more than 2,000 adults exploring tipping behaviors across the United States in late February,…
In This Issue: Second Homes; A Crazy Decade; Aging Well.
Seattle magazine’s latest issue is on shelves now
The new issue of Seattle magazine has arrived! You’ll find it at bookstores, grocery stores, and anywhere you pick up magazines. This edition takes a look at second homes — why people are drawn to them and what they mean for the region. There’s a certain romanticism about second, or vacation homes. They provide escape…
Jean Smart Returns to Broadway
The Emmy-winning star, who got her start in Seattle, is taking on a one-woman show
Jean Smart is heading back to Broadway. She’ll be starring in Call Me Izzy, a one-woman dark comedy about a rural Louisiana woman with a life-altering secret. Written by CBS News contributor Jamie Wax, the play has never been staged before. The show begins previews at the end of May and opens June 12 for…