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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)

Green ants build their grand nests out of leaves, which they pull and join together with silk. Amazingly, this silk is produced by their newborn larvae.

Magnificent Leaf Homes Woven by Australian Green Ants (2:50)

In 1828, John Jacob Astor built a trading post on the Missouri River. Business was so profitable that it only took four decades for Astor to become America's first multimillionaire.

America's First Multimillionaire (2:49)

Eric Green, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, explains how genomics are revolutionizing medicine at Smithsonian's "The Future is Here" event

The Human Genome: Unlocking Life's Code (15:37)