HMNS Beyond Bones Podcast
Episodes
"Biff" (Nathaniel Hackmann) from the smash-hit at TUTS, "Back to the Future: The Musical"!
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
My wonderful guest today is the spellbinding actor of stage and screen, Nathaniel Hackmann.Nathaniel plays the iconic character "Biff" in the award-wi...
"Mom, could you fix this victim for an open-casket?"
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
My sweet mother is a funeral director and world-renowned restorative artist. In this episode, I walk her around our "Death by Natural Causes" exhibit ...
Radioactive Fossils
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is their any truth to the idea that fossils can be radioactive? Colin Diggins is a paleontologist and our paleontology laboratory manager here at the ...
Minerals & Geology with Alex Ruff
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists can be found everywhere in the museum. Alex Ruff may seem like a mild-mannered Building Manger here at the Houston Museum of Natural Scienc...
Terracotta Warriors
01 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
They march once more, this time to Houston 📍Explore World of the Terracotta Warriors, opening November 14.See ancient China’s unification under Q...
The Science & History of Bourbon
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Even if you do not drink it, the science and history behind bourbon is infused with notes of wonder, curiosity, and fascination. Bourbon expert Randy ...
Ever Wondered How Asteroids Get Their Names?
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever noticed asteroid names and wondered how they came to be? Let's go to the HMNS George Observatory in Brazos Bend State Park and talk to a...
Let's call this a kind of...Mummification "Orientation"
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kat Havens joins the podcast in our beautiful Hall of Ancient Egypt to discuss the, well, gutwrenching process of mummification!Website: https://www.h...
Fennec Foxes & How We Care for Our Animals
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
(00:00:00) Fennec Foxes & How We Care for Our Animals (00:22:08) In with the Foxes Our new exhibit "Extreme Animals Alive" showcases the superhero-li...
Two Big, Two Fail: The Life and Demise of Ice Age Giants, Ground Sloths & Armadillos
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Giant Ground Sloths and Giant Armadillos (Eremotherium and Glyptodon) were seemingly too big to fail...yet time comes for us all. So, how did these Ic...
Quantum Computing: A Qubit Crash Course
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While Ai is the current hype, even thinking about Quantum Computing can seem daunting, if not ominous...honestly. So here is a crash course in qubits ...
Dinosaur Conspiracies & Misconceptions with James Washington
01 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Who is allowed to dig for fossils? What do you do with fossils that are found? Why don't I find fossils in my yard? Are fossils a hoax? Are fossils ra...
Killer Asteroids & Planetary Ponderings
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
HMNS Curator of Astronomy, Dr. Carolyn Sumners joins "Mental Curator" Johnny Hemberger to discuss the likelihood of asteroid 2024 YR4 impacting Earth ...
Rhodochrosite and the "Alma Queen", The "best mineral specimen in the world"
01 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rhodochrosite is one of the most breathtaking minerals on Earth, and among connoisseurs, the "Alma Queen" is the most heart-stopping example of ANY mi...
Fossil Preparation, "From the Grave to the Cradle"
01 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the HMNS Beyond Bones Podcast, we discuss and show you how a fossil comes out of the actual dirt to be prepared and displayed in su...
How dinosaur diseases make them more real and relatable.
01 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Unfortunately, a lot of us have suffered through the agony of disease either in ourlselves, in those we care about, or in our beloved pets. Yet, in a ...
What can modern animals teach us about extinct dinosaurs?
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is it scientifically feasible to hypothesize about the behaviors and habits of extinct animals based on the behaviors of modern animals? I sit down wi...
Scientific Dating - So, how 𝒅𝒐 scientists estimate the age of, well, everything?
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Thousands, millions, or even billions of years...scientists throw out some mind-boggling numbers when it comes to the ages of, well, everything. So, h...
What are Plasma Balls/Globes and How do they work?
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Plasma Balls! We've all played with them. A lot of us have them somewhere in our home. But who invented them? When were they invented? And how do they...
Digging for Dinosaur Fossils in the Breathtaking U.S. Badlands
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dinosaur fossil hunting in the wild west Badlands of Wyoming, USA. Come along as we bask in the enormity of an infinitely breathtaking landscape...and...
How this deadly cone snail (conus bandanus) nearly killed our curator of Malacology, Tina Petway
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Conus bandanus is the exact species of cone snail that nearly killed Tina. Commonly referred to as the Banded Marble Cone.Here's Tina's near-death enc...
Science Bite | Why are Stegosaurus' Tail Spikes ACTUALLY called the "Thagomizer"?
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Yes, a Stegosaurus' tail spikes are actually called the "Thagomizer", and here's the actual who-what-when-where...and most importantly...WHY! :Dhttps:...
Conversation | First in Glass - The Spellbinding Joy of Glass Collecting
12 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sit back, relax, and enjoy a conversation sure to shatter your expectations on glass collecting.Event Chair and Federation of Historical Bottle Collec...
Science Bite | Amazing Tyrannosaurus Rex facts you might not know...
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
T. Rex is arguably the most iconic dinosaur ambassador in pop culture, but there are some things that most people might not know! Let's sniff out the ...
Wyrex: The Deadly Mystery of the "Bobtail" T. Rex
21 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hulking in our Morian Hall of Paleontology, Wyrex is one of the most unique Tyrannosaurs Rexes ever unearthed. His feet are more complete than any oth...
Science Bite | What's all this buzz about Cicadas in 2024?
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A dual-brood Cicada emergence is rare, but how rare? And are we in apacolyptic danger?https://www.hmns.org/HMNS Beyond Bones Podcast links:Spotifyhttp...
How our Mercury space capsule helped WIN the Space Race
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Before Apollo 11 landed on the moon and changed the course of history, the U.S. and Soviet Union battled for control of space in a Cold War clash that...
Conversation | Founding Footsteps: H.P. Attwater and the Path to HMNS
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Step into the past and unravel the extraordinary legacy of H.P. Attwater, a visionary figure whose passion for understanding our natural world laid th...
Science Bite | Teeth versus Daggers. A Fight for the Ages: Postosuchus versus Desmatosuchus
29 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Razor sharp teeth of Postosuchus versus the deadly daggers of Desmatosuchus...who would win in a fight? https://www.hmns.org/For more information abou...
Conversation | What it takes to bring "Dinosaur Discoveries: A Holographic Adventure" to life in our Giant Screen Theatre!
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I sit down with Base-Xperiental's Ryan Latham, VP of Location-Based Experiences and Managing Director of HoloTheater to find out what makes "Dinosaur ...
Conversation | Hunting Megalodon teeth, an interview with Meg diver, John "JT" Taylor 🦈
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
https://museumstore.hmns.org/John Taylor is an underwater paleontologist who specializes in finding Megalodon teeth and other prehistoric shark artifa...
Science Bite | The truth about EV fires 🚗🔥
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
EV fire headlines seem frequent, but do EV fires really occur that often? Let's look at the official data on fires. https://www.hmns.org/Sharks, Tooth...
Science Bite | 2023 Texas Annular Solar Eclipse
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The 2023 Annular Solar Eclipse in Bandera, TX was one for the ages...but the fun isn't over yet! https://www.hmns.org/For more information about the H...
Science Bite | This doorstop was a meteorite the entire time...
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Learn how this weird looking doorstop was actually an extremely rare meteorite. https://george.hmns.org/For more information about the Houston Museum ...
Science Bite | The mind-boggling, time-travelling, space-warping tale of the S.S. Warrimoo
17 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How can a ship exist all at once across time and space? Here's the curious, mind-boggling tale of the S.S. Warrimoo. https://www.hmns.org/For more inf...
Science Bite | What exactly is Artificial Intelligence? Let's Demystify Ai.
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Artifical Intelligence has taken on an almost supernatural meaning lately. Let's take a moment to bring A.i. back into clearer perspective and wrap ou...
Science Bite | How Much Does a Cloud Weigh?
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How much does a cloud weigh? Could you lift it? What if it fell on your house? Dr. Carolyn Sumners helps us break down some of the science behind this...
Science Bite | Corpse Flower...as beautiful as it is putrid.
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Corpse Flower certainly earns its macabre title, but there is so much more to this foul smelling beauty...https://www.hmns.org/cockrell-butterfly-...