Ask Smithsonian / Video

Ask Smithsonian: How Long Can a Person Hold Their Breath?

Gasp! The answer will amaze you.

Ask Smithsonian: What’s the Point of Earwax?

The science of earwax in under a minute

Ask Smithsonian: When Did People Start Keeping Pets?

Man’s best friend is also one of his oldest.

Ask Smithsonian: What Does the World Look Like When You’re Color Blind?

Learn more about color blindness: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ask-smithsonian-how-does-world-look-the-color-blind-180960415/ Have a question in mind? It’s your turn to Ask Smithsonian: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ask-smithsonian/ask-form/

Ask Smithsonian: What’s a Dimple?

Host Eric Schulze digs into the science behind these depressions.

Ask Smithsonian: Can Animals Predict Earthquakes and Other Natural Disasters?

Our host, Eric Schulze, explains how science is tackling this puzzling question from space.

Ask Smithsonian: Why Does My Nose Run When It’s Cold Outside?

Host Eric Schulze opens the floodgates of knowledge to reveal the answer.

Ask Smithsonian: Why Do We Kiss?

Is a kiss really just a kiss? In this one-minute video, our Ask Smithsonian Host, Eric Schulze, explains why we pucker up.

Ask Smithsonian: Can Elephants Jump?

In this one-minute video, our Ask Smithsonian Host, Eric Schulze, weighs in on whether or not elephants can jump.

Ask Smithsonian: What Is Wind?

In this one-minute video, our Ask Smithsonian host, Eric Schulze, explains what causes wind. The answer might blow you away.

Ask Smithsonian: Why Do We Sneeze?

Feel a sneeze coming on? Don’t hold it in! In this one-minute video, our Ask Smithsonian host, Eric Schulze, explains why we sneeze.

Ask Smithsonian: How Do Colors Affect Our Moods?

Feeling blue? Try watching this one-minute video. Our Ask Smithsonian host, Eric Schulze, explains how colors affect our moods.

Ask Smithsonian: How Do Spiders Make a Web?

How do spiders make such intricate webs? Don’t get too tangled up about it. In this one-minute video, our Ask Smithsonian host, Eric Schulze, weaves his way to the answer.

Ask Smithsonian: What’s a Freckle?

What are freckles, and how do they form? In this one-minute video, our Ask Smithsonian host, Eric Schulze, shines a light on the subject.

Ask Smithsonian: How Do You Mummify a Body?

Many cultures have found ways to preserve the human body after death, but how? In this one-minute video, our Ask Smithsonian Host, Eric Schulze, wraps up the answer.

Ask Smithsonian: How Did the Plague Kill So Many? Could It Happen Again?

The plague’s deadliest outbreak was in the 1300s – but is it gone for good? In this one-minute video, our Ask Smithsonian Host, Eric Schulze, explains what causes the plague …

Ask Smithsonian: How Does Night Vision Technology Work?

Who’s afraid of the dark? Our Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze is here to explain the illuminating science behind night vision.

Ask Smithsonian: How Does Skin Heal?

Our skin is an endlessly complex organ. Luckily, in this one-minute video, our Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze is here to explain exactly what happens after you get a scrape.

Ask Smithsonian: Why Do Flamingos Stand on One Leg?

Have you ever wondered why these birds strike this peculiar pose? Find out in this one-minute video, where Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze walks us through the reasons behind the …

Ask Smithsonian: Why Do We Get Prune Fingers?

Why are we equipped with this curious modification? Find out in this one-minute video, where Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze gives us the info on our wrinkled digits.

Ask Smithsonian: Why Do We Use One Hand More Than the Other?

So what exactly factors into how we end up being right or left-handed? In this one-minute video, Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze breaks down the science of being a southpaw.

Ask Smithsonian: Why Does Rain Have a Distinctive Smell?

Nothing beats the sweet smells of a summer rain. But what exactly is it that we’re smelling? Find out in this one-minute video, when Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze breaks …

Ask Smithsonian: What Makes Skunk Spray Smell So Terrible?

Did you ever think you’d hear the words “skunk,” “anti-aircraft weaponry” and “nipple squirters” in the same sentence? Brace yourself and watch this one-minute video, where Ask Smithsonian host Eric …

Ask Smithsonian: What Happens When You Get a Concussion?

We all know concussions are a bad thing, but have you ever wondered exactly what happens to your brain when it gets knocked around? In this one-minute video, Ask Smithsonian …

Ask Smithsonian: What’s Up With Saturn’s Rings?

Despite being just one minute long, this Ask Smithsonian video hosted by Eric Schulze is crammed full of strange things you never knew – but should – about Saturn’s rings. …

Ask Smithsonian: Have Cats Been Domesticated?

When did we start getting cuddly with cats? And have those tabbies really been tamed? In this one-minute video, Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze investigates the surprising history and science …

Ask Smithsonian: What Would Happen if the Yellowstone Volcano Erupted?

Have you ever wondered why Yellowstone is full of hot springs, bubbling mudpots and geysers like Old Faithful? In this one-minute video, Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze explains the supervolcano …

Ask Smithsonian: Why Do We Love Junk Food?

What is it about junk food that makes it so hard to resist? Find out how this empty-calorie food is designed to keep us wanting more in this one-minute video …

Ask Smithsonian: How Do People Get Phobias?

How can something like a tiny, harmless spider or a clown make your heart race and your palms sweat? And for the love of all things science, how can you …

Ask Smithsonian: When Will the Leaning Tower of Pisa Topple?

Have you ever wondered if the Leaning Tower of Pisa is a catastrophe waiting to happen? In this one-minute video, Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze explains how architects and engineers …

Ask Smithsonian: What’s the Deepest We’ve Ever Dug Into the Earth?

What’s the world record for deepest vertical dig? Go ahead, take a guess. We bet you won’t come close to the surprising answer unearthed in this one-minute video by Ask …

Ask Smithsonian: What Keeps Satellites From Falling Out of the Sky?

Are you the kind of person who needs to know what keeps satellites from plummeting to the Earth in a big, fiery ball? Then you need to watch this one-minute …