Brandi Fullwood

1 month ago | m.kuow.org | Brandi Fullwood |Paige Browning

Mount St. Helens in Washington spews smoke, soot and ash into the sky in April 1980. Jack Smith / Associated Press May 18, 2025, marks the 45th anniversary of Mount St. Helens' eruption — a catastrophic event that transformed the landscape and killed 57 people. From this devastation emerged an incredible scientific calculation about millions of spiders traveling through the sky. On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens finally erupted. The volcano had been grumbling and spewing ash for months.

1 month ago | m.kuow.org | Katie Campbell |Brandi Fullwood

This week we’re hitting the books with Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan. The internationally-best selling author rips open the world of the wealthy and indulges us all us in some behind the scenes bits on his latest book Lies and Weddings. Kevin and Katie talk about the benefits ofbeing an outsider, reality television show Below Deck, luxury resort gossip, and his motive behind satirizing the ultra-rich.

2 months ago | kuow.org | Brandi Fullwood |Paige Browning

The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture is home to a collection of 20 to 40 otter specimens like this one. These skeletons explain how and why the jaw of a sea otter is so powerful. There’s a creature lurking in the sea. It’s slick, fast, and if you get too close, it might chomp your face off. No, not sharks or giant squid — sea otters. “Sea otters,” you might say. “Don’t they hold hands?” They do indeed. But don’t let the cute reputation fool you.

Feb 28, 2025 | kuow.org | Brandi Fullwood |Paige Browning

What is Spectacular Specimens? A podcast for curious kids (and adults) about a collection of spectacular specimens and the stories they can tell us about life on Earth. Spectacular Specimens is a production of KUOW, part of the NPR Network, in collaboration with the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. Psst! Adults! Want to learn more about how staff at the Burke use decomposers? Check out this story on the beetles that clean up specimens.

Feb 28, 2025 | kuow.org | Brandi Fullwood |Paige Browning

Listen to the sound of the Burke Museum's secret clean-up crew by playing the audio clip below. (Courtesy of Daniel Peterson) Sorry, your browser does not support HTML5 audio. Meet the secret workforce of the Burke MuseumVery few museum visitors realize that thousands of secret workers are helping make these specimens. No, it’s not a secret organization of janitors. But this team also cleans up expertly.