INFOGRAPHIC: Light By the Numbers

For six weeks, luna moth caterpillars gorge themselves on the leaves of the marula tree. Then, when they're ready, they instinctively weave giant cocoons around themselves in preparation for their stunning metamorphosis.

Timelapse Footage of a Giant Caterpillar Weaving Its Cocoon (2:34)

Whale milk is some of the richest milk available to any mammal. A baby whale will drink 150 gallons of it a day to sustain its dramatic growth.

Baby Humpbacks Need 150 Gallons of Whale Milk a Day (2:51)

Why saying cheese just didnt happen in the early days of photography.

Ask Smithsonian: Why Don’t People Smile in Old Photographs? (1:12)

Prepare to be amazed.

Ask Smithsonian: What’s a Stone Baby? (1:07)