Smithsonian Channel Pick of the Week
529 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 4 years ago - ★★★★ - 31 ratingsThe latest in science, culture, and history from Smithsonian Channel.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Who Was King Tut's Father?
April 06, 2015 16:00 - 2 minutes VideoTo untangle Tut's family tree, experts examined DNA from 10 royal mummies suspected to be related to the pharaoh. The results are in.
How Hitler Launched His Fortune From Prison
April 06, 2015 16:00 - 3 minutes VideoAdolf Hitler wrote "Mein Kampf" while serving time in prison. But it was after he became German chancellor that he figured out a way to make millions from it.
John Wilkes Booth's Original Plan to Save the South
March 23, 2015 16:00 - 3 minutes VideoJohn Wilkes Booth knew he had to act quickly to save the South. But his original plan wasn't to kill Lincoln, it was to kidnap him.
Will This Active Glacier Fall Apart?
March 23, 2015 16:00Sightseers watch Pia Glacier, hoping to see a piece of ice break apart and crash into the freezing water. Just as patience begins to wear thin, the glacier starts to rumble, and then suddenly, it... The latest in science, culture, and history from Smithsonian Channel.
The Tourist Expedition With a Dangerous End
March 23, 2015 16:00Sightseers watch Pia Glacier, hoping to see a piece of ice break apart and crash into the freezing water. Just as patience begins to wear thin, the glacier starts to rumble, and then suddenly, it... The latest in science, culture, and history from Smithsonian Channel.
Snorkeling Off the Celebrity Solstice Cruise Ship
March 16, 2015 16:00After swimming in the beautiful Great Barrier Reef, this little scuba diver saw the largest fish of his life. How big, exactly? See for yourself. The latest in science, culture, and history from Smithsonian Channel.
F-15 vs. Alien Tripod: Who Would Win?
March 16, 2015 16:00 - 1 minute VideoIn this web-only original short, we imagine what would happen if a 1,000-foot-tall alien tripod faced off with an F-15 fighter jet. Would the aircraft's state-of-the-art missiles be any match for this monster's powerful death ray?
Trusting a Lion with Your Life
March 09, 2015 16:00 - 1 minute VideoWhile Kevin Richardson has built a lifetime's worth of trust with the lions and hyenas he cares for, he's well aware of the risks of getting close to them.
Why Do Hyenas Laugh?
March 02, 2015 17:00 - 3 minutes VideoAre hyenas the most misunderstood animals in the wild? They're intelligent, they have a sophisticated social order, and their famous laugh isn't even a laugh.
Baby Wildebeest Treats Lioness Like Mom
February 16, 2015 17:00 - 5 minutes VideoA hungry lioness captures a young calf. But before she decides to kill, something very unusual happens.
Rare Footage of Baby Platypuses Hatching
February 09, 2015 17:00Monotremes are the only mammals left that lay eggs. This video of newly hatched baby platypuses and echidnas is one of few that documents this incredible process. The latest in science, culture, and history from Smithsonian Channel.
Your Hands Are Talking to You. Are You Listening?
February 02, 2015 17:00A Kentucky farmer his whole life, Jim assumed his giant hands were just a product of old-age and hard labor -- until a chance encounter revealed something much more serious. The latest in science, culture, and history from Smithsonian Channel.
This Pilot Didn't Know Left from Right
February 02, 2015 17:00 - 2 minutes VideoThe captain's instruments were working when Crossair Flight 498 crashed, but he didn't understand what they were telling him. How could a qualified pilot confuse left for right?
The Real Reason You Might've Outgrown Your Wedding Ring
February 02, 2015 17:00 - 3 minutes VideoA Kentucky farmer his whole life, Jim assumed his giant hands were just a product of old-age and hard labor -- until a chance encounter revealed something much more serious.
Why the African Bullfrog IS NOT to Be Trifled With
January 26, 2015 17:00 - 2 minutes VideoAfrican bullfrogs spend a lot of time lying dormant underground. When it rains, their uprising is downright terrifying.
Could You Have Endured Consuelo Vanderbilt's Upbringing?
January 19, 2015 17:00 - 4 minutes VideoTutored in several European languages for hours on end and strapped to a steel rod for posture, Consuelo Vanderbilt's childhood was anything but easy.
A Mongoose and Black Mamba Fight to the Death
January 12, 2015 17:00 - 2 minutes VideoA mongoose is lightning fast and has razor-sharp teeth. A black mamba can kill 15 grown men with just one bite. Which of these two mortal enemies will win?
A Battle of Lavish Ball Gowns and Sparkling Wit
January 05, 2015 17:00 - 4 minutes VideoSparing no expense on designer clothes and wiedling their native wit, American socialites Jennie Jerome and Consuelo Yznaga took the British social scene by storm. Their competition was not pleased.
What Cheetahs and Amputees Have in Common
December 29, 2014 17:00For centuries, amputees had limited options when it came to prosthetics. Then came along Van Phillips, who revolutionized replacement limbs by studying one lightning-fast land mammal. The latest in science, culture, and history from Smithsonian Channel.
This Animal is Inspiring Prosthetic Design
December 29, 2014 17:00 - 2 minutes VideoFor centuries, amputees had limited options when it came to prosthetics. Then came along Van Phillips, who revolutionized replacement limbs by studying one lightning-fast land mammal.
How a Diphtheria Outbreak Spawned the Iditarod
December 22, 2014 17:00 - 2 minutes VideoEach year, mushers drive a pack of 16 dogs through the rough wilderness between Anchorage and Nome in honor of a famous Alaska medical emergency.
Two Leopards Battle, But Only One Can Survive
December 22, 2014 17:00 - 3 minutes VideoWhen Jack scores a kill, all kinds of grassland creatures come out of the woodwork to steal it. Even worse, Jack's rival is secretly waiting to ambush him.
Why They Might Abandon Ship
December 15, 2014 17:00Experts explain how and why the lost crew might abandon a seemingly seaworthy vessel. The latest in science, culture, and history from Smithsonian Channel.
Amy Winehouse Shares Her Favorite Jazz Icons
December 15, 2014 17:00 - 3 minutes VideoIn 2006, Amy Winehouse headed to the town of Dingle, Ireland to sing at Other Voices music festival. In a candid interview, she opens up about her musical idols and inspirations.
1,000 Years Old, But Still the Largest Reservoir on Earth
December 08, 2014 17:00 - 47 seconds VideoLocated in Angkor, the West Baray holds over 12 billion gallons of water and required 200,000 people to construct its tall embankments. Ten centuries later, its water is still being used to irrigate surrounding fields.
The Chemicals Found in Breast Milk Will Shock You
November 26, 2014 17:00 - 2 minutes VideoTen young mothers submit their breast milk for lab testing. The reports that come back contain a slew of strange chemicals and substances.
This Mammoth Carcass is Over 40,000 Years Old
November 24, 2014 17:00 - 1 minute VideoA paleobiologist walks us through the dissection of a 40,000-year-old woolly mammoth, one of the best-preserved carcasses of its kind.
A Powerful Great White Shark Tries to Flip a Boat
November 17, 2014 17:00 - 2 minutes VideoWhile investigating a herd of beached whales, the film crew comes upon a great white that doesn't want to be bothered.
The Invention That Gave Us This Clip Title
November 10, 2014 17:00 - 1 minute VideoThe invention of writing transformed civilization as we know it. Experts have traced some of the earliest form of it to Mari, an ancient Sumerian city.
Why Do Lions Roar?
November 10, 2014 17:00 - 52 seconds VideoLion start vocalizing as soon as they're born. But when and why do they start to roar? We ask caretakers at Smithsonian's National Zoo. #ZooQs
A Look Inside This See-Through Frog
November 03, 2014 17:00 - 55 seconds VideoBlood vessels, intestines, the heart - all of the reed frog's organs are visible through its translucent skin. It's a great adaptation for camouflage... and just plain gross.
America's First Multimillionaire
November 03, 2014 17:00 - 2 minutes VideoIn 1828, John Jacob Astor built a trading post on the Missouri River. Business was so profitable that it only took four decades for Astor to become America's first multimillionaire.
How to Achieve Flawless Beauty
October 13, 2014 16:00 - 2 minutes VideoThe bust of Nefertiti contains one of the most beautiful faces in the world. So beautiful, a mathematical formula was used to sculpt it.
Why Is This Amphibian Called Vomit Frog?
October 13, 2014 16:00 - 3 minutes VideoKnown as Darwin's frog, this male amphibian takes daycare to another, grotesque level. See for yourself.
Who Decided to Put 60 Seconds in a Minute?
October 06, 2014 16:00 - 2 minutes VideoOne highly influential ancient Middle Eastern civilization established some of the essential systems we still use today. Think you know which it is?
Building Up Blondie's Heart of Glass
September 29, 2014 16:00 - 3 minutes Video"Heart of Glass" is not only one of Blondie's most recognizable songs; it also pushed them beyond the realm of punk rock and into the mainstream disco scene.
Uncovering the Unusual Burial Rituals at Stonehenge
September 22, 2014 16:00 - 4 minutes VideoUsing cutting-edge digital mapping technology, scientists of the Stonehenge Hidden Landscape Project find signs of a "long barrow," a sophisticated mass grave that reveals strange burial rituals and the arrival of a new era.
What Stonehenge's Mass Grave Means
September 22, 2014 16:00Using cutting-edge digital mapping technology, scientists of the Stonehenge Hidden Landscape Project find signs of a "long barrow," a sophisticated mass grave that reveals strange burial rituals and... The latest in science, culture, and history from Smithsonian Channel.
This Video Exposes Hitler's Secret Illness
September 22, 2014 16:00 - 2 minutes VideoThis propaganda footage, shot right before the fall of the Third Reich, was supposed to be destroyed. And for good reason - it reveals the medical condition Hitler tried to hide.
The Emotional Crowning of the New World Trade Center
September 08, 2014 16:00 - 3 minutes VideoKevin Murphy, an iron worker who helped both recover the wreckage of the Twin Towers and construct their replacement, watches proudly as the spire is placed on One World Trade Center.
Who Built the Great Sphinx?
September 08, 2014 16:00 - 4 minutes VideoUntil recently, experts thought that King Djedefre was a murderer and outcast who couldn't possibly have had the power to create the Great Sphinx. But new evidence makes him a more likely candidate.
The Real-Life Lady Who Inspired Wonder Woman
August 25, 2014 16:00 - 4 minutes VideoWonder Woman's creator William Moulton Marston, was a Harvard trained psychologist and inventor; his wife is believed to be the model for the superheroine.
Mongoose Vs. Cobra
August 11, 2014 16:00 - 3 minutes VideoMongooses and snakes are each other's deadliest opponents. When they face off, the outcome is utterly unpredictable.
This Eel's Second Jaw Delivers the Death Blow
August 11, 2014 16:00 - 2 minutes VideoWhat do snowflake eels and the movie 'Alien' have in common? A deadly second jaw.
Martian Living Quarters
August 04, 2014 16:00 - 2 minutes VideoAt Johnson Space Center, engineers are working on a Deep Space Habitat, where astronauts will eventually live and work on Mars.
Serval Vs. Guinea Fowl
July 28, 2014 16:00 - 2 minutes VideoWith the ability to pounce 10 feet in the air, the serval is more than a formidable opponent for this guinea fowl.
This Is the Rover of the Future
July 28, 2014 16:00 - 2 minutes VideoNASA's new space exploration vehicle features a pressurized cocoon, omni-drive, and a suit port that allows astronauts to easily get in and out of the rover.
Watch an Elephant Try to Shake a Leopard Out of a Tree
July 21, 2014 16:00 - 2 minutes VideoFor this leopard, the easy part was killing the impala. Guarding its carcass is another story.
A Crucial Step to Landing on the Moon
July 14, 2014 16:00 - 3 minutes VideoBefore Neil Armstrong could walk on the moon, astronauts Jim McDivitt, Rusty Schweickart, and David Scott had to successfully test the lunar landing module in space.
What Happened to Christopher McCandless
July 07, 2014 16:00 - 3 minutes VideoIn 1992, Christopher McCandless set off to test if he could survive alone in the wilds of Alaska. It didn't go as planned.