Credit: Carlos Jaramillo, German Bayona and Edward Duarte, using Gplates and VideoPad by NCHsoftware

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 spent the last eight hundred years or so making things go from bad to worse, bringing the gravity-defying tower to the brink of disaster

The city famous for blues and barbecue is a little “ragged around the edges” according to tour guide Tad Pierson, who drives tourists around in his pink 1955 Cadillac by Lucian Perkins

Ever the media gadfly himself, the pop artist was fascinated by newspapers, especially the tabloids, as explored in a new exhibit at the National Gallery of Art. Read more at http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/Bringing-Andy-Warhols-Shadows-to-the-Hirshhorn.html

Venture into Virunga National Park with Smithsonian writer Paul Raffaele as he examines the threats facing mountain gorillas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Can quicksand really swallow you up, or does that just happen in the movies? Host Eric Schulze dives in to separate science fact from science fiction."

Primatologist Tetsuro Matsuzawa studies chimps in hopes of uncovering how they learn and communicate

Aziz Ansari | Smithsonian Magazine’s 2016 American Ingenuity Award Winner for Performing Arts The actor, comedian and author is being honored for his starring role as Dev Shah in “Master of None,” the Netflix series that he created with Alan Yang. Like the character he plays, Ansari is the son of Indian immigrant parents, and his smart, surprising take on life, love, technology and cultural identity in the United States has helped make the show “the year’s best comedy straight out of the gate,” as the New York Times put it. Among Ansari’s other accomplishments are his unforgettable portrayal of the loopy Tom Haverford on NBC’s “Parks and Recreation,” his best-selling book about dating in the internet age, Modern Romance (co-authored with Eric Klinenberg), and his blockbuster stand-up act that sold out Madison Square Garden. Read more about Ansari’s work: http://smithmag.co/jvdAaL | #IngenuityAwards And more about the American Ingenuity Awards: http://smithmag.co/77xPqy

In between trips to archaeology digs around the world, scientist Bruno Frohlich uses 3-D imaging to uncover what makes a great stringed instrument. Read more at: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/scanning-a-stradivarius-13807009/

The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is renowned for its striking architecture and impressive collection of contemporary art. Whether you're an art enthusiast, a history buff, or simply curious about that concrete donut on the National Mall, learn more about its Brutalist background in this new episode of National Treasure. --------- To find out more about the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, read below: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/hirshhorn-museum-building-went-from-iconoclast-icon-180984914/ Digital Editorial Director: Brian Wolly Director of Programming: Nicki Marko Supervising Producer & Scriptwriter: Michelle Mehrtens Producer & Editor: Sierra Theobald Motion Designer: Ricardo Jaimes

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.

We're over here making podcasts, and you're over there listening. Let's bridge that gap! We want to know more about you, like: why you're listening, what your favorite topics are, and what Smithsonian magazine can do to make "There's More to That" even better. Tell us what you think at  smithsonianmag.com/podcastsurvey (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/podcastsurvey) .

The temples and scenery of Japans San-in coast are as captivating now as they were when Lafcadio Hearn wrote about them in the 19th century (Produced by: Brendan McCabe; Narration by: T.A. Frail; Music by: Kevin MacLeod; Photos by: Hans Sautter / Aurora Select).

Read more about Haleakala: http://j.mp/ufv44s The Hawaiian volcano, with its unique vegetation and meditative winds, has a spiritual connection to the native population

Read more at http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/aroundthemall/2009/12/tai-shan-will-return-to-china/ Visitors to the National Zoo have enjoyed watching their baby panda grow up over the last four years.

The holiday was used as a call for freedom during the civil rights movement and as a day of mourning by Native Americans.

Kip Thorne, Rainer Weiss, Barry Barish and Ronald Drever | Smithsonian Magazine’s 2016 American Ingenuity Award Winners for Physical Sciences In February, physicists announced the first-ever detection of gravitational waves—a phenomenon Albert Einstein predicted back in 1915. The faint reverberation, from two merging black holes 1.3 billion light-years ago, registered in the two giant detectors that make up the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, or LIGO. It took decades for LIGO’s founders—Weiss, of MIT, and Thorne and Drever, of Cal Tech—to amass the necessary funding and brainpower. Barish, a particle physicist at CalTech, became LIGO’s director and expanded its work to include more than 1,000 researchers worldwide. Their revolutionary achievement opens the way for a new understanding of the universe, perhaps even a glimpse of the Big Bang. Read more about their work: http://smithmag.co/FZBFeP | #IngenuityAwards And more about the American Ingenuity Awards: http://smithmag.co/77xPqy

Smithsonian magazine commissioned Drew Gardner for a project that connects Black Americans today to their lost ancestry. Read about Gardner’s project and process, as well as more details about the subjects of this incredible series here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/descendants-black-civil-war-heroes-wear-heritage-pride-180983397/ Video produced by Sierra Theobald. Special thanks to Drew Gardner Additional credits: Emma MacBeath, WikiTree US Black Heritage project; Ottawa Goodman, research and coordinator; Sam Dole, Penumbra Foundation; Elizabeth Zuck, set design; Calvin Osbourne, props and costume; Angela Huff, hair and make up; Diego Huerta, Lexia Krebs, behind-the-scenes filming; background prints by Fujifilm USA

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.

1,000 scientists in 40 countries are searching for answers 100 miles below our feet

Erosion, evaporation, and a leaky faucet, our host Eric Schulze breaks it all down.

Take a walk through jazz history with pianist John Eaton as he recollects his career of the past five decades (Meredith Bragg)

Smithsonian magazine commissioned Drew Gardner for a project that connects Black Americans today to their lost ancestry. Read about Gardner’s project and process, as well as more details about the subjects of this incredible series here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/descendants-black-civil-war-heroes-wear-heritage-pride-180983397/ Video produced by Sierra Theobald. Special thanks to Drew Gardner Additional credits: Emma MacBeath, WikiTree US Black Heritage project; Ottawa Goodman, research and coordinator; Sam Dole, Penumbra Foundation; Elizabeth Zuck, set design; Calvin Osbourne, props and costume; Angela Huff, hair and make up; Diego Huerta, Lexia Krebs, behind-the-scenes filming; background prints by Fujifilm USA

Richard Saul Wurman, the founder of the popular speaker series, shares his ideas for how to make learning more interesting

Have you ever wondered whether lie detectors actually...work? Join us as we delve into the history and science behind these devices - from how they measure "deception" to the controversies surrounding their use. This video is the first episode of the National Treasure series, where we share behind-the-scenes stories of objects in the Smithsonian Collections. --------- To learn more about the exhibition "Forensic Science on Trial" at Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, read below: What a 100-Year-Old Lie Detector and 150-Year-Old Arsenic Tests Tell Us About Forensic Science Today https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/what-a-100-year-old-lie-detector-and-150-year-old-arsenic-tests-tell-us-about-forensic-science-today-180984623/ Forensic Science on Trial https://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/forensic-science-trial Digital Editorial Director: Brian Wolly Supervising Producer & Scriptwriter: Michelle Mehrtens Producer: Nicki Marko Producer & Editor: Sierra Theobald Motion Designer: Ricardo Jaimes Original Footage: Cade Martin

What caused the Plague? And what methods did people use to combat the spread? Learn about its origins, past outbreaks (including the Black Death), and the long-lasting impact of its legacy today. --- For more videos from Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/videos/ Digital Editorial Director: Brian Wolly Supervising Producer & Scriptwriter: Michelle Mehrtens Producer: Nicki Marko Producer: Sierra Theobald Video Editor: Natalie Cline Graphic Designer: Kevin Schoenblum

See how researchers at Smithsonian's National Zoo are trying to glean insight into elephant foraging behavior and more.

Uncover the dark and curious truth behind the death of one of America's most beloved authors, Edgar Allan Poe. For centuries, the circumstances surrounding his death have remained shrouded in mystery, sparking endless speculation and debate. Was it murder, disease, or something even more sinister? ___ A little more information: In 1849, Edgar Allan Poe was found delirious on the streets of Baltimore. He was taken to a hospital but died four days later, with no clear explanation for his condition. Theories about his demise range from alcoholism to rabies to a neurological disorder. Some suggest a more sinister plot, involving foul play or a conspiracy. Despite extensive speculation, Poe's death ultimately remains an enigma, adding to the haunting allure of his literary legacy. #unsolvedmysteries #gothicliterature #theraven #edgarallanpoe #truecrime #Smithsonianmagazine Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@SmithsonianMagazine Read more about the mystery of Edgar Allan Poe’s death here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/still-mysterious-death-edgar-allan-poe-180952936/ How did Edgar Allan Poe become such a prolific and popular storyteller, even after his death? Learn more about his history here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/edgar-allan-poe-became-era-premier-storyteller-180971001/ For more videos from Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/videos/ Get More Smithsonian Magazine: Official Site: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smithsonianmagazine/ X: https://x.com/smithsonianmag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/SmithsonianMagazine/ Digital Editorial Director: Brian Wolly Director of Programming: Nicki Marko Manager of Programming: Michelle Mehrtens Scriptwriter: Dan Wolf Video Editor and Narrator: Adam Benavides

As foliage darkens in the fall, the pigments within the plant matter break down and transform

Smithsonian magazine's poetry consultant recites his poem commissioned for a special photography issue

Each year, the Lakota of the Great Plains commemorate their victory over the United States army at the Battle of the Greasy Grass, better known in American history as the Battle of Little Bighorn Photographs by Aaron Huey Directed and Edited by Kristin Moore

Read more at http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/The-Beer-Archaeologist.html One of the brains behind the famed Delaware brewery talks about what goes into producing one of their beers.

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?

Television reporter Shannon LaNier is a direct descendant of the third President of the United States. (Credit: Drew Gardner)

The Huichol people of west-central Mexico have designed the Vochol—a car turned work of art

What was the motivation behind the American Ingenuity Award winner's medical breakthrough that will save thousands of lives

Read more at http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Nikita-in-Hollywood.html As part of a diplomatic mission, Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev traveled across the United States, meeting Americans from New York to Iowa to California.

After five people perished on a controversial submersible dive to the wreckage of the Titanic in June, we got to thinking about what genuine undersea exploration looks like. In this episode, we speak with Tony Perrottet, who profiled the late OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush for Smithsonian magazine in 2019, about our ancient fascination with exploring hostile environments. Then we’re joined by Susan Casey, who has written four best-selling books about the ocean and its creatures, the newest of which is The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean. Susan tells us why understanding the ocean is key to humanity’s survival, and how, while serious research and shipwreck tourism may have some overlap, they remain two very different things. Read Tony Perrottet’s June 2019 (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/worlds-first-deep-diving-submarine-plans-tourists-see-titanic-180972179/) Smithsonian (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/worlds-first-deep-diving-submarine-plans-tourists-see-titanic-180972179/) profile (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/worlds-first-deep-diving-submarine-plans-tourists-see-titanic-180972179/) of Stockton Rush. Learn more about Tony and his work at his site (http://tonyperrottet.com/) . Read an excerpt from Susan Casey’s new book, The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/inside-the-nerve-racking-dive-to-an-active-submarine-volcano-180982687/) . Learn more about Susan and her work at her site (https://susancasey.com/) . There’s More to That is a production of Smithsonian magazine and PRX Productions. From the magazine, our team is Chris Klimek, Debra Rosenberg and Brian Wolly. From PRX, our team is Jessica Miller, Adriana Rosas Rivera, Genevieve Sponsler, Terence Bernardo, and Edwin Ochoa. The Executive Producer of PRX Productions is Jocelyn Gonzales. Episode artwork by Emily Lankiewicz (contains elements by Madelgarius (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Titan_(mod%C3%A9lisation_sketchup_-_twilight_render_-_Gimp).jpg) , via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 4.0) Music by APM Music.

This relic from ancient Persia had a profound influence on the Founding Fathers. More on the Cyrus Cylinder: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/the-cyrus-cylinder-goes-on-view-at-the-sackler-gallery-1334866/

The American Ingenuity Award winner describes what it takes to tell a great story

Gasp! The answer will amaze you. Still Image Credit: MaFelipe / iStock

This unmanned aerial vehicle can be launched from, and land on, a moving ship thanks to new technology Narrated by T.A. Frail Script by Brendan McCabe Video courtesy of Insitu

The Peacock Room at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art has it all: friendship, betrayal, revenge, and… peacocks. Learn more about the iconic artist James McNeill Whistler and his shocking feud with patron Frederick Leyland in this new episode of National Treasure. --------- To learn more about the Peacock Room at Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art, read below: How Golden Peacocks on a Dining Room Wall Destroyed a Longstanding Friendship in Victorian Society https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-golden-peacocks-on-a-dining-room-wall-destroyed-a-longstanding-friendship-in-victorian-society-180984735/ Digital Editorial Director: Brian Wolly Director of Programming: Nicki Marko Supervising Producer & Scriptwriter: Michelle Mehrtens Producer & Editor: Sierra Theobald Motion Designer: Ricardo Jaimes

From Smithsonian.com's story on Dave Shealy, Florida's self-proclaimed skunk ape expert: www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/trail-floridas-bigfoot-skunk-ape-180949981/

In WW2, the British made destroying German dams a key strategic target in order to kneecap the German industrial effort. To accomplish this, they needed a special plane to deliver the payload: the Lancaster Bomber.

Watch newsreel footage of Angel Macias' astonishing performance at the Little League World Series.

While camouflaged on the ocean floor off the coast of Israel in the Red Sea, octopods use their arms to grab unsuspecting prey

Two weeks before he died, the legendary astronaut wrote a letter in recognition of Jeff Bezos' work, read at the 2016 American Ingenuity Awards Smithsonian magazine American #IngenuityAwards