World's youngest museum curator, 11, was led by a love of fossils

NPR | By Elena Burnett,

Sophia Paliza-Carre, Mallory Yu, Ailsa Chang, Jeanette Woods

Published August 13, 2026 at 5:41 PM EDT

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Anderson Taylor, who has become the Guinness World Record holder for youngest male museum curator. He opened a natural history museum at age 9.

Elena Burnett

See stories by Elena Burnett

Sophia Paliza-Carre

Mallory Yu

Mallory Yu is an associate producer for All Things Considered.

See stories by Mallory Yu

Ailsa Chang

Ailsa Chang is an award-winning journalist and a host of NPR’s newsmagazine All Things Considered, as well as NPR’s daily news podcast Consider This.

See stories by Ailsa Chang

Jeanette Woods

Support nonprofit, fact-based public service journalism

WEKU depends on support from those who view and listen to our content. There's no paywall here. Please support WEKU with your donation.

Contribute now

Related Content

Could the National Guard play a role in the Midterms?

Mary Louise Kelly, Kat Lonsdorf, Tom Bowman

The National Guard's presence has become routine in D.C., but there's nothing routine about questions over the role the troops could play in the upcoming midterms.
Around-the-clock search continues to reach victims of the 7.4 earthquake in Colombia

John Otis

Search efforts continue though hopes are fading as teams dig for survivors from the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 250 people.
Europe swelters through its fifth heatwave of the summer

Eleanor Beardsley

Europe is sweltering through its fifth heatwave this summer. It has already lasted longer than a deadly heat wave that killed thousands across Europe in 2003.
Palestinians have no place to put their money. Officials warn a breakdown is looming

Emily Feng

Palestinians in the West Bank have too much cash. Israeli banks refuse to accept their deposits and Palestinian authorities warn an economic breakdown is looming.
A summer canoe trip through New York's north woods to wild sand beaches

Brian Mann

NPR's Brian Mann paddled the Ausable River in northern New York on a summer day to swim on wild sand beaches that stretch along Lake Champlain's shore.