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 …
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