Science / Video
There’s a Limit to the Comfort Level of NASA Space Suits
The space suits used by the astronauts on Gemini 7, known as grasshopper suits, were designed for comfort. But after two weeks inside them, that was the last thing on …
How Smithsonian Researchers Are Studying Elephant Behavior
See how researchers at Smithsonian’s National Zoo are trying to glean insight into elephant foraging behavior and more.
This Man Was Tried in Tennessee for Teaching Evolution
In July 1925, a young science teacher named John Scopes was in court, accused of contravening the Butler Act—a Tennessee law that prohibited the teaching of evolution in schools.
Scientists Didn’t Know Much About Earthquakes Before 1933
On March 10, 1933, a major earthquake caught the Los Angeles area by surprise. The devastation was of sufficient scale to spur scientific interest in earthquakes—and how to predict them.
A 600-Mile Journey Across Alaska Saves the Town of Nome
In 1925, an Alaskan adventurer and his trusted Siberian husky completed a grueling 600-mile journey across the frozen plains. Their exploits would end up saving the lives of 2,000 people.
The Invisible Enemy Wiping Out Entire Species of Frogs
To save a species from extinction, scientists scour the Panamanian jungle for the few remaining frogs. But will they be too late?
Did the Spanish Flu Impact America’s Ability to Fight in WWI?
By late September 1918, in a bid to contain the spread of the flu, the U.S. had made the decision to cancel the draft. It was too little, too late—in …
This 1935 Florida Hurricane Had a Devastating Impact
On September 2, 1935, Florida was hit by the most intense hurricane ever recorded—a category 5. Despite early warnings by the weather authorities, a calamitous loss of life shocked the …
The Terrifying Physics of WWII Dive Bombing
The act of dive bombing during World War II was a death defying trial of skill and nerve. You aimed your plane down, four miles above the ocean and plummeted …
How a ‘Non-Hazardous’ NASA Mission Turned Deadly
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
The Changing Colors of Deciduous Leaves
As foliage darkens in the fall, the pigments within the plant matter break down and transform
As part of Project Mercury, NASA prepared to send a chimpanzee, Ham, into space to test the effects of space on a living creature.
This Bandit-Faced Dino Hid From Predators Using Multiple Types of Camouflage
Credit: David Marshall, University of Bristol
Watch Humpback Whales Fish With Bubble Nets
Courtesy of GoPro
Sea Star Storytime with Chris Mah
Chris Mah, researcher at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in the invertebrate zoology department, describes the characteristics of different sea star species observed on the final dive …
The Rise and Fall of an Inland Amazon Sea
Credit: Carlos Jaramillo, German Bayona and Edward Duarte, using Gplates and VideoPad by NCHsoftware
Transporting a Live Elephant Is Exactly as Difficult as You Would Imagine
The team at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy needs to transport Kinani, a blind male elephant, to a 4,000-acre compound where he’ll be able to roam freely without disturbing other wildlife. …
One of the Strangest, Stealthiest Turtles You’ve Ever Seen
A mata mata turtle can go 15 minutes between breaths—it’s another one of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s many unique animals. Join the Zoo’s experts for an inside look at some …
Saving a Nest of Baby Rabbits Mauled by a Dog
After a dog digs up a rabbit’s nest and leaves a litter exposed, the team at the Toronto Wildlife Center must rehabilitate the malnourished babies before they can be released …
Lava Stream From Kilauea Volcano
A massive lava stream from Kilauea Volcano flows into the ocean from a lava tube at the Kamokuna ocean entry on the southeast side of the Big Island at sunrise. …
Yearlong Migration of the Kirtland’s Warbler
Credit: Nathan Cooper
New Hermit Crab Species Pylopaguropsis mollymullerae
This is video of the new hermit crab species Pylopaguropsis mollymullerae taken by Ellen Muller at dive site ‘Something Special’, southern Caribbean. Credit: Rafael Lemaitre and Ellen Muller
Using an ultrafast camera, scientists successfully imaged the scattering of light in different materials. Credit: Science Advances
Why Should Humans Care About Biodiversity Loss?
Humans don’t just impact the interconnected web of life—we depend on it.
Cheese Mites - Dr. Scott Chimileski
Harvard Medical School / Boston, Massachusetts, USA / Hundreds of harmless cheese mites (Tyrophagus casei) bustle across a rind of cheddar cheese / Stereomicroscopy / 5x
Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany / A German wasp (vespula germanica) awakening / Light Microscopy / 30x
Zebrafish Embryo - Dr. Philipp Keller and Raghav K. Chhetrii
Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute / Ashburn, Virginia, USA / Spatially isotropic whole-animal functional imaging of a behaving Drosophila larva labeled with a calcium indicator / Custom-built IsoView …
Stephen Hawking Congratulates the LIGO Team | Smithsonian American Ingenuity Awards
“They have given mankind a completely new way of looking at the universe.” Stephen Hawking, congratulates Kip Thorne, Rainer Weiss, Barry Barish and Ronald Drever, the first scientists to detect …
Need a New Organ? Surgeon Anthony Atala Sees a Future Where You Can Simply Print It Out
Anthony Atala | Smithsonian Magazine’s 2016 American Ingenuity Award Winner for Life Sciences The director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Atala is a surgeon and leading expert …
Christopher Gray’s Scholly App Is Bringing Millions of Dollars to College Students in Need
Christopher Gray | Smithsonian Magazine’s 2016 American Ingenuity Award Winner for Youth Achievement Christopher Gray is the founder and CEO of Scholly, the groundbreaking web and mobile app that matches …
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