A class to teach orphan orangutans how to forage in flooded areas sees every orangutan develop his or her own technique. One enterprising adolescent even figures how to use a coconut shell to gather water

Young Orangutan Learns How to Scoop Water (2:49)

Lindow Man, believed to be a victim of human sacrifice, remains one of the best preserved ancient bodies in all of Europe. The level of detail on his face is staggering—not bad for a 2,000-year-old mummy

The Stunningly Clear Features on the Lindow Man Mummy (2:53)

For five centuries, hunters would camp out on the beaches of Ascension Island to hunt green sea turtles. Today, with a hunting ban in place, the island has become a haven for these majestic sea creatures

A Hunting Ban Is Finally Helping Green Sea Turtles Thrive (3:11)

The "Manned Orbiting Laboratory," or "MOL," was built to capture high-resolution images of Soviet targets on the ground. It was so advanced, it could pick up objects on earth as small as a baseball

The Astonishing Spying Capabilities of This U.S. Satellite (1:56)

NASA began working on lunar vehicles in the early 1960s—but the project relied more on guesswork than engineering precision. After all, no one had any idea what being on the moon would be like

The Design of the Lunar Rover Was Mostly Guesswork (2:37)

Did you know that some of the technologies we take for granted in our kitchens were actually developed by NASA? Here are five of the best, from water filters to freeze-dried food

Five Kitchen Objects Inspired by Nasa (2:24)

The Buddhist statues of the Longmen Grottoes are a Chinese heritage—one in urgent need of preservation. To do this, archaeologists use advanced scanning technology to pinpoint the vulnerable areas in need of restoration

How Science Helps Preserve Longmen Grottoes (2:17)

Do you believe in witches? For the good people of Long Compton, it’s part of a longstanding tradition—one that, as recently as 1875, cost a woman named Ann Tennant her life

People Believe in Witchcraft in This Corner of England (3:31)

If you’re looking for the ideal vantage point to the stunning viaducts and landscapes of the Tongariro National Park in New Zealand, you have only have one option: the miraculous North Island Main Trunk Line

This New Zealand Train Line Is a Panoramic Marvel (2:14)

A London blacksmith has perfected a technique known as pattern welding to create elaborately-designed replica Saxon swords and knives. He demonstrates his technique on camera

This London Blacksmith Forges Replicas of Medieval Swords (3:34)

The Buddhist statues of the Longmen Grottoes are a Chinese heritage—one in urgent need of preservation. To do this, archaeologists use advanced scanning technology to pinpoint the vulnerable areas in need of restoration

How Science Helps Preserve Longmen Grottoes (2:17)

The French palace of Versailles was widely seen as one of the most beautiful in the world in the 17th century. Unfortunately, it was also one of the smelliest

The Stinky Reputation of 17th-Century Versailles (1:49)

Lindow Man, believed to be a victim of human sacrifice, remains one of the best preserved ancient bodies in all of Europe. The level of detail on his face is staggering—not bad for a 2,000-year-old mummy

The Stunningly Clear Features on the Lindow Man Mummy (2:53)

Human remains discovered at Wharram Percy are about to be examined by an expert, in a bid to determine what happened. Is it a medieval murder mystery—or something far more sinister?

A 500-Year-Old Cold Case in the Village of Wharram Percy (3:20)

A London blacksmith has perfected a technique known as pattern welding to create elaborately-designed replica Saxon swords and knives. He demonstrates his technique on camera

This London Blacksmith Forges Replicas of Medieval Swords (3:34)

A class to teach orphan orangutans how to forage in flooded areas sees every orangutan develop his or her own technique. One enterprising adolescent even figures how to use a coconut shell to gather water

Young Orangutan Learns How to Scoop Water (2:49)

For five centuries, hunters would camp out on the beaches of Ascension Island to hunt green sea turtles. Today, with a hunting ban in place, the island has become a haven for these majestic sea creatures

A Hunting Ban Is Finally Helping Green Sea Turtles Thrive (3:11)

In 1967, a horrific fire broke out during a routine pre-launch test for the Apollo 1 mission at Cape Kennedy, Florida. It would claim the lives of three NASA astronauts

How a 'Non-Hazardous' NASA Mission Turned Deadly (4:03)

Gasp! The answer will amaze you.

Ask Smithsonian: How Long Can a Person Hold Their Breath? (1:32)

The science of earwax in under a minute

Ask Smithsonian: What's the Point of Earwax? (1:05)

Mans best friend is also one of his oldest.

Ask Smithsonian: When Did People Start Keeping Pets? (1:05)

The principal investigator for NASA’s Juno spacecraft talks with the founder of Uncharted Power about the pursuit of technology that could allow everyone affordable access to clean electricity

The Long Conversation 2018: Scott Bolton Interviews Jessica Matthews (11:03)

The 12-year-old activist talks with the award-winning actress about how an increasingly diverse body of storytellers sharing their experiences is breaking down artificial barriers

The Long Conversation 2018: Naomi Wadler Interviews Alfre Woodard (12:02)

The technologist talks with the inventor about humankind’s amazing capacity to solve problems

The Long Conversation 2018: Obi Felten Interviews Danny Hillis (10:57)

Climb into the guts of a hovercraft, as a team of salvage experts, led by a former NASA engineer, disassemble and cut through this iconic and unique vehicle.

Take a Look Inside One of the Most Unusual Vehicles Ever (2:43)

Marc Goodman has spent a career in law enforcement and technology. He has served as a street police officer, senior adviser to Interpol and futurist-in-residence with the FBI. As the founder of the Future Crimes Institute and the Chair for Policy, Law, and Ethics at Silicon Valleys Singularity University, he continues to investigate the intriguing and often terrifying intersection of science and security, uncovering nascent threats and combating the darker sides of technology

DO NOT PUBLISH Future Is Here Festival 2015: Marc Goodman, Chair for Policy and Law at Singularity University (17:19)

Greg Henderson is the founder, CEO and chief visionary for Arx Pax. Greg began his career in the military as an Airborne Ranger, serving with the 101st Airborne and 7th Infantry. He graduated from West Point with a B.S in Engineering, and received a Master of Architecture degree from Berkeley. That said, what Greg succinctly envisioned with Arx Pax was a new way to employ an unexploited technology in applications that others did not see. He labeled this epiphany: Magnetic Field Architecture (MFA). Its a big dream on a one-of-a-kind technology that will change the way the world works, plays, builds and lives. All of us here at Arx Pax (and HENDO) passionately believe in its possibility, its potentialand its promise. Which is why the team Greg and Jill have assembled at Arx Pax matters so much

DO NOT PUBLISH Future Is Here Festival 2015: Greg Henderson, Hendo Hoverboard Co-Founder (11:03)