Carefully planned gardens provide visitors a place to relax and reflect during their visit to the Smithsonian.

Dismembered war captives from the 17th century uneartherd

A crow named Icarus uses a short tool to extract a long tool, which he then uses to fish out a piece of meat.

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.

You might think twice about picking that chip off the carpet and putting it into your mouth.

Host Eric Schulze digs into the science behind these depressions.

Saber toothed cats, temperature and things that go bump in the night, Eric Schulze explains

To find out, we need to get down to the basics. Eric Schulze explains

When plasma falls to the surface it results in a dazzling display known as coronal rain

Five categories (People, Arts, Nature, Travel and Mobile) and a grand prize of $2,000.

Our giant of a host, Eric Schulze, explains why size mattered in prehistory.

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/

We asked visitors to the National Mall what they thought should be in the Smithsonian collections in 2050. The consensus? Lady Gaga and much more...

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

Researchers from South Korea have discovered a unconventional way to produce gasoline.

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 video, where Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze gives us the lowdown on what-in-the-name-of-science makes those satellites stay up.

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."

Prepare to be amazed.

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.

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

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

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 with Ask Smithsonian host, Eric Schulze.

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. Prepare to be amazed.

How to build a museum tours app? Send the intern out to see if she can see it all in just three hours

Behind the scenes of Smithsonian magazine's iPad app. To learn more about the app, visit: http://www.smithsonian.com/app

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 make these fears stop? Find out in this one-minute video, where Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze delves deep into the dark recesses of our minds to get at the facts behind our phobias.

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

Travel to Oregon, Minnesota, North Dakota and Rhode Island to see beautiful autumn foliage and much more. --- For more videos from Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/videos/ Digital Editorial Director: Brian Wolly Supervising Producer & Scriptwriter: Michelle Mehrtens Video Editor: Sierra Theobald

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 Schulze sticks his nose into the science of skunk spray.

Think blockbuster movie and you’ve got an idea of how this story ends

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

Experts may not agree on all the specifics, but here's what we do know.

The science behind going belly up

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

A new law enforcement tool is marking alleged criminals without their knowledge

Smithsonian Institution Secretary Dr. David Skorton joins some of the world’s leading thinkers in a spirited discussion about our ever changing planet

Watch Dr. Suzan Murray perform her morning rounds (Kenneth R. Fletcher)

It was no doubt a fantastical death, worthy of a pharaoh

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.

After reviewing more than 30,000 photos, the editors of Smithsonian magazine are proud to announce the winning submissions. Learn more about the finalists and winners of 2024 here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/see-winners-21st-annual-smithsonian-magazine-photo-contest-180984001/. --- For more videos from Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/videos/ Digital Editorial Director: Brian Wolly Supervising Producer & Scriptwriter: Michelle Mehrtens Video Editor: Sierra Theobald

"OK Go made music videos relevant again." – Stephen Colbert OK Go​, Damian Kulash Jr. and Trish Sie​ won the Smithsonian magazine​ American Ingenuity Award for Visual Arts for pushing the music-video envelope with their zero-gravity video for "Upside Down & Inside Out." Read more about their work and see the video here: http://smithmag.co/HZ8vzr The Smithsonian has been celebrating innovation in American culture for more than 150 years, and following in this tradition, Smithsonian magazine presents the American Ingenuity Awards, honoring revolutionary breakthroughs in the arts and sciences, education and social progress. http://smithmag.co/R7hyRO

A modern medical mystery

The CIA used birds, cats and even dolphins to help them on covert operations.

The sweet science behind our sense of taste

Obviously it's a bad idea to go out into space without a trusty spacesuit, but what exactly happens?

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

Not to worry—shut-eye comes easily to these aquatic mammals

Have you ever wondered how a simple shot can keep you from dying a horrible death? In this one-minute video, Ask Smithsonian’s host, Eric Schulze, unravels how vaccines boot-camp our bodies into shape, getting us ready to fight off deadly diseases.

The legendary Stan Lee, creator of the Avengers, Spiderman and Iron Man, has partnered with the Smithsonian National Museum of American History to launch the first global online course about superheroes to fans around the world. Register now: smithsonian.com/edx/superheroes