The 'Perfect' Specimen

Are homosexual black swans more successful at raising chicks?

Happy Pride Month from The 'Perfect' Specimen where we're celebrating all things queer in the collection. Get ready for swan throuples, a dual-sex grackle and poetry about trans pheasants. This week Josh and Natalie are joined by curator Dr. Alex Bond with three specimens all relating to the word 'proud'. Alex also shares their 'perfect' specimen. Does the perfect museum specimen exist? What's the squishiest? The most exuberant? Or even the most noxious? Each episode, our hosts take their pick from 80 million specimens at the Natural History Museum to find the 'perfect' specimen. Their only prompt? A single word. #NaturalHistoryMuseum #Podcast #Perfect ---------------- YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/NaturalHistoryMuseumLondon⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/c/NaturalHistoryMuseumLondon] Website: ⁠http://www.nhm.ac.uk⁠ [http://www.nhm.ac.uk/] Instagram: ⁠http://instagram.com/natural_history_museum⁠ [http://instagram.com/natural_history_museum] TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@its_nhm⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@its_nhm] Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/nhm-london.bsky.social⁠ [https://bsky.app/profile/nhm-london.bsky.social] X: ⁠https://x.com/nhm_london⁠ [https://x.com/nhm_london] Facebook: ⁠http://fb.com/naturalhistorymuseum⁠ [http://fb.com/naturalhistorymuseum] Browse our shop: ⁠https://www.nhmshop.co.uk/ [https://www.nhmshop.co.uk/]

The whale that inspired a BTS song

How did a whale inspire a BTS song, and why is it lonely? Is being an endling really the end? Join us for another episode of The 'Perfect' Specimen, this week Josh and Natalie are joined by curator Dr Marc Jones with three specimens all relating to the word 'Lonely'. Marc also shares their 'perfect' specimen. Does the perfect museum specimen exist? What's the squishiest? The most exuberant? Or even the most noxious?Each episode, our hosts take their pick from 80 million specimens at the Natural History Museum to find the 'perfect' specimen. Their only prompt? A single word. #NaturalHistoryMuseum #Podcast #Perfect ---------------- YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/NaturalHistoryMuseumLondon⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/c/NaturalHistoryMuseumLondon] Website: ⁠http://www.nhm.ac.uk⁠ [http://www.nhm.ac.uk/] Instagram: ⁠http://instagram.com/natural_history_museum⁠ [http://instagram.com/natural_history_museum] TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@its_nhm⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@its_nhm] Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/nhm-london.bsky.social⁠ [https://bsky.app/profile/nhm-london.bsky.social] X: ⁠https://x.com/nhm_london⁠ [https://x.com/nhm_london] Facebook: ⁠http://fb.com/naturalhistorymuseum⁠ [http://fb.com/naturalhistorymuseum] Browse our shop: ⁠https://www.nhmshop.co.uk/⁠ [https://www.nhmshop.co.uk/]

Finding this alive is like finding a plesiosaur in your bathtub

What is the real Megalodon, what have flies ever done for us and what can't help spreading diseases, aside from toddlers? Join us for another episode of The 'Perfect' Specimen, this week Josh and Natalie are joined by curator Dr Katie Collins with three specimens all relating to the word 'Misunderstood'. Katie also shares their 'perfect' specimen. Does the perfect museum specimen exist? What's the squishiest? The most exuberant? Or even the most noxious? Each episode, our hosts take their pick from 80 million specimens at the Natural History Museum to find the 'perfect' specimen. Their only prompt? A single word. #NaturalHistoryMuseum #Podcast #Perfect ---------------- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NaturalHistoryMuseumLondon [https://www.youtube.com/c/NaturalHistoryMuseumLondon] Website: http://www.nhm.ac.uk [http://www.nhm.ac.uk/] Instagram: http://instagram.com/natural_history_museum [http://instagram.com/natural_history_museum] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@its_nhm [https://www.tiktok.com/@its_nhm] Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nhm-london.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/nhm-london.bsky.social] X: https://x.com/nhm_london [https://x.com/nhm_london] Facebook: http://fb.com/naturalhistorymuseum [http://fb.com/naturalhistorymuseum] Browse our shop: https://www.nhmshop.co.uk/ [https://www.nhmshop.co.uk/]

Are unicorns real and can trees walk?

Unicorns, walking trees and a frog with a surprising link to Guinness beer!Join us for another episode of The 'Perfect' Specimen. This week Josh and Natalie are joined by curator, Dr Jeff Streicher, with two specimens relating to the word 'Mythical'. Jeff also shares his 'perfect' specimen.Does the perfect museum specimen exist? What's the squishiest? The most exuberant? Or even the most noxious? Each episode, our hosts take their pick from 80 million specimens at the Natural History Museum to find the 'perfect' specimen. Their only prompt? A single word. #NaturalHistoryMuseum #Podcast #Perfect ---------------- YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/NaturalHistoryMuseumLondon⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/c/NaturalHistoryMuseumLondon] Website: ⁠http://www.nhm.ac.uk⁠ [http://www.nhm.ac.uk/] Instagram: ⁠http://instagram.com/natural_history_museum⁠ [http://instagram.com/natural_history_museum] TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@its_nhm⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@its_nhm] Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/nhm-london.bsky.social⁠ [https://bsky.app/profile/nhm-london.bsky.social] X: ⁠https://x.com/nhm_london⁠ [https://x.com/nhm_london] Facebook: ⁠http://fb.com/naturalhistorymuseum⁠ [http://fb.com/naturalhistorymuseum] Browse our shop: ⁠https://www.nhmshop.co.uk/⁠ [https://www.nhmshop.co.uk/]

This beetle can survive being run over by a car!

Chainmail snails, uncrushable beetles and a secret space mission manned by moss piglets? Join us for another episode of The 'Perfect' Specimen, this week Josh and Natalie are joined by curatorial assistant, Talay Namintraporn, with three specimens all relating to the word 'tough'. Talay also shares their 'perfect' specimen. Does the perfect museum specimen exist? What's the squishiest? The most exuberant? Or even the most noxious? Each episode, our hosts take their pick from 80 million specimens at the Natural History Museum to find the 'perfect' specimen. Their only prompt? A single word. #NaturalHistoryMuseum #Podcast #Perfect ---------------- YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/NaturalHistoryMuseumLondon⁠ Website: ⁠http://www.nhm.ac.uk⁠ Instagram: ⁠http://instagram.com/natural_history_museum⁠ TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@its_nhm⁠ Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/nhm-london.bsky.social⁠ X: ⁠https://x.com/nhm_london⁠ Facebook: ⁠http://fb.com/naturalhistorymuseum⁠ Browse our shop: ⁠https://www.nhmshop.co.uk/⁠