logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2024
37m 21s

The Birds and the Beans

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
About this episode
"God in a cup." "Perfection." "The world's best coffee." Panamanian geisha coffee has been called many things, but never Smithsonian Bird Friendly certified. That might soon change, however, as researchers from Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s Migratory Bird Center find new ways to grow coffee in harmony with migratory songbirds. ... Show More
Up next
Jul 22
The Gunboat Philadelphia
In 1935, a diver searching Lake Champlain found something extraordinary: a nearly intact warship from the American Revolution. It was the Gunboat Philadelphia. In this episode, we dive into the story of how a ragtag American army built a fleet of ships to stand up against the Bri ... Show More
32m 23s
Jul 8
The Missing Bison
In the 1880s, a conservator at the Smithsonian set out for Montana to capture an American bison before the dwindling species vanished forever. He returned with six taxidermied bison that he displayed in the museum. The bison diorama wowed visitors so much that it helped kickstart ... Show More
32m 49s
Jun 24
American Aspirations: A Nation in Pursuit
Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III has spent a lifetime thinking about how history gets told. Before becoming the head of the Smithsonian, he was a curator, someone whose job is deciding which stories, people, and objects help us make sense of ourselves. So as America appr ... Show More
42m 14s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2019
Fan Favorite: Will Coffee Make Me Live Longer?
<p>Want to know who to blame for your coffee addiction? From goats, Turks to the Archangel Gabriel, Will and Mango chase down a whole world of (coffee) pot stirrers while shedding light on whether monkey spit coffee is tastier than your traditional beans and whether coffee is goo ... Show More
39m 19s
May 2018
Will Coffee Make Me Live Longer?
<p>Want to know who to blame for your coffee addiction? From goats, Turks to the Archangel Gabriel, Will and Mango chase down a whole world of (coffee) pot stirrers while shedding light on whether monkey spit coffee is tastier than your traditional beans and whether coffee is goo ... Show More
39m 19s
Oct 2025
$628 Cups of Coffee and the Future of Australian Farming | COFFEE BREAK!
From the farms of Panama to the labs shaping the next generation of coffee - this week’s Coffee Break dives into the science that could decide coffee’s future. The boys explore how researchers are fighting climate change with new coffee varieties, the wild economics of luxury Gei ... Show More
28m 38s
Sep 2020
More Than A Buzz
In our day-to-day lives, it's a drink. But for some people, it is not as simple as that. It's a Sufi's spiritual companion, an Emirati's keeper of tradition, and a Yemeni's connection to his homeland. Today, we dive into three stories about coffee, exploring the tradition, cultur ... Show More
41m 28s
Apr 2023
Coffee: Time for a new bean?
The Liberica bean is a species of coffee that growers are hoping will make their crops sustainable in the future as the climate changes. We speak to farmers struggling to grow the most popular coffee plants and taste test a Liberica brew. Presenter / producer: Laura Heighton-Ginn ... Show More
18m 39s
Feb 2022
Fresh Grounds: The Search for the World's Rarest Coffee
Dan Saladino meets the plant hunters searching for the world's lost and forgotten coffee varieties and Michael Pollan, author of This is Your Mind on Plants, explains how caffeine helped usher in the modern world.Produced and presented by Dan Saladino. 
28m 10s
Nov 2022
Women’s Underappreciated Role on Coffee Farms
When you picture a coffee farmer, who do you have in mind? For many people, it will be Juan Valdez, the symbol of Colombia’s National Federation of Coffee Growers, with his thick moustache, sack of beans and trusty donkey. But women play a crucial role on coffee farms which often ... Show More
30m 50s
Jul 2021
Coffee
In this episode, Bobby & Sophie talk all things coffee. They debate whole milk vs. alternate milks, they consider what a coffee shop means for a local community, and finally, they make cappuccinos in Bobby’s kitchen. For more updates on “Always Hungry” follow the hosts here: Bobb ... Show More
29m 29s
Oct 2025
The Future of Coffee Depends on Science - World Coffee Research | HANNA NEUSCHWANDER!
As climate change, disease, and shifting generations reshape coffee production, Hanna Neuschwander from World Coffee Research (WCR) joins us to unpack how genetics, collaboration, and innovation are securing the future of coffee. From varietal trials across 18 countries to the ra ... Show More
1h 24m
Dec 2024
Bahaa Massoud: Specialty Coffee Guy
All you need to know about coffee from the bean to your cup.We take pleasure in a stimulating episode over a warm cup of coffee!Do we have your brew? 
35m 7s