The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean · Sam Kean, Bleav
Why Not Just Rename the “Hitler Beetle”?
November 4, 2025·19 min·1 clip
Poachers are hunting a blind cave beetle to extinction because it's named after Adolf Hitler.
As heard by us
A poached cave beetle reveals the scientific, ethical, and historical trouble inside a species name.
A blind amber cave beetle sits at the center of a tangled story about scientific naming, political memory, and the cost of leaving an offensive label untouched.
Why you'd press play
Press play when a tiny blind cave beetle turns into a fight over history, ethics, poaching, and the names science keeps.
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