Rephonic
Artwork for The 'Perfect' Specimen
Natural History Museum
Banana Slug
Remora Fish
Mucus
Love Darts
Toxicity
Blue Whale
Exuberant
Spearmint
Ichthyosaur
Potato
Bellbirds
Plainfin Midshipman
Pistol Shrimp
Anomalocaris
Blue-Ringed Octopus
Brassica Oleracea
Spikermellus Asa
Sponges
Red Seaweeds

Does the perfect museum specimen exist? What's the squishiest? The most exuberant? Or even the most noxious? We're taking a look through 80 million specimens to find the 'perfect' examples for you. Join us each episode as Josh and Natalie try to surprise each other with their choices from the collections, their only prompt? A single word.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes28Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ScienceNatural SciencesComedy

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Artwork for The 'Perfect' Specimen

Latest Episodes

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 B... more

YouTube

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... more

YouTube

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 th... more

YouTube

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'.... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Dr Marc Jones
Curator of fossil reptiles and amphibians
Natural History Museum (London)
Episode: The whale that inspired a BTS song
Dr Katie Collins
Senior curator of mollusks at the Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum, London
Episode: Finding this alive is like finding a plesiosaur in your bathtub
Jeff Streicher
Curator in the herpetology section at the Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
Episode: Are unicorns real and can trees walk?
Talay Namintraporn
Curatorial assistant, Coleoptera beetle section
Natural History Museum
Episode: This beetle can survive being run over by a car!
Dr Gavin Broad
WASP curator at the Natural History Museum, in charge of a large collection of WASPs
Natural History Museum, London
Episode: Natalie tells us why kangaroos are actually terrible mothers
Dr Beulah Garner
Senior Curator of the Orthopteroid Insects at the Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum, London
Episode: Did witches ride broomsticks? Our guest explains why we might think so
Andrea Hart
Library Special Collections Manager, Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
Episode: Natalie finds herself doing an impression of a pufferfish
Dr. Erica McAlister
Principal curator of Flies and Fleas
Natural History Museum
Episode: Our first guest brings a powderpuff with wings

Hosts

Dr Natalie Cooper
Co-host and researcher; host of multiple episodes.
Josh Davis
Co-host; guides segments and asks probing questions.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 8 ratings
  • Top podcast

    Absolutely love this podcast. So interesting and informative and the hosts are fab!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MrsBeeNorfolk
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • A nature natter

    I love this podcast. It’s like listening to your friends having a natter, but it just happens to be about the fascinating happenings in nature.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Chewy155
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Delightful

    It’s a delightful listen! Love trying to guess what each of the hosts are showing and learning such nerdy weird stuff.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Knitloveeat
    United Kingdoma year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Light and approachable storytelling that still teaches you something new.
Engaging hosts with a genuine passion for natural history.
Guest experts ground discussions in real science while keeping it fun.
Great for if you love quirky specimens and behind-the-scenes museum lore.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Natalie finds herself doing an impression of a pufferfish
Q: How long does it take puffer fish to create their nest, and what might affect that duration?
The hosts discuss estimates ranging from days to a week, noting that male puffer fish invest significant time and energy, which may be influenced by feeding status and environmental conditions, and they highlight that the nest serves both a display and reproductive function.
Finding this alive is like finding a plesiosaur in your bathtub
Q: What is the biggest and smallest specimen you look after?
The biggest is a giant tridacnogygus, about a meter long and about 2.5 million years old in the fossil record, while the smallest include galliumatoid clams down to around 400 microns.
Finding this alive is like finding a plesiosaur in your bathtub
Q: What ages are we talking about with these molluscs?
The age range spans from the pre-Cambrian to today, with earliest molluscs around 550 to 600 million years old and a robust Cambrian record for fully fledged classes.
Finding this alive is like finding a plesiosaur in your bathtub
Q: How many specimens is that, roughly?
I can't give an exact number for the drawers, but the mollusk collection alone runs into thousands of boxes and tens of thousands of drawers, with significant portions focused on clams, snails, and related groups.
Finding this alive is like finding a plesiosaur in your bathtub
Q: What is your perfect specimen, Katie?
My perfect specimen is a trigoniaid bivalve. They were dominant in the ancient seas, and one in particular survives today in Australia; I've never seen one do what this box shows, with its hinge partially open, a tiny window into how it functioned.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The 'Perfect' Specimen

What is The 'Perfect' Specimen about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show blends natural-history curiosity with playful banter, using a single word to thread together four to five specimens and the stories behind them. Across episodes, listeners get accessible explanations of odd, extraordinary, and sometimes eerie specimens, plus behind-the-scenes museum context and humorous host exchanges. Guests tend to be curators or researchers who can illuminate taxonomy, anatomy, or history, helping make scientific storytelling feel both educational and entertaining. A standout feature is the recurring structure: two hosts riff with a guest expert, then reveal a fresh set of objects that connect to the chosen word, often linking science to culture, folklore, and art. There's a clear passion for collections, a kna... more

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1. You're Dead to Me
2. The News Agents
3. Kermode & Mayo’s Take
4. Top Comment
5. Lunchbox Envy

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The 'Perfect' Specimen launched a year ago and published 28 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The 'Perfect' Specimen?

Recent guests on The 'Perfect' Specimen include:

1. Dr Marc Jones
2. Dr Katie Collins
3. Jeff Streicher
4. Talay Namintraporn
5. Dr Gavin Broad
6. Dr Beulah Garner
7. Andrea Hart
8. Dr. Erica McAlister

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