Episode

Why Not Just Rename the “Hitler Beetle”?

Podcast
The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean
Published
Nov 4, 2025
Duration seconds
1158
Processing state
not_requested
Canonical source
https://samkean.com/podcast/
Audio
https://audio2.redcircle.com/episodes/c3d685f3-d335-4b34-aa21-9696bb103d7f/stream.mp3
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/v1/public/podcasts/the-disappearing-spoon-a-science-history-podcast-with-sam-kean-550844/episodes/why-not-just-rename-the-hitler-beetle
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Summary

Taxonomy has a sadly ugly history of naming species after despicable people—even Adolf Hitler. Given the controversy these names generate, there have been many calls to drop them. But taxonomists have so far resisted most of these efforts, for reasons both good and bad... Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy